The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
The PGghting Stone of Old Scotland.

sessions protested, but the people be-
lieved. The schoolmaster, however, ap-
peared and faith in the stone began to
wane. Still, it was not until the ancient
relic was removed from its old place in an
offshoot from one of the church walls.
that its glory departed. 1t was presented
to the Ontario Museum through Hugh
Nichol of Stratford, by Miss Mary Bu-
chanan of Lairg, and it may interest the
donor to know that even in the New World,
and in the light of almost twentieth CEN
tury knowledge, some affectionate couples
still stand on opposite sides of the stone
and surreptitiously grasp hands.
''DAvID BOYLE"
1t was quite victory for the Canadian
institution to gain this stone, as it had a
formidable competitor in Oxford Uni.
versity, the faculty of which had no lik-
ing for the thought, even. of this famous
old relic leaving Bonnie Scotland. 1t is
told that when the day came for it to be
boxed up far away in Sutherlandshire
there were groaning and lamentation
on all sides. Would the luck o. Lairg de-
part with the stane? That was the ques-
ton that was asked, and many were those
who believed that its gong signifed bad
fortune.
Thus far, however, it has seemed a
stone of good fortune, for the clouds of
trouble have not lowered over Lai-g,
neither has any i'll fortune come to To-
ronto because the stone was moved.
There is an old-time superstition among
the peasantry all through Scotland. Eng
land, Ireland and Wales that those an
cient stones which mark places of worship
of the Druids so many years ago should
never be interfered with. To remove
them, says superstition, is to invite fierce
contest with the furies. If you live by a
river and do anything of this sort look
out for the kelpie that comes in the night
and brings sore trouble. If you dwell in
mountainous or hilly district the gnomes
will surely descend upon you with hide
GUS face and wicked leer and brew trouble
the whole night long.
Now all these things did the people of
Lairg and the courageous museum officials
at Toronto face. If what the story books
tell is true, the kelpis and the gnome can
cross the Atlantic Ocean in about five
minutes, if they want to. There are un-
kind persons, however, who say that these
little people never exist outside the story
book and legend, and among them are
numbered the persons who have been con-
cerned in the removal of this stone.
This new importation has become an
object of the most decided interest to resi-
dents of and visitors to Toronto. Think
of plighting troth with your sweetheart
where perhaps Robert Bruce himself once
performed the same action. Doubtless
too, those unkind persons who are not in
clined to be trustful may feel that plight
ing their troth to woman surrounded by
these superstitious memories may have
sufficient influence over her to make her
stick to her agreement, and not repent in
favor of some other fellow. The ancient
custom regarding the stone is, as Curator
Boyle says, being revived to consider
able extent in Toronto. Just the sort Of
scenes are witnessed there every day as
that pictured in the accom- panying illus
tration, which is drawn from an actual
photograph.
| A Toronto genius has suggested a
Plighting Stane party. in which the guests