72 SKETCHES OP RURAL AFFAIRS. 



affecting constancy. The Ettrick Shepherd tells the 

 history of a ewe who had lost her lamb in a very severe 

 spring, when several scores had been destroyed at the 

 same time. " Faithfully did she stand to her charge. 

 I visited her every morning and every evening for the 

 first eight days, and never found her above two or three 

 yards from her lamb ; and often as I went my rounds, 

 she eyed me long ere I came near her, and kept stamp- 

 ing with her foot, and whistling through her nose, to 

 frighten away the dog. He got a regular chase twice a 

 day as I passed by ; but however excited and fierce a 

 ewe may be, she never offers any resistance to mankind, 

 being perfectly and meekly passive to them. The wea- 

 ther grew fine and warm, and the dead lamb soon de- 

 cayed ; but still this affectionate and desolate creature 

 kept hanging over the poor remains, with an attach- 

 ment that seemed to be nourished by hopelessness. It 

 often drew the tears from my eyes to see her hanging 

 with such fondness over a few bones and a bit of wool. 

 For the first fortnight she never quitted the spot, and 

 for another week she visited it every morning and 

 evening, uttering a few kindly and heart-piercing bleats, 

 till at length every remnant of her offspring vanished, 

 mixed with the soil, or wafted away by the winds." 



The sheep becomes attached to its native pastures 

 with a feeling akin to the love of home amongst man- 

 kind, and will often perform long journeys alone until 

 it reaches the familiar spot. Several instances have 

 been related of the perseverance with which this animal 

 will watch for an opportunity of escaping from a strange 

 place, and will find its way back again to the accus- 

 tomed pastures. One of the most surprising is told by 

 the Ettrick Shepherd, of a black ewe that returned 

 with her lamb from a farm in the head of Glen Lyon 

 to the farm of Harehope in Tweed-dale, and accom- 

 plished the journey in nine days. She was soon missed 

 by her owner, and a shepherd was despatched in pursuit 

 of her, who followed her to Crieff, where he turned and 



