278 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



she had been his foster-mother as well as nurse, and 

 her demonstrations on his return home, during college 

 vacation, always aroused our amusement and perhaps 

 our jealousy. 



I well remember one occasion when we had landed 

 on the shore and Mam-Willa came down to greet us, 

 not knowing that our brother had arrived. But as 

 she was seen to approach he went to meet her, and 

 there was a very affectionate interchange of salutations, 

 which caused considerable diversion to a young lady 

 who was our guest. She made some laughing remark 

 to Mam-Willa about it, and the old woman replied — 

 " Ah, my dear, if ye had kissed his dear lips as aften 

 as I hae done ye widna wonder that I love him as 

 I do!" 



This was disconcerting to a young lady, and quite 

 unanswerable. 



Mam-Willa's house was situated in a most wild 

 and romantic spot, looking out upon a wide sea, and 

 far from all other dwellings : her nearest neighbours 

 were a mile over the hill, and to right and left stretched 

 long tracks of moor and fallow-land and rock. 



Below the cottage the hill-side sloped sharply to 

 the sea. A tongue of pure, white sand ran out, 

 connecting the little Isle of Hoonie with Unst at 

 low water. 



When the tide was in, a strong current flowed over 

 the sand bank and skerries, leaving only a snow-belt 

 below Cloogan. 



My first clear perception of the beauty of Nature is 



