RELICS OF POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 



15 



the traditions of Ettrick forest had taught her to expect, with a 

 tr^in of gay palfreys jinghng their silver bells, but in a long, wild, 

 and strange medley of shapes and garments. The leader, unlike 

 the celebrated queen of Elf-land, had neither coral nor silk in her 

 girdle, nor any garland on her head, but her eyes had an unearth- 

 ly brightness in them, and her song was in no human language. 

 Then followed a brown, a black, and a grey steed, nearly as the 

 maiden of Carterhaugh is said to have seen them, each ridden 

 by a rider of antic figure, and the last was a thin white horse, 

 on which sat a phantom most resembling the Brown Man of the 

 Moor, known to all ancient Scotch women. Mause trembled at 

 the approach of this uncouth and malignant elf, but she did 

 not forget her familiar's command, and held out her basket to re- 

 ceive the promised gift. If the horseman was visionary, the gift 

 was substantial ; at least in its appearance to the eyes of old 

 Mause when the elfin equipage had disappeared, and she opened 

 the bundle left behind. It seemed an infant boy less than fifteen 

 months in age, and in all the lovehness of human childhood. A 

 strange incident ! — but fairies are known to have earthly offspring, 

 and to desire for tbem both Christian nurses and baptism, as has 

 been evidenced in the Isle of Man and Inverness-shire. It lay, 

 no doubt, in a charmed sleep while she returned to her hut, and 

 there, more cautiously examining its envelopements, found neither 

 jewel nor fine linen, but a small knot of blue silk, which she un- 

 twined, and saw, as she expected, an amulet in the shape of a 

 small shred of parchment, bearing Celtic words to this purpose : 



" When bush and wall are both of whin, 

 Gold shall grow in Dundufiie's linn ; 

 Where the woodbine and gilliflowers twine, 

 Ye shall find a gold mine." 



Gay Carline no longer doubted that she was selected to act as 

 foster-mother to this fairy changeling, to whom she first offered 

 certain herbs ; but, finding it expressed no elfish taste for them, 

 she administered the pure milk of her goats, and the whole of a 

 loaf which she found daily deposited on her threshold, of such 

 rare whiteness and exquisite flavour, that her imagination ascribed 



^ Poor Mause was less fortunate than the Manksman, (mentioned by 

 Waldron,) who saw above a dozen fairy horses well mounted, and of the 

 best kind, for fairies disdain ponies. 



