Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog Oscar (4).pdf/16

 16 add if Mary was not the prittiest girl in the parish, at leas: Duncan and I believed her to be so, which, with as, amounted to the same thing. We often com- pared the other girls in the parish with one another of comparing any of them with Mary, was entirely out of the question. She was, indeed, the emblem of truth, simplicity, and innocence, and it there were few more beautiful, there were still fewer so good and amiable; but still as she advanced in years, shew 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; she would dance, sing, and laugh violently at the most trivial incidents, At other times she was silent and sad, while 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 exuse, never declared himself farther on the subject, than by the most respectful attention, and tender assiduties. About forty years ago the flooks of southern sheep, which since that period have inundated the Highlands, had not found their way over the Grampian mountains, and the native flocks of the sequestrated country were $0 scanty, that it was found necessary to transport small quantities of wool annually to the north, to for- nish matetials 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 appelation 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 way; that be was the laird of Glenellich's
 * to their beauty and accomplishments, but to think