Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of ScotlandHolmes, Daniel Turner
History
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland
Holmes, Daniel Turner
Scottish literature -- History and criticism
Two English tourists--big, hearty fellows--were travelling in the same
compartment with a communicative Scot, when the train stopped at Forres.
"Gentlemen," said the Scot, "this is Forres, and I'm sure you've read
about it; quite near Forres is the _blasted heath_ where Macbeth was
accosted by the witches." "How shocking," said one of the Englishmen;
"how really shocking! Well, you see, we haven't read about that yet:
we've been up North for some time, and _we have'nt seen the pypers for
ten dyes!_"
THE DAY FOR IT.
The driver of the bus which goes through the delightful part of
Argyllshire known as Hell's Glen, is often chaffed by the summer
tourists rather unmercifully. One day, a nervous southern was
criticising him on his furious and careless driving: "You shouldn't be
on the box at all; I never saw such a wild driver." "Drive!" said Jehu,
in a voice of thunder. "Why, man, once every year, I drive the
mail-coach _down that steep hill-side_ among the bracken. _And this is
the day for it!_" So saying, the humorous fellow made as if to whip the
horses down the cliff, and the terrified tourist shrieked aloud. "Seeing
I've such a nervous passenger," said the driver, with a guffaw, "I had
better break my own rules, and keep to the main road."
THE CONVERTED DRUMMER.
A dilapidated Scot, with a strong odour of the accursed, staggered into
a Salvation Army meeting one night, and was deeply impressed by the
service. He became a changed man, professed conversion, and got a
thorough moral overhaul. Like many others, he had great difficulty in
keeping his good resolutions, but persevered, nobly and successfully.
Latterly, he was admitted into the orchestra, and got command of the big
drum. He was so anxious to show his zeal, that he beat far too
vehemently, and drowned all the other instruments in his ecstatic
rataplan. The captain mildly remonstrated with him, and requested him to
beat a little more gently. "_Gently!_" shouted the reformed drummer,
"that's impossible. Since I've got salvation, I feel so happy, that I
could ding the whole slammed thing to bits!" (or rather "slim the whole
danged thing to bits").
A CIRCULAR TICKET.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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