| Show written for vor forthie the NE t rhe PHE NOTE BOOK OF AN OLD REPORTER having spent the greater portion of my time during the first quarter ofay of my engagement enga ement in narrating facts as they transpired I 1 was requested by mr jinks to alter my method of diction by filling up my tales HI in descriptive character narrative 11 said lie he whereas when a tale is founded on fact 4 and the characters personally exhibited t will produce a vitality and animation which will arnest arrest the attention and make t interesting while it r cains all that could fould be told in a tresa beesa see bee sa roundabout way maysuch sueh such as your tale of 01 margary mar Mur gary flin the student or any other nar par active which you llave have put together connected with their history this sir 1 said 1 I would come uner jen jer the name ot of novel writing or perhaps worse dlf uon non or ito tio itonia manee mance nee nce he be grinned interrupting me no fear ot vi that sin being commit ed by you romance ito manee mance is the highest i ift of composition coblio compoi tion to no bich I 1 much loubat you N w ill iti ever attain attali in this department part ment of w v riling ruing the author luthor has not only to conceio e the plot and charac rs but the fabrication mentally out of his own brain and this king constitutes utes genius of the tile ili lil highest lest best literary order although in all joir your barren conceptions of truth it ia is falsehood of the dark darl darkest st dye do you suppose sir getting out from the des desk antl anti looking piercingly atme that dante ever was in liell hell or milton in paradise or defoe on tile the solitary island bah you have no conception of genius enius sir sin si r these authors are of worldwide worl world d wide fame they are the great giants of literature and will be held in veneration to the end lof time your head sir is too smail small for invention at this retort his eyes relaxed to a bright hazel king said he I 1 am of opinion that your dry narratives would take better if illustrated ili in charo charn character eter this tale which I 1 hold in my hand is well narrated but if you could put a tongue into your characters euara chara eters and maue make them speak how bow fauvil nun h better N it be than in its preheat gre pre guest slat seat nf forn form x make the attempt tempt at kin kilak there said ij throwing the tile M 1 I 8 txie 1 etke ire ike ir f amodel it in character charach ehara chara ctr trie L riet riel ly the I 1 rati ve and it V vi I 1 leot not be ji ious jinious ioui loui z ud in made wade ii t at t inapt liol noi is my i taie tale ivirty I 1 i 1111 script entitled ad ild ff 7 hl hi t y 1 u h R P 1 N A I I 1 1 I 1 i i i ca v v L I 1 r j i V i li h t wi 1 i f rm i n that part of the coat of 1 alyin wet we wit t between colea colca f r i v f 4 r nt rn N 1 n 11 vaia V un an eminence s 7 a aw ew old fir trees bronw bromon with age and ind around its baso base a fow fotu flat stones sculpts sculptured red after the fashion bf the fhe ith ath century bearing rude images of angels holdin holding 5 a crown over lover some head of blowing or Ll owing a trumpet in re representation p reson resen tation of the last day dayl or old time with his scythe and sandglass sand glass glasa or the smiths Smi thys coat of armsy arms half decayed and obliterated by the tain and moss of nearly oner one hundred years around this place enclosed by a stene wall might be seen small smail towers at each angle but which had suffered suffered much from tile the inroads of cattle and the hurricane storms which swept the bosom of tile the northwest north west shore for so long iong a period about one mile from this place and within the tho sea mark may still bo be seen beneath a huge rock ile the remains of a gable and chimney place with the half burnt beams of the roof fallen failen from the walls or lying inclined from their indentation in the rock forming an outward appearance something like an old cairn to the strai strangers igers eye eyo as lie he paces the shire oil on ills his way to in this sequestered spot there once lived all an obscure character known only to the fishermen anda few fend visitors who frequented I 1 this place during C the summer season for lishing and game his outward man had little of an inviting appearance and his untoward demeanor deterred even the curious to approach on od his company corenter his big stronghold strange and varied were the reports in circulation throughout the country respecting him and although the prying inquisitiveness inqui siti veness iad had marked his wanderings by night and day on hill and shore still no clue could be distinctly made glade out as to gowhe subsisted where he came from and what were his intentions in living in such a situation F from prom roin the first of his being known by the few persons who lived near the shore ills liis habiliments or apparel were vere tile the same over his head couched ali ati an old glazed southwester south wester do covering vering the tops of his shoulders a spanish blue frock coat 00 at the skirts of which met his knees an and d lapped his body like a mantle while underneath might be seen his weather beaten legs and naked feet as he paced the be beach oli oil or glided across the path of some r rustic