35O A Walk from 



of Scotch scenery ; civilization sapping the barbarism 

 of the wilderness ; wheat-fields mordant biting in upon 

 peaty moorlands, or climbing to the tops of cold, bald 

 mountains, shearing off their thorny locks of heather 

 and covering them with the well-dressed chevelnre of 

 yellow grain. Where the farmer's horse cannot climb 

 with the plough, or the lithe sheep cannot graze to 

 advantage, human hands plant the Scotch larch or fir, 

 just as a tenant-gardener would set out cabbage-plants 

 at odd corners of his little holding which he could have 

 no other use for. 



Abbotsferry is just above Abbotsford, and is crossed 

 in a small row-boat. The river here is of considerable 

 width and quite rapid. The boat was kept on the 

 other side ; so I halooed to a man engaged in thatching 

 a rick of oats to come and ferry me over. Without 

 descending from the ladder, he called to some one in 

 the cottage, when, to my surprise, a well-dressed young, 

 woman, in rather flowing dress, red jacket, and with 

 her hair tastefully done up in a net d-la-modc, made 

 her appearance. Descending to the river, she folded 

 up her gown, and, setting herself to the oars, " pushed 

 her light shallop from the shore" with the grace of The 

 Lady of the Lake. In a few minutes she ran the prow 

 upon the pebbly beach at my feet, and I took my seat 

 at the other end of the boat. She did it all so 



