40 LIFE AT ROSEHALL. 



which we had to pass. The night, too, had come on quite dark 

 before we reached the shealing. 



On entering I was much struck by the group which we saw by 

 the light of several splinters of a bog-fir laid on stone. Malcolm's 

 old father, a man whose years numbered at least fourscore, was 

 reading a chapter of the Bible in Gaelic to the rest of his family, 

 which consisted of his wife, a woman of nearly equal age to him- 

 self, but hale, neat, and vigorous, and of a sister and brother of 

 Malcolm's ; the former a peculiarly pretty, though somewhat 

 extensive damsel; and the latter a giant like Malcolm himself, 

 equally good-looking, and equally respected in his own rank of life. 

 The old man, having looked off his book for a moment, without 

 pausing in his reading, continued his chapter. Following Malcolm's 

 example, I took off rny cap, and sat down on a chest in the room, 

 and though, of course, not understanding a word of what was read, 

 I was struck by the appearance of real devotion and reverence 

 of the whole group, and looked on with feelings of interest and 

 respect till he came to the end of a somewhat lengthy chapter. 

 This finished, the old man, resting his head on his hands, which his 

 long grey hair entirely covered, uttered a short prayer in the same 

 language. The moment this was done he handed the Bible to his 

 daughter, who, wiping it with her apron, deposited it in a chest. 

 I was then welcomed with great kindness, and preparations were 

 made for Malcolm's and my supper, which consisted of tea, oatcake, 

 eggs, and a part of a kippered trout, caught in a stream running 

 out of the large loch, and which when alive must have weighed 

 at least twelve pounds ; such cream and milk, too, as are met with, 

 or at any rate enjoyed, only in the Highlands. With real polite- 

 ness the old people talked to me but little during the meal, seeing 

 that I was tired and hungry ; but over the glass of capital toddy 

 which succeeded the tea I had many a question to answer respect- 

 ing the killing of the stag, etc. The old lady spoke very little 

 English, but understood it well enough. The old shepherd listened 

 with great interest, the more so from having been a somewhat 

 famous stalker in his own time, and now a great lamenter of the 

 good old time when deer and black cattle were more plentiful, 