stio neighbor returning from a late carousal by the harvest moon the old monastery and bu nying aroun ground d were his big favorite haunts and there often when the sun had gone down was he observed passing like a ghost among th the brown ebrown ficsor firs or gazing fro from nithe the old ruin wel der the dark sea long long iong after the gray twilight and pier piercing eing clug cold had summon summoned edthe the surrounding herds to their respective homes tantrum crag for such was the name given criven to him by the fishermen deraven derived probably from the length of his person and his place of residence was feared and suspected no one had haj had ever dared to form any acquaintance with him except a dumb boy who was vas employed as a herd on i loeh Loch lyden lydon estate the nearest residence to the shore on the north side of col zean often nad bad they been seen together but as tile the boy was tongue tied the inmates of Loch lyden hever hover never could learn the purport of their niec meetings tings often had he stolen a away ray vay from them after nightfall night fall and although the greatest precaution had been taken cowatch to watch his return still he evaded their vigilance and was found amon among g them ere they were aware of his presence presences like ilke the genii of alladio Alla dih starting into their company at the mere whisper of his name blythe as the face of innocent thankfulness and ills his eyes beaming with gratitude as they did when they first took him under their roof a helpless wanderer anthe on the hills of carrick loeh Loch lyden at the time we refer to was in the possession of a mr grahame next estate to that of collean Co lzean helenl he kept up a respectable establish establishment men t superior to any of the surrounding len ien tenantry antry autry owing to circumstances of a relational nature which had put him in possession po nes aes I 1 of consid considerable embie emble wealth it mv may be necessary to state in order 10 be that tho thip the dumb boy alluded to was taken tallen in into to service at loch lyden through pure sympathy sini sim pathy they never llever liever had learned where v here herc ho lie calne came from who nho v vere e i his pm pan i it noi nol nd ro no one ono ever L 1 lin be continued ni D the fin 1 1 jilt ili iii C tily I nc ic i on farther than his connection with t pl the e recluse at the good will of mr Gra Grilii haine harne ime for several vear year eai mr ra bame had hid 0 only lv one 1 lter iter tl 0 of emht eight I 1 who had ail all t nl d io in tn veir in faney except bw this fil fi ri nil nii J l who wu i ears cars J IA leate in he her r constitution but free inno ent cn aud and iw kini 1 ill lil ili iii hor ili il iii i demeanor bartic tir il aly to the domestico domestics of her fathers house hoube aid ambirg them a all ail none nope were so much thought of 1 ll 11 nor 0 r on whom she bestowed bostow dd more nio nuo favors r s tijan than dumica the herd galiant gallant as she designated him grom prom from ha hist first connig among them i leq les lb had bad bew beo bee carof caret lul Ful ulof of mhd I 1 him with honest diligent ding rit ac fixity and so far from being treated with as a stranger he was kindly and feelingly regarded re gardeA having in g won the tile good graces of master man and maid mald maidservant servant all aili were alike interested te in his welfare and lie like another joseph had attributed to him the good fortune hid which chiw had attended their cattle from the date of his recep tion in the family hellen his lovely patroness lost no opportunity during th the e long winter nights to instruct him in forming letters lettes and ultimately sentences which lie learned with amazing rapidity her father countenanced so far the laborious exertions of his daughter and she on the other hand prided herself herself in displaying every advance of her pupil whose acute mind soon developed the germ of strong reflection although destitute of tile the powers of speech it might be bd two years or more from the time he had received instructions in this way that miss hellen one day wrote down an on the diagram board on oil which she taught him a an anterro interrogatory batory sentence respecting gis his his friend tantrum the recluse dumica placed I 1 ced his hand on his mouth as a alg of af secrecy and looking archly in the face faco of ills his fair instructor drew his finger across his lip and then across the board and bowing retired quickly from the roon room hellen felt somewhat on the tile occasion as she had anticipated that when lie he was capable to note down his thoughts she would then be better fitted to draw from him the mystery of the recluse and his attachment to him I 1 But jiow alow when he could in some measure communicate his she fahe found him as dark as formerly and with less hope of making any impression by which she could learn anything even of ills his own history in this she felt particularly interested and as she thought there might be some relationship tion ship between the two she had broken upon his secret in reference to his friend purely to discover if possible anything of himself Her father entering the apartment in the midst of these reflections unperceived and seeing her in such puch a meditative mood lie he was curious