to her silent resting place. There are two graves in the churchyard, lying together and alike ; Mary Sewell and Francis her son are side by sidethe green turf grows equally on both the village children sport over them the careless passer-by heeds them not. The daily events of the world have left memory little trace of the departed; but the tale of their sorrows is deeply engrafted in the hearts of all who knew them. “ THE COUNT-OUT." " ENGRAVED BY J, I. ENGLEHEART, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPBA, R.A. * Brother electors ! worthy friends! I'm sure it does 'nt rest with me Or how you'll exercise that free And more, of all this rabble rout, The Sheriff says we're counted out." And only get us off from here, From all this horrid smell of beer. To sharp-set cit and country lout Because, you see, you've turned us out. Of such a scene the every care ? And breathe again the mountain air. The tempting tribute spread about, How sure “ the twelfth "shall find you “out ?” That waits your step upon the moor ; Tell tales of your being here before. That leads to packs both strong and stout, Ere yet your bag is counted out. A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS ; A FEW WORDS ON HIGHLAND-LAKE TROUT FISHING; WITH A FEW MORE ON THE BRIGHT PROSPECTS OF THE APPROACHING GROUSE SEABON, It was on a bright and glorious day in the leafy month of June, in this year of grace '52, that we left our peaceful home on the banks of the rapid running Almon, to penetrate far, far into the land of mountain and of mist ; it turned out, too, a trip of the most pleasing description, accompanied as we were by a pleasant companion, and right good sportsman from the "modern Babylon " of merry England. In a few short hours after our departure we were progressing through the front range of the Grampians-through the romantic and solitary glen of the Almon. This glen itself is dreary, desolate, and wild. In one part of it, where lofty and impending cliffs on either hand make a solemn and perpetual gloom, is the “ Clack-na Ossian," or stone of Ossian, supposed to mark the burial place of the gifted son of Fingal. About three miles on in the - Corrie vair-lich,” or Glen of Thieves, is a large cave known by the name of Fians, or Fingal's Cave. Newte, who travelled through this district in 1791, says, “i have learned where Ossian's stone' was moved, and the coffin containing his supposed remains discovered. It was intended by the officer commanding the party of soldiers employed on the military road to let the bones remain within the stone sepulchre in the same position in which they were found until General Wade should come and see them, or his mind be known on the subject ; but the people of the country venerating the memory of the bard rose with one consent and carried away the bones, with bagpipes playing and other funeral rites, and deposited them with much solemnity within a circle of large stones on the lofty summit of a rock (sequestered) and of difficult access, and where they might never be disturbed by mortal feet or hands, in the wild recesses of the Western Glen Almond.” The poet Wordsworth thus expresses himself on this dim tradition “ Does then the bard sleep here indeed, Or is it but a groundless creed ? A conventaeren a hermit's cell The separation that is here Yet happy, feelings of the dead ; But we must leave the wilds of Glenalmon and on to the Corrie, where we arrived before sun-down, fishing the lake in the evening, and killing four brace of prime yellow trout, average weight, over one pound. My friend from the sunny shores of the south was delighted with the sport, and being a true knight of the angle, he was soon au fait with the fly at lake fishing. On the morrow we rested from our labourssweet and pleasant labours as are Highland-lake trout fishing-it being the sacred Sabbath ; this, moreover, the sacramental Sabbath of the country, we prepared to attend the church situated in this lonely part of the mountains. The day was lovely, and my friend beheld for the first time a “hill-side preaching." There is something very solemn in the worship of the great Giver of all mercies by the mountaineer, with nothing but the canopy of the heavens about him : 6. An unfrequented mountain gorse Received the trembling flock, Their altar was the rock. Majestically soar'd, Most reverently adored. Through groves of stunted pine, Through the desolate ravine." At these preachings we met with many keepers and shepherds from the various glens in the district, and to all our inquiries about the " grouse family,” were answered that a more numerous and healthy stock of birds had not been seen on the mountains for very many years. The remainder of this day we spent in a long ramble among the mountains, seeing many numerous and fine broods of the moorgame, and at sundown returned to our inn, where a good dinner awaited us; which, with a moderate quantity of dew from the mountain, sent us confortably to rest. On the morrow we were up with the lark, and soon on the move for a famed lake some three miles distant. This lake is famed for its bright- speckled trout ; they are not very large about herring size ; but very plentiful and capital eating. Here we enjoyed ourselves right merrily, and returned to our inn with fifty brace of trout, my funny friend from the far south having basketed two brace of trout more than friend Hawthorne ; such is fate in these fast times. On the following day we were again on the move by early dawn, and had a long, but pleasant, drive through the country. Our route lay over mountains covered chiefly with heath, but occasionally on the one hand displaying sides and summits of naked rock, the other exhibiting à dress of lovely green verdure. Then, again, at short intervals you have chains of mountain ridges, and even solitary heights ; in forms of every variety, from the precipitous and pinnacled acclivity to the broad-based and round-backed ascent ; in general, however, they are sharp in outline, but sayagely grand in feature, Having penetrated many a glen, forded many a torrent, and crossed many a moor, we found ourselves, late in the evening, at the base of that mighty mountain, named “Schiehallion"; the altitude of whose summit is some 3,600 feet above the sea. Here we took up our quarters for the night ; though before retiring we mounted our fly-rod and killed two brace of trout in the adjoining river. Once more at early dawn, we were on the move for the wilds of the west “The land I like best"resulting in some most famous sport on a far-famed mountain lake the two panniers containing thirty brace of trout when brought to bucket in the evening. Next day found us again on the beautiful lake, and with equally good sport; but, alas ! kind reader, matters were not all of so "ploasing a nature," for the inn, or cabin, where we domiciled was one of a most wretched description, and the provender of the most queer providings. The boiled beef, as my friend remarked, was a bad cross between a pine log and granite boulder ; while the very mountain dew itself was but "dirty stuff.” On the morrow, fortunately, we had arranged to fish some lakes far away on the moors, and had accordingly provided ourselves with ponies, gillies, &c., for the foray. No words of mine can give a truer picture of these wilds than the beautiful description of the mighty ministrel of the north A while their route they silent made, But, by my halidome! Where'er I happ'd to roam.” Afforded rude and cumber'd track. Loose crags had toppled o'er ; A mass no host could raise On its precarious base. |