Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog Oscar (4).pdf/9

 9 like, Duncan ?" "He was like a dead body! but I got a short view of him: for that moment all around me grew dark as a pit!-- I tried to run, but souk powerless to the earth, and lay in a kind of dream, I do not know bow long : when I came to myself, I got up, and endeavoured to run, but fell to the ground every two steps. I was not a hundred yards from the house, and I am sure I fell upwards of a hundred times. Next day I was in a high fever; the servants made me a little bed in the kitchen, to which I was confined by illness many lays, during which time I suffered the most dreadful agonies by night, always imagining the piper to be standing over me on the one side or the other. As soon as I was able to walk, I left Dewar, and for a long time durst neither 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 warn- isg how much caution is necessary in modelling the conceptions of the young and tender mind, for of all men I lever knew. he is the most afraid of meeting bi with apparitions. So deeply is his imagination tainted with the startling illusion, that even the calm disqni- bisitions of reason have proved quite inadequate to the task of dispelling it. Whenever it wears late, be is always on the look out for these idle beings, keeping ja jealous eye upon every bush and brake, in case they woj should be lurking behind them, ready to fly out and surprise him every monient; and the approach of a person in the dark, or any sudden noise, always de- si prives him of the power of speech for some time. After leaving Dewar, he again wandered about for I few weeks ; and it appears that his youth, beauty, band peculiarly destitute situation, together with his friendship for bis faithful Oscar, bad interested the