Year: 1860




-


There is as beautiful Scotch ballad b,
this title as ever saw in my life it made
very strong impression upon me; but a:
the ballid is not to be found will endeayo
to tell the story in plain prose:


The Laird of Linn, in Galway, was one O
the richest landed propretors in Scotland
Besides the lands and dwelling, he hac
/ flocks and herds, and good stock of gold
Moreover he was man Of frugal and parsi
monious disposition, so that the men of Gal
way avoided his company, and the wholi
town cried, shame on him. Nevertheless
his riches grew and increased to a mighty
sum, and there was no telling where
heaps of treasure he had snugly conceal
. ed.


| The Laird of Linn did not marry till late ir
life, and his wife died within a year after hi:
marriage. She left him one child, son,
who was the joy and plague of his existence
Though naturally of noble and generous
temper, he was wild, reckless and extrayagant
Seeing and hearing his father ridiculed eve.
ry day for his miserly temper and habits, he
resolved at all events not to be like him, and
spent all he could lay his hands on among
low dissolute companions iE riotous living
so true it is that one extreme often pro.
duces another. 1t was in vain that his faith,
er demonstrated with him; he only grew
worse as he grew older.


At last the Laird of Linn lay on his death
bed. He had outlived all his near relations
and he had no friends, so that he was obliged
to leave all his substance to his son and be-
side, next to his gold he loved his prodi-
gal heir. Previous to his death he called
the heir Of Linn to his bedside, and thus
spoke:


MY sun, when my lips are cold in death,
and my tongue silent in the grave, | know
how it will be with you. You will spend all
the.substance Of your ancestors, and all the
gold have got together, in dissipation and
extravaganza. Nevertheless, | do no wish
ny sun W i'S " "otSS"i' lACIelolc give Heeu
to my only dying command, and fyou dis
regard it, may fathers dying curse cling to
you. The upper chamber of my house in
Kippletringan is now locked up and have
thrown the key into the sea. When YOU
have lost both gold and lands, when you
have not friend who will lend you bau-
bee, and when you are actually suffering for
crust to appease your hunger, break open
the door and you will find certain relief,
but ifyou open the door before that time,
say again, may a fathers curse cling to
you"


With these words the old man fell back
and expired


The heir of Linn did not grieve long for he
opened his house to all comers. His forests fell
meath the axe. His chimneys were always
smoking. A hundred men sat daily al
his board and he bought horses and hounds
and lent money without counting to his dis
solute companions; he jested and drank
and gambled as if he could not get rid of his
substance in all these ways, he took no care
of his affairs, bu. gave up the guidance OF
them to q bailiff or steward named John OF
Scales, who wasa knave and notorious
usurer. John cheated his master in a va
rity Of ways, and put more than half his
rent into his own pocket.


At last what the heir of Linn's father
had foreseen came to pass. His money was
all gone and he had no means Of keeping up
his excess except by selling his lands; but
no one was rich enough to buy them except
John Scales, and every one knew how he
came by his money. The young Lard was
desperately in want of cash to pay his gam
ing debts, and was moreover, heated with
wine when the unjust steward offered to buy
his estate. 1t was hard case, but after
much discussion he agreed upon the bar
gain.


''Give me your gold, good John of Scales,
and my lands shall be yours forever" said
the heir of Linn. .....#


Then John counted down the good, clean
gold, and hard bargain his master had OF
it, For every pound that John paid, the
land was worth three. ...
The last money went like the first, and
the heirof Linn was a beggar. He first went
. to the house that had once, been his but
now belonged to John of Scales, to seek
some relief He looked into the window
of the great banqueting hall, but there was
no feasting going on init Thefire was out and
the dinner table taken away, and all was
desolate anddismal. Here's sorry cheer
said the heirof Linn.


John wouldn't give him a penny, but told
him to go to the friends he had spent SO
much money upon foolishly. He did so, but
it did no good. Some pretended not to
know him, and no one would lend him a
/ farthng, or even offer him dinner, so he
wandered about, forlorn and hungry, for
about two days; for work he could not, and
to beg he was ashamed. At last, in his ex.
trcme misery, he bethought himself Of his
fathers dying words. 81 have not sold the