Lover_Handy_Andy.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
to approach the shore on that side of the lake,
where the water was shoal, while in other parts the
depth had never been fathomed.
early excursion on the water was planned for the
morning, and and were wakened from
their slumbers by the tones of the bugle; a soft
melody being breathed by , followed by a more
sportive one from the other minstrel of the lake,
.
lake now appeared under another aspect the
morning sun and morning breeze were upon it, and the
sublimity with which the shades of evening had invested
the mountains was changed to that of the most varied
richness ; for hung out its gaudy banner on the
lofty hills, crowned to their summits with all variety of
wood, which, though tinged by the declining year, had
scarcely shed one leafy honour. day was glorious,
and the favouring breeze enabled the boat to career
across the sparkling lake under canvas, till the over-
hanging hills of the opposite side robbed them of their
aerial wings, and the sail being struck, the boatmen bent
to their oars. they passed under a promontory,
clothed from the water's edge to its topmost ridge with
the most luxuriant vegetation, it was oointed out to the
lady as " the minister's back.**
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" ' is a strange name," said . " you know
why it is called so ? "
** , dunna, my lady barrin' that it is the best
covered back in the country. here we come to the
aichos^^ said he, resting on his oars. example was
followed by his fellows, and the bugler, lifting his instru-
ment to his lips, gave one long well-sustained blast.
rang across the waters gallantly. returned in a few
seconds with such unearthly sweetness, as though the
spirit of the departed sound had become heavenly, and
revisited the place where it had expired.
and listened breathlessly.
bugle gave out its notes again in the well-known
" call," and as sweetly as before the notes were returned
distinctly.
now a soft and slow and simple melody stole
from the exquisitely played bugle, and phrase after phrase
was echoed from the responding hills. many an
emotion stirred within 's breast, as the melting
music fell upon his ear ! the midst of matchless
beauties he heard the matchless strains of his native land,
and the echoes of her old hills responding to the
triumphs of her old bards. air, too, bore with it
historic associations ; it told a tale of wrong and of
suffering. wrong has ceased, the suffering is past,
but the air which records them still lives.
" ! triumph of the minstrel ! " exclaimed
in delight. " tyrant crumbles in his coffin, while
the song of the bard survives ! memory of a
sceptred ruffian is endlessly branded by a simple strain,
while many of the elaborate chronicles of his evil life
have passed away and are mouldering like himself."
had the echoes of this exquisite air died
away, when the entrancement it carried was rudely
broken by one of the vulgarest tunes being brayed from
a bugle in a boat which was seen rounding the headland
of the wooded promontory.
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and writhed, and put their hands to
their ears. " way, boys ! " said ; *' for
pity's sake get away from these barbarians.
way ! "
sprang the boat. the boatman's inquiry
whether they should stop at *' 's ,"
said " no," when she found on inquiry it was a
particularly " show-place," being certain the vulgar party
following would stop there, and therefore time might be
gained in getting away from such disagreeable followers.
, fringed with its lovely woods, excited
their admiration, as they passed underneath its shadows,
and turned into ; here the labyrinthine nature
of the channels through which they had been winding
was changed for a circular expanse of water, over which
the lofty mountain, whence it takes its name, towers in
all its wild beauty of wood, and rock, and heath.
a certain part of the lake, the boatmen, without
any visible cause, rested on their oars.
asking them why they did not pull, he received this
touching answer:
^^ , your honour would not have us disturb
's grave ! '*
^ a boatman was drowned here, suppose ? '*
said .
" , your honour." boatman then told how
the accident occurred ** one day when there was a stag-
hunt on the lake \ " but as the ancedote struck
so forcibly that he afterwards recorded it in verse, wc
will give the story after his fiishion.
breeze was fresh', the morn was fair.
stag had left his dewy lair ;
cheering horn and baying tongue,
echoes sweetly rung.
