The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-09

gauzy silver. SO that Edinburgh. cluster
Ing about her hills and precipices and
broken into iridesoent peaks and fantastic
pictured Masses seemed a poets dream, a
city of fairyland. Yet already, in obedience
to the condition Of her existence, she was
bending her neck to the prosaic yoke of a
sordid routine. Her citizens were coming
forth to their daily toll with the marks OF
struggle on their brows. A little while
longer and the sun would look down on
men and women striving with each other
for pittance to keep life in. By an easy
process l made their case my own.
The castle alone seemed independent and
unsubduable, lifted completely above the
trivial and yexatious affairs of life. The
sentinel's steel cleaned ON the battle
ments with stirring and quickening sug-
gestions of its own. 1 thought of the
glory of carrying arms, experiencing in
imagination something Of the shock Of
battle and the rapture of victory. Why
should not join the ranks of those who
gayly sought renown with banner and
musicf What more natural to the hand
of highlander than the hilt Of swordi
But as / asked myself the question the
trumpet blared out its summons to mount,
and SO instead Of getting into warlike ac-
the arbitrament Of bloody strokes, as my
lord Stanley has 1t, took my seat on the
coach as meek as any Quaker.
We rolled off with regal pomp, our flour.
fish oftrumpets and the festive style of our
equipage collecting group of gazers at
even the early hour of O. But they did
not long feast their eyes on our splendor.
for our steeds being fresh and the charioteer
fond of displaying, we were soon out of the
echoing streets and bowling merrily along
the highway. The exhilaration was imme-
diate and exquisite. There is something in
freedom and rapid motion and vivid sum
shine and the jovial lcompanionship of irrev-
erent coachmen and trumpeters and the ad-
miration Of blushing rustic maidens and
mettlesome horses gay with polished trap
pings and flying ribbons that even the un-
fortunate and hypochondriac cannot resist.
My spirits, chill and leaden as they were at
starting, were soon in glow, which they
retained more or less until we drew up
amid shouts of welcome at the Hound
and Stag in Perth, where we were to pass
the night.
The Hound and Stag was cozy old
Inn, with low black ceilings, yellow sand
ed floors, cheerful display of kegs, cop
per Kettles, crystals and other utensils Of
good cheer and an appetizing fragrance
diffused by savory pans and bubbling, hiss
ing ovens. It was place which the hun
CRY guest entered with expectations and
left with regret and pleasant recollections.
The traveller can find no such hospitable
refugees now. We have palace hotels and
great gilded dining rooms and formality
and grandeur and invisible landlords and
supercilious walters who criticise your
manners and expect exorbitant tips for do
ingit. but no comfort like that of the Hound
and Stag. That evening the entertain
ment was SO princely that long ere the sup
per was over half my fellow travellers were
uproariously hilarious, and the host took
no offense.
Being in no mood for reveiry, I stole out
through the town and down by the green,
leafy banks of the Tay. When returned,
some of the company had prudently gone
to bed, others, less mindful of appearances.
were snoring serenely in their chairs in
every variety of posture that the inconti-
nent human frame can assume, and one or
two, whom took to be kirk elders on fur
Tough, were discussing the doctrine of pre-
destination and eternal punishment In o
perfectly amiable and fatuous manner over
well plenished tumblers of toddy.
But the chief thing to be noted is that
during my absence another guest had ar
rived. That he was man of consequence
was evident no less from his own lofty and
imperious mien than from the servile at
tentions of mine host He was booted and
spurred as though he had Just alighted
FROM the saddle. A silver mounted riding
whip and pair of riding gloves lay beside
him on table, and he wore the loose brown
velvet coat affected by the better class of
horsemen. High about his neck was q
huge stiff collar that held his head defiant
ly In the air and kept his ears vigorously at
attention. An imposing bunch of seals
dangled from his fob, and his rosy gills and
portly waist proclaimed that when he was
at home he knew how to dine. His head
was bald on the crown, and a ragged wart
msrred the symmetry of his nose, which,
however, was flung In the air with sempi-
ternal snort of contempt His air told he
was perfectly well aware that when he
stood his two legs supported the very pink
of creation.
When entered, he did me the honor of
staring hard at me, but almost immediate
ly he brought the tips of his fingers super
ciliously together and turned his eyes to
the ceiling in manner which said plainly
he regretted demeaning himself with an ut
terly insignificant and casual stranger and
that he would certainly not do it again. As
he was delivering himself silently but i'm
pressively of these sentiments and resolu-
tions the landlord hustled into the room
with a bowl of steaming, fragrant toddy, a
glass and n ladle. all of which he set down
with becoming ceremony on a small table
specially placed at the right hand of the
great man. Thegreat man thereupon took
h 10 t.an l.
finger tips apart and condescended to give
landlord became adventurous.
81 have taken the liberty, sir,n he said in
his suavest manner, with an inclination of
the body toward his patron, ito put the
heel of a lemon In it. / aye think lemon
adds to the favor of the best Glenlivat
Let me fill your glass, sir. There, l think
you'll find that worth drinking. had Sir
Thomas Gordon Of The Elms here the other
day. Something in India or China, didnna
weel ken which or what-a fine fellow il he
was ma just SO yellow, but that's the liver,
sir. My word, q bad liver's''-
IAN ugly companion" said the great
man, taking a sip; 'but, to say the truth,
Pm not interested in Sir Thomas hillary
organs"
Faith, nae mair am /, sir" promptly re-
sponded the host. "A man has troubles
enough of his own In this world without
fashin wi other folks livers. But, as was
saying, Sir Thomas happened TO be in',--
"Unspeakably gracious on his part, TO be
sure,o interrupted the great man. yet
the fact does not interest me-"
"Weel, weel, sir" responded the host,
with a deepening of the color In his rubicund
face, I'm sure I'll be the last to fash ye
with things ye dinna want to hear. only
meant to say that Sir Thomas praised the
toddy of the Hound and Stag"
Doubtless very gratifying said the
great man, taking another sip. You'd
better have the bellman sent out to apprise
the town of Sir Thomas compliment.
Meantime If you come back in 15 minutes
I'll have question to ask you.''
My tongues aye at your service, sir, re-
piled the host, unable to conceal his cha
grin. "a man like me must wag it at the
will of them that pay me-" And picking
up his tray he marched out of the room
xxith n mi ittrad air Tho uraat N, a =, ora zad