“ The halls and cottages of Glenellich were filled with feasting, joy, and gladness.
It was not so at my father’s house. Misfortune seldom comes singly. Scarcely had our feelings overcome the shock, which they received by the loss of our beloved Duncan, when a moro terriblo misfortuno overtook. My father, by the monstrous ingratitude of a friend whom we trusted, lost at once the greater part of his hard earned fortune. ”

“ I must pass over Duncan’s journey to the north Highlands, for want of room; but on the evening of the sixth day after leaving my father’s house, he reached the mansion-house of Glenellich, which stands in a little beautiful woody strath, commanding a view of the Den, Caledonian Sea, and part of the Hebrides: every avenue, tree, and rock, was yet familiar to Duncan’s recollection. He had, without discovering himself, learned from a peasant that his father was still alive, but that he had overcome the loss of his son, for whom he lamented every day ”

“ But consider his years, said Duncan, and besides, he may have met with crosses and losses sufficient to sour the temper of a young man. You should at all events, pity and reverence, but never despise your father. The old lady now joined them. You have yet heard nothing, young man, said the old laird, if you saw how my heart is sometimes wrung. Yes, I have had losses indeed. You losses! said his spouse, No; you never had any losses that did not in the end turn out a vast profit. Do you then count the loss of a loving wifo and son nothing? ”

“ Unfeeling woman, said he; but heaven may yet restore that son to protect the grey hairs of his old father and lay his head in an honoured grave.—The old man’s spirits were quite gone—he cried like a child his lady mimicked him—and, at this, his daughter and the servants raised a laugh. Inhuman wretches said Duncan, starting up, and pushing them aside, thus to mock the feelings of an old man even although he were not the lord and master of you all ”

“ Duncan felt this a deliverance so great, that all his other distresses vanished; and as soon as the man was out of his sight, he arose from his covert and ran over the moor, and ere it was long, came to a shepherd’s house, where he got some whey and bread for his breakfast, which he thought the best meat he had ever tasted, yet shared it with Oscar. ”

“ Often have Mary, and he, and I, lain under the same plaid, by the side of the corn or meadow, and read chapter about on the Bible for hours together, weeping over the failings and fall of good men, and wondering at the inconceivable might of the heroes of antiquity. Never was man delighted as Duncan was when he came to the history of Samson, and afterwards of David and Goliath ”

“ During two months of each summer, the hilly countries of the Lowlands were inundated by hundreds of woman from the Highlands, who bartered small articles of dress, and of domestic import, for wool; these were known by the name of norlan’ netties; and few nights passed, during the wool season, that some of them were not lodged at my father’s house. It was from two of these that Duncan learned one day that he was laird of Glenellich’s only son and heir, and that a large sum had been offered to any person that could discover him. ”

“ Nature is powerful Duncan could not think of ought to detain him; and being desirous of seeing how matters went on about the house, thought it best to remain some days incog. He went into the fore-kitchen, conversed freely with the servants, and soon saw his stepmother and sister appear. ”

“ We were all sitting in our little room one day, consulting what was best to be done—we could decide upon nothing, for our case was desperate—we were fallen into a kind of stupor, but the window being up, a sight appeared that quickly thrilled every heart with the keenest sensation of anguish. ”

“ The knife fell from my mother’s hand: she looked him steadily in the face for the space of a minute.—‘Duncan,’ said she, her voice faultering, and the tears dropping from her eyes, ‘Duncan, I never durst ask you before, but I hope you will not leave us altogether?’ Duncan thrust the plate from before him into the middle of the table—took up a book that lay on the window, and looked over the pages—Mary left the room. ”

“ As soon as I was able to walk, I left Dewar, and for a long time durst never sleep alone during the night, nor stay by myself in the day time.’
The superstitious ideas impressed upon Duncan’s mind by this unfortunate encounter with the ghost of the piper, seem never to have been eradicated; a strong instance of the power of early impressions, and a warning how much caution is necessary in modelling the conceptions of the young and tender mind, for of all men I ever knew, he is the most afraid of meeting with apparitions. ”

“ When ever it wears late, he is always on the look out for these ideal beings, keeping a jealous eye upon every bush and brake, in case they should be lurking behind them, ready to fly out and surprise him every moment ”

“ Mary’s mind seemed to gain fresh energy every day. The activity and diligence which she evinced in managing the affairs of the farm, and even in giving advice with regard to other matters, is quite incredible:—often havo I thought what a treasure that inestimable girl would have been to an industrious man whom sho loved. ”