Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-03-03
FAIRIES OF THE FOG.
SCOTCH PiPERs AND DANCERS IN THE
STREETS OF LONDON.

1n0y appear Ou1y ON OTeofy Doyob WneD
They Have . Monopoly Of Sidewalk En-
tertaininx, and Usually Manage to Bag
All the Pennies Within Reach.
Out of the thick fog that hangs over
the square comes the Scottish piper, and
with him the Scottish dancer, both clad
il full Scottish regalia. Not since cur
last foggy day had seen them. So far
as know they never appear in clear
weather. Their friend and ally, the fog,
drives away the thunderous piano organs
which curse London, leaving to them a
clear field. They come ont of it playing
merrily; they disappear into it playing
merrily, but not until they have tarried
long enough to charm away cur pennies.
Unbearable as the bagpipe music is
to any save the ears of the faithful, il
has an indescribable charm in a London
fog or in Scotch mist. It rouses you
out of the dull, sticky phlegm that the
SCOT laden fog imposes on you. 1t brings
you to the window Of your apartment to
wait impatiently until the gay, swag-
gering figures appear from behind the
yellow curtains like living pictures at
music hall
The dancer carries two rusty swords,
the only thing about him that is not
bright and fresh. He lays them down
on tho pavement. Meanwhile the piper
marches on straight ahead, staggering
and blowing, as if he Were piper to the
whole Scottish people. So forcefully
does he march that we fear he is going
to pass us by for the wealthy household
ers i'll the next street.
Then suddenly he performs half cir
Gle, still playing and now marching with
finicky steps, which show Off his great
white spats strikingly in the dim light
At that instant the dancer looks up at
the windows, bows and smiles and
Graves our wealth. If we are conscious
of preconcerted theatrical movement
on the part of our canny, killed friends,
it only re-enforces our admiration, and
jingle, jingle, jingle, go our pennies
Americans Frenchmen's, S, ,Englishmen's,
landladies', servants pennies! A har-
vest Of pennies, reaped by carny fingers
and put in an extensive granary some
where in the mcst picturesque of all la
ticnal garbs. Still the fingers go up to
the feathered cap for few more pen
nies; still the piper plays for few more
pennios-which are forthcoming. 1t is
kept up until the people in the windows
set their faces hard against any further
payment until goods are delivered.
Then the player takes up his position
on the sidewalk opposite the side Of the
street which has contributed most lib
orally, and the dancer gives us-well,
what Go you suppose he gives? Not
highland fling, Of course. No Scot in n
than q Sect in kilt would mention
Bobby BUNS at the banquet OF Scot
tish society.
But nowhere else is the highland fling
and the baspipe quite so attractive as OF
a London pavement when the fog Is
thick and one must work by lamplight
at midday. The gayly clad piper who
summons the greatest OF Scottish bards
and his guests to dinner, and after they
are seated marches solemnly around the
table splitting the ears of these SAME
guests, has not one-half the poetry of
the piper Of the fog. have heard tell
how the finest of Scottish dancers dance
around fires in the open to amuse the
queen when she is at Balmoral She is
welcome to them. Though the piper be
a royal gainekeeper and the dancer q
royal gillie, l rest content with my
Scots who march cut Of the fog and back
irto i. after they have emptied my pock-
cts CT pennies.
A,,~,l--x na1f-b%,A,, - 4.1-o,, t.oc,x--r
may en;cy the sword dance, which is
quite the perfection of the dancing art
as tie Scotch know it. If that does not
get the last Of your pennies, the farewell
collection will. All pennies, all collec-
tions, disappear somewhere in that
dancers kilt, though that dancers kilt
grows no larger. How he carries them
AN English penny is as large Is sill
yer dollar-is a question, for after
few collections the brawniest of hairy
legged highlanders ccUld not dance un-
der the weight CT his wealth. But
have seen the dancer now and then take
n handful of something out of his kilt
and put it III a pouch under the piers
pipe. Often not penny is left Ill the
block. After the messenger boy, who,
being i'll hurry. has roclined on stoop
for little rest and recreation, has part
ed with his last h. pence the dancer
picks up his rusty swords, the piVer
strikes up tune and they mach away
into the fcg In one fcggy day they
must earn enough 10 keep them in Scotch
"vhusky' until another foggy day
cones. If it is possible for such a wicked
thing rs London fcs to have fairies,
the piper and the cancer are they
LCclon Cor. New York Press.