246 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CH. XXXV. 



However wild the black-faced sheep may be 

 when first brought down from the mountains, those 

 which I have had very soon become quite tame, 

 and not only crowd round their daily barrows of 

 turnips in the winter, snatching them out of the 

 hand of the old man who feeds them, but soon, 

 after a little shy coquetry, will eat biscuits and 

 apples from the hands of the children, will follow 

 them into the house, and sometimes become such 

 pets, that their destined fate at the hands of the 

 butcher is often deferred sine die. 



Though Highlanders are scarcely yet reconciled 

 to sheep as inhabitants of their mountains, they 

 know full well how to benefit by that most useful 

 product of their fleece — the plaid. Summer or 

 winter, the Highlander will scarcely ever stir out 

 without his plaid, and numberless are the different 

 modes in which he folds and wears it, so as best to 

 suit all changes of temperature and weather. I 

 have seen in a London paper an advertisement 

 offering to teach young ladies the use of the " fan " 

 in six lessons, for the moderate consideration of five 

 guineas. Although it seems incredible that the fair 

 advertiser can meet with pupils, yet it is clear she 

 does, or she would never incur the expense of long 

 and repeated advertisements. Now if some well- 

 skilled wearer of the plaid were to commence busi- 