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sweeping oar and bending mast,
eager chase was following fast $
one light skiff a maiden steer' d
the deep wave disappeared :
shouts of terror wildly ring,
boatman brave, with gallant spring
dauntless arm, the lady bore \
he who saved was seen no more !
weeping birches wildly wave.
boatmen show their brother's grave \
while they tell the name he bore,
hangs the lifted oar ;
silent drops they idly shed
like tears to gallant \
while gently gliding by,
tale b told with moistenM eye.
ripple on the slumbering lake
'd oar doth ever make ;
undisturbed, the placid wave
gently o'er 's grave.
backwards through the channels which lead
the explorers of this scene of nature's enchantment from
the lower to the upper lake, the surpassing beauty of
the " 's nest " burst on their view ; and as they
hovered under its stupendous crags, clustering with all
variety of verdure, the bugle and the cannon awoke
the almost endless reverberation of sound which is
engendered here. onward, a sudden change is
wrought ; the soft beauty melts gradually away, and the
scene hardens into frowning rocks and steep acclivities,
making a befitting vestibule to the bold and bleak preci-
pices of " ," which form the western barrier
of this upper lake, whose savage grandeur is rendered more
striking by the scenes of fairy-like beauty left behind.
even here, in the midst of the mightiest desolation,
the vegetative vigour of the numerous islands proves the
wondrous productiveness of the soil in these regions.
their return, a great commotion was observable as
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they approached the rapids formed by the descending
waters of the upper lake to the lower, and they were
hailed and warned by some of the peasants from the
shore that they must not attempt the rapids at present,
as a boat, which had just been upset, lay athwart the
passage. hearing this, and landed
upon the falls, and walked towards the old bridge,
where all was bustle and confusion, as the dripping pas-
sengers were dragged safely to shore from the capsized
boat, which had been upset by the principal gentleman
of the party, whose vulgar trumpetings had so disturbed
the delight of and , who soon recognised
the renowned as the instigator of the bad music
and the cause of the accident. , ,
true to his original practice, was author of all.
, he and his party, soused over head and
ears as they were, took the thing in good humour, which
was unbroken even by the irrepressible laughter which
escaped from and , as they approached
and kindly offered assistance. immediate removal
to the neighbouring cottage on was recom-
mended, particularly as was in a deli-
cate situation, as well, indeed, as . , who, with
her dear , had joined 's party of
pleasure.
reaching the cottage, sufficient change of clothes
was obtained to prevent evil consequences from the
ducking. , under ordinary circumstances, might
not have been easy for so many ; but, fortunately.
had ordered a complete dinner from the
hotel to be served in the cottage, and some of the assist-
ants from the , who were necessarily present,
helped to dress more than the dinner. between
cookmaids and waiters, the care-taker of the cottage and
the boatmen, bodies, and skirts, jackets and other con-'
veniences, enabled the party to sit down to dinner in
company, until fire could mend the mistake of his lord
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ship. and courteously joined the party ;
and the honour of their company was sensibly felt by
and , who would have borne a ducking a
day for the honour of having and as their
guests. was by nature a nice creature, and
adapted herself to her elevated position with a modest
ease that was surprising. was by this time
able to conduct himself tolerably well at table only on
that particular day he did make a mistake ; for when
salmon (which is served at in all sorts of
variety) made its appearance for the first time in the novel
form *' en papillote^^ ate paper and all. refused
a second cutlet, however, saying he " thought the skin
tough,** party, however, passed off mirthfully, the
very accident helping the fun ; for, instead of any one
being called by name, the " lady in the jacket," or the
** gentleman in the bedgown," were the terms of address ;
and, after a merrily spent evening, the beds of the -
toria gave sleep and pleasing dreams to the sojourners of
.
reader ! the shortening space we have prescribed
to our volume warns us we must draw our story to an
end. months after this excursion.
met near , where
had ridden to make certain inquiries
about . ''s health. wore a smiling
countenance, and to 's inquiry answered, "
right, and doing as well as can be expected."
, wishing to know whether it was a
boy or a girl, made the inquiry in the true spirit of -
ism " me, , are you an uncle or
an aunt ? "
's mother died soon after of the cold caught by
her ducking. her death-bed she called to
her, and said, " leave you this quilt, alanna 'tis
worth more than it appears. hundred-pound notes
gave me quilted into the lining, so that if lived
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poor all my life till lately, died under a quilt of bank-
notes, anyhow."
was gathered to his fathers also, and left
the bulk of his property to , so that had
to regret his contemptible conduct in rejecting her hand.
indulged in a spite to all mankind for the future,
enjoying her dogs and her independence, and defying
and hydrophobia for the rest of her life.
went on profiting by the early care of
', whose friendship was ever his dearest posses-
sion; and , always wild, expressed a desire for
leading a life of enterprise. they are both "
heirs," as well as , and heirs under
very different circumstances, it is not improbable that
in our future " accounts " something may yet be heard
of them, and the grateful author once more meet his
kind readers.