enough to glance over the contents when the defaced sentence on the draught board caught ills his eye and the few remaining words commencing with dear dumica Da mida tell toll me if he lie passed out of the room without her notice wonder wondering lap in his mind what could be the meaning ot such a correspondence he had long marked the intimacy 0 of the two and thoughts of a very vety different kind ki n d occupied his mind us is to the legitimate conclusions tu to which such a commencement could lead had rad than that to which it was was wag intended Intend id by the innocent hellen dumica when he left passed through the spence unobserved ardd arid iid ild stepping the style which led to the witch knowe hurried down the glenwith gien glen with the speed ofa of a youn oung buck towards the dwelling of tile tiie the lonely tantrum the moon shone clear at intervals as he turned the windings of the wieard branock and slade down the deep hollows that opened their yawning gulphy to the angry scowling blast of the troubled ocean and as the passing cloud dimmed the face of the moon or sparkled on the heaving surf he mused for a moment an and d then hurried away round the base of macrum to the verge of the steep rock where his solitary friend dwelt a shrill whistle bro broke broe e the monotonous sigh of the moaning sea and the low door of the hermit for a moment opened and a gleam of light from within discovered tile the Tec tee reception eption of dumica and as qu quickly bickly disappeared as if no mortal inhabited this solitary wild on this eveni nith rito in in the large hall of Loch boch lyden lydon had lidid assembled a large group of servant observant men and women from the neighboring eige elgE boring farms to hold what is called a rocking in scotland and which had been done by special invitation by mr grahame in ration of his birthday birth day and his otherwise good fortune in becoming hei heit to a 11 deceased brother who had left him a considerable estate A I 1 large 0 oaken aken table stood on the centre of the e fidor floor on which lay cheese butter brend bread etc and a few wooden bickers bic bie klers braie brale or aie ale cups T the ite lie gre great at peat fire blazed by the help oi of liht light coa con coal and shed its rays on a yvell v 11 ll of pewter plater which td a diioli e radiance and heat on oia I 1 the smi milin lit u cs es and so s diffident countenances of the tho th young wo iro s I 1 men aa as they sat paired to their respective aarts sanders laughlan a moorland farmer from Est nook was requested to aska blessington bles bies singon the viands prepa prepared ed for supper to which lieson senu senn dented after a considerable time being lost in praising lifinus him ns the only fit per soudaly son sou 1 duly 1 i quil qualifiedly qualified eab M by Y age g ean e an and de experience ameri a encee to preside inthe in the solen in excise od ons achan occasion I 1 sanders Sander making a number of faint excuses showed ont oft his unquestionable ability by occupying their attention for nearly half an hour in a half singing tone which was responded to by many a I 1 loud ou d yawn and half smothered laugh as ho he ended ende dand and began egan a new section on the blessing providence providence dence denee in granting such rich sup sulk plies for man and beast craving a particular nicular blessing on the much favored family of whose bounties they were wele about to partake at last the long wished for amen gave a newhurn new turn to their expressions of thankful thankfulness nessin ID solacing themselves in the rich repast each one praising tile the dainties spread before them and pouring blessings on oil the devoted head bead of mr nir Gra harno harne as the best neighbor and gentleman in the whole district of carrick the eatables being removed for the more ex hilara i ting beverage of strong drink mr quinton a lawyer from maybile maybole kegan began the hilarity by proposing the health and long lite life ot of mr grahame and his fair daughter through whose kindness they had bad been invited to spend tile the evening in camme commemoration of mr Gral grai grahame iame lame now being put in the possession of a princely fortune left by his brother who died twelve years ago ngo ago and which had been detained unjustly until now by some deni denn deficiency clency in the eye of tho law but which lie he was now happy hap to announce exy had been finally settle settled in favor of his ills esteemed friend and to thesalis the satisfaction he was certain of all present the rounding of this period put a stop to further speechify speechifying ing by a long continued burst of approbation by the rus ties and although attempts were made to the their deafening yells and boisterous noise fairly superceded superseded super ceded polite eulogy f mr air grahame responded in a few cpin sentences which were drowned in the noisy feeling of theau the au tiu diance bent on exhibiting their expression of good feeling by bawling all sorts krag of rude congratulations en mass songs composed for the occasion were sung in praise of the lord and also of at their rural games of quoit and curling rival poets sang in comic strains their loves and frolics and sprees son bon sons 11 s gaye gave place to dancing and miss he hellert heilert leil |
