HIGHLAND WEDDING. 159 



long planks placed on rough blocks of stone, forming 

 the seats. The housewife, a pleasant exception to the 

 generality of her class in Scotland, being of a very 

 neat and cleanly appearance, welcomed us with smiles, 

 prophetic of the best cheer her house could afford, and 

 I was placed in the post of honour, at the head of the 

 table. 



Everything about us partook of the cleanliness of the 

 presiding genius of the place, and the whole arrange- 

 ment appeared most appropriate. We were first in- 

 vited to "a wee drop o' whisky," which we took "neat," 

 in small glasses. Tea was then brought in by a comely 

 sister of the bride, and the most select of the guests 

 invited to join us. To a description of these I must 

 devote a few lines. 



First came the bride herself. Though not remark- 

 able for any great beauty, her downcast countenance 

 and diffident manner showed a painful consciousness 

 that she was, for the time being, the cynosure of 

 all eyes, a distinction to which she was evidently 

 quite unaccustomed. I was subsequently however in- 

 formed, that on such occasions generally it is deemed 

 unbecoming in a bride to raise her eyes from the 

 ground, or her head from her breast. 



The next who entered was the son of a respectable 

 merchant from the neighbouring village (distant sixteen 

 miles) ; he was described to me as a " cannie laddie," 

 who might have turned his hand to anything, but 

 for an unfortunate tendency to roaming habits, which 

 led him to attend all the weddings in the country-side, 

 and militated against application to any regular calling. 

 His conversation certainly surprised me, exhibiting a 

 degree of taste and development of the understanding 

 which 1 have never met with in one of the same rank 

 on our side the border. 



