HEATHER BEDS. 



shire, occurs the following passage : "Our landlord's 

 housekeeping is equally rough and hospitable, and 

 savours much of the simplicity of ancient times. The 

 great hall, paved with flat stones, is about four to five 

 feet by twenty-two, and serves not only for a dining- 

 room, but also for a bedchamber to gentlemen, de- 

 pendents and hangers-on of the family. At night 

 half a dozen occasional beds are ranged on each side 

 along the wall. These are made of fresh heath, 

 pulled up by the roots, and disposed in such a manner 

 as to make a very agreeable couch, where they lie, 

 without any other covering than the plaid. 



"My uncle and I were indulged with separate 

 chambers and down beds, which we begged to ex- 

 change for a layer of heath ; and indeed I never slept 

 so much to my satisfaction. It was not only soft 

 and elastic, but the plant being in flower, diffused an 

 agreeable fragrance which is wonderfully refreshing 

 and restorative." 



To these indorsements Cordiner replies, and then 

 narrates his own rather unusual and by no means 

 comfortable repose on a bed of Heather. He says: 

 "There is reason to suspect the validity of these re- 

 marks. Fatigue will lead to sound repose ; fortunate 

 hardiness of constitution, improved by exercise and 

 toil, reconciles one to any place of rest ; but the 

 Heather is far from pleasant or easy. I felt, however, 

 last night an additional inconvenience ; the bed pre- 

 pared for me was near the fireplace, consequently 

 almost under that opening in the roof which answers 

 both for the window and the chimney ; it rained anc; 

 70 



