Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog, Oscar (1).pdf/16

 16 and if Mary was not the prettiest girl in the parish, at least Duncan and I believed her to be so, which, with us, amounted to the fame thing. We often compar- ed the other girls in the parish with one another as to their beauty and accomplishments, but to think of comparing any of them with Mary, was entirely out of the question, She was, indeed, the emblem of truth, simplicity, and innocence, and if there were few more beautiful, there were still fewer so good and amiable; but still as she advanced in years, ſhe grew fonder and fonder of being near Duncan; and by the time ſhe was nineteen; was ſo deeply in love, that it affected her manner, her spirits, and her health. At one time ſhe was gay and friſky as a kitten ; the would dance, sing, and laugh violently at the moſt trivial incidents. At other times ſhe was ſilent and ſad, while a languiſhing ſoftness overſpread her fea- tures, and added greatly to her charms The passion was undoubtedly mutual between them; but Duncan, either from a ſenſe of honour, or ſome other cause, never declared himself farther on the subject, than by the moſt respecful attention, and tender assiduities. About forty years ago the flocks of southern sheep, which have since that period inundated the Highlands, had not found their way over the Grampian mountains, and the native ſtocks of that sequestrated country were so scanty, that it was found necessary to transport small quantities of wool annually to the north, to fur- nish materials for clothing the inhabitants. During two months of each summer, the hilly countries of the Lowlands were inundated by hundreds of women from the Highlands, who bartered ſmall articles of dress, and of domeſtic import, for wool; these were known by the appellation of norlen' 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 who and what he was ; that he was the laird of Glenellich's