RELICS OF POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 



55 



the festival, and entered the cot-house with his sister, his secreta- 

 ry, and the kirk-minister. Well aware that the Laird might be 

 ex^pected, the party within were arranged with more decorum than 

 the bridegroom's escort without. The three-legged stool, broad 

 Old kist or meal-chest, and troops of poultry, which usually occu- 

 py the httle space of a Scotch cot-house, were on this day dis- 

 placed to make room for two benches borrowed from Johnny 

 McCune's " public the whisps of wheat-straw, and bundles of 

 dry furze, which had been depvosited as usual on the lath top of 

 the cupboard bed whereon winter fuel is hoarded, were swept 

 away into a darker place, and only a few bunches of fresh heath 

 blossoms peeped out as a kind of cornice. The old hat inserted 

 into the fourth square of the only window was also removed, and 

 its place very well supplied by half-a-dozen curious faces striving 

 to obtain a glance at the interior. On the two borrowed benches 

 were arranged half-a-dozen damsels, whose earnings at a neigh- 

 bouring cotton-mill, enabled them to appear on this occasion in 

 white muslin or fine flowered calico, with hose and slippers which 

 had been carefully put on under the nearest hedge ; in addition to 

 the usual finery of Scotch maidens, a blue ribbon passed not un- 

 gracefully through their hair above the forehead. At the head of 

 the bride-bench, in the place of honour established by most an- 

 cient custom, sat the bride herself, distinguished by a cap, while 

 two of her eldest acquaintance broke a large cake over the heads 

 of those who entered ; and the minister having forced his way 

 through the crowd, obtained a vacant space, about two feet square, 

 in the centre of the cot-house. To his brief question whether any 

 impediment could be alleged, and equally brief injunction respect- 

 ing their duties, the parties replied by two silent nods, and uniting 

 their hands without the gift of a ring, received the final benedic- 

 tion. Having thus performed the simple ceremonial dictated by 

 his memory or extempore inspiration, the minister of the kirk of 

 Scotland made a signal to the rosy piper, whose face shone through 

 the broken casement, and led the first dance with the bride, fol- 

 lowed by the lady of Dent, who sprang from the three-legged 

 stool brought for her accommodation, and by leading the bride- 

 groom down the dance, atoned to him for usurping his allotted 

 post of honour between the bride-bench and the wall. She gave 

 his spouse a piece of silver coin as a substitute for the lucky stone, 

 or " elfin arrow^," now scarce in Scotland ; but there was little 



