Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-06-07
IN THE LAND OF THE eLuE6eLt
AND HEATHER.

IN THE LAND OF THE 6luE6ell
AND HEATHER.
| NO. 8.
(From the Democrats Foreign Correspondent
HOTEL CLYDEsDALE,
LANARK, SCOTLAND,
| Yon Wild mossy mountains sac loftv aud vide,
That nurse In their bosoms the youth o the Clyde
| Where the grouse lead their conveys through
heather 70 feed.
And the shepherd his nock. As he pipes on his
-(Burns.)
This picturesque town OF Lanark is
| situated on that romantic river the
Clyde, and short distance below the
town Its waters mingle with the Evan,
another poetic stream Of which Burns
often sang.
"Oh Banks 10 me forever dear,
Oh Stream. whose murmur still hear,
All. all my hopes OF bliss reside
Where Evan mingles with the Clyde"
Lsnark Ia the scene OF many Of the ex-
ploits Of Wallace, the Scottish patriot.
A noble statue OF him ornaments the
parish church--the same old church
where. one Sabbath morning, his eye
first beheld q beautiful m,ideu, sweet
Marion OF Lam'ngtou. He fell In love
at frat sight. They were married and
came to live here at her home 10 L$nsrk.
At that time the warrior was engaged In
various adventures against the Southron
oppression, and night after night eagerly
she watched the winding pathway that
led from Lsnsrk down the heights, to
catch the first glimpse OF her beloved.
This same bright moon that now looks
down DER the peaceful valley, lowered
over her vigils ak centuries ago, but
now With the blessed light OF peace, in-
stead Of shedding its lustre on CORY fields
of slaughter.
But one fatal night, an. who shall tell
the agony that awaited her loved and
lover, when he returned, no more to q
living, throbbine welcome, but to q mur-
dered bride. This was the tragic cir
cumstauce which first excited him to
draw his sword for Scotland, though 1t
may be thought too much like creation
Of modern romance; but we have before
demonstrated that the history OF this
romance and tragedy than any creation
OF fiction could be.
That night the well known pibroch OF
Lsnarkshire sounded over the hills and
valleys, as Wallace summoned his fol-
lowers to avenge the murder OF his wife,
saying 10 them the memorable words,
before that moon sets the tyrsnt OF
I..nsrk must fall In blood, or Wallace
return no more"
Though Lsnsrk IL q most Interesting
town, II Is the country people who ap-
peal most 10 the interest and imsgins-
ton, and not the denizcns Of the CITY,
for 10 most places, the world over, city
bred people are much alike, and ofier not
so many fascinating features to the OBJ
server as do the lowly bred country folk !;
so, instead Of looking about the little
city, n stroll by the banks OF Clyde,
whose waters form many fantastic cas-
cade, IL more TO the taste. The upper
most fall, called Bennington Linn-for q
fall in Scotland Is linn-is reached by 8
beautiful moss-grown pathway, through
the grounds Of bennington, the sest OF
Sir Charles Ross, a descendant OF the
famous Ross clan Of Scotland. Visitors
are seldom admitted, but your corre-
spondent had no difficulty In gaining en-
trance, where the master Of the house
showed a portrait taken from life, OF
Wm. Wallace, 4 most priceless relic,
and curious old chair In which he used
TO sit.
A little farther on is Cora Linn, the
finest fall Of all. where the river takes
three distinct leaps and falls altogether
many hundred feet II seems. On the
opposite cliff Is little pavilion fitted up
with mirrors. so contrived as to give the
water the appearance OF being precipated
upon the spectator. Adjoining Is the old
Castle OF Cora, and the old mansion Of
Covehouse, and stones throw below is
the little village Of New Lsnark, found
ed by the benevolent David Dale, the
grandfather Of Robert Dale Owen. The
inhabitants are employed In the sdjoin-
Ing cotton spinning mills.
Stonebyres, the fall Of greatest volume,
IL Just below, and the river being broader
here II rushes over its precipitous bed
with great grandeur. The only way to
gain access to the fall Is by scrsmbling
up the dangerous steps called Jacobs
Ladder. One unpropitious moment the
earth gave way under the feet, and down
the unfortunate victim went, sliding
about fifty feet over rocks and crags and
roots and every kind OF geological form
alton. and but for q friendly sapling that
grew on the brink of the river, which
broke the force Of the slide and enabled
the hands to grasp Its succoring
branches, q ducking in the river would
have been the consequence; and as no
human being was In sight or hearing, and
the victim OF this mischance could swim
lust about as much as q 50-tOn boulder,
II IL not very hard to tell what the result
would have been.
OF yonder to the right Is Stonebyres
House, fine estate owned by General
Douglas, and not far away Is the ruin Of
Crsignethan Castle, the prototype Of Til
lietudlem Tower In Sir Walter Scott's
novel Old Mortality.
Another beautiful estate is Jerviswood,
the ancient seat Of the illustriOus John
Baillie. who was murdered under the
forms Of law during the reign Of Charles
III; and q short distance farther on Is
Lee House, and 1t is here that the inter-
esting object called the Lee Penny Is
kept, which has most curious history.
1t is q charmed stone, which In ancient
times was said to possess great powers
of healing. 1t was given BY Saladin,
Sultan Of the Turks, In the llth century,
to the Earl of Huntington, when he
was espoused by Edith Plantagenet, ss =
nuptial present, and bequeathed by him
to brave knight Of Scotland, Sir Simon
of the Lee. The present owners Of Lee
House are descendants Of Sir Simon. 1t
is around this stone and the historical
characters connected with It, that Sir
Walter Scott wOve his story The Tails
man.
But the famous cave, where Wallace
took refuge that night after he had slain
his enemy, Ia the objective point; and
shortly a tiny crofter's cot comes In
sight, at which information Is sought
regarding the desired direction to take.
A knock at the door brings forth q
young girl, whose bushes at sight OF a
stranger cannot be hidden under the rich
glow Of complexion that sun and wind
and sky had given to her velvet cheek.
She surely must be the prototype OF the
beauty Of whom Burns wrote:
Her yellow hair beyond compare
Comes trinkling down her swan. white neck,
And her two eyes Ike stars In skies
Would keep q sinking ship frae wreck.
Looking at the graceful form covered
with coarse frock Of holden gray, and
the hands, which though exQuisitely
shapen, were hard and rough with out
door toll, and the hob nailed shoes which
oncaaad noat rovallv shaped feet An.