152 THE MOOES AND THE MOUNTAINS. 



Pass of Killiecrankie to Stewartfield, — a walk for pictu- 

 resque beauty unsurpassed by almost anything I have ever 

 seen. I wish I could picture the gray crags, the weeping 

 birches, the open glades, the windings of the crystal river, 

 and over all the summits of the granite mountains, with 

 their dark ravines and blooming heather, and I would 

 send you such a panorama as eye never saw. Hundreds 

 of times, every few miles, did I wish you by my side ; 

 and I sometimes felt inclined to shut my eyes upon the 

 most beautiful scenes, from a feeling of its being selfish 

 to behold the face of nature under so fair an aspect when 

 my beloved wife was, perhaps, even then shut up in the 

 dim seclusion of a sick-chamber. 



" Unluckily, we have never had a regular rainy day for 

 journalising; and as my time here is so short, I feel 

 assured you will prefer my looking about me, that I may 

 have it in my power to tell you what is to be sesn, rather 

 than that I should sit down to write you about what I 

 have yet scarcely seen, viz., the beauties of Stewartfield. 

 It is really a delightful and romantic spot — a sort of little 

 Elleray on the hill-top, with higher hills behind, and well 

 screened with wood. 



" The minister's family at Blair were extremely kind. 

 AY hen I mentioned our intention of staying here for a 

 day, the conversation branched towards the inhabitants of 

 Stewartfield ; and when Mrs Stewart said, ' Can you tell 



