152 HIGHLAND WEDDING. 



land wedding was conducted, an opportunity of which I 

 was by no means loth to take advantage. The invi- 

 tation therefore was accepted, and we promised to 

 vouchsafe our august presence. 



Arriving ahout eight o'clock, we were ushered into 

 what passed on the occasion for the hanquet-room, 

 a small apartment opened to the smoke -blackened 

 rafters of the roof, and occupied by one large four-post 

 bed. Two tables were so placed as to form one long 

 festive -board, extending down the middle of the room ; 

 long planks placed on rough blocks of stone, forming 

 the seats. The housewife, a pleasing 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/' wliich 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. 



