SCOTTISH SNAPSHOTS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 132, 14 January 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

SCOTTISH SNAPSHOTS.

By .MRS. .MALCOLM ROSS. November lit, 1915. Winter has come upon Scotland with suddenness and severity, and, as 1 write, the gardens outside are deep in frozen snow, each tree bears its burden of white, and the landscape is a Japanese print in black and white and grey, sk; and fields and woods, except that here and there a belated oak still has a few yellow leaves, and the bron/e beech hedge makes a line of vivid colour on the sunny side of tho road. Twentyone degrees of frost is pretty severe for a first taste of winter, end only .ten days ago we were 'glorying in the gorgeous tints of autumn, and picking the chrysanthemums, nowbowed beneath their loads of snow. But the country under the fall is exquitely lovely, and the wood:;, each stately tree decorated individually—the fir heavily massed, the larches with dainty touches, and the" fronds of Hie ferns outlined in crystal—are a wonderland. The snow-laden blanches almost hide the river, where the yellow water brawls between ice-blocks, and the little bridges are festooned and draped with the snow. • Rowan, hawthorn, fir, plane tree—each is a separate joy, and the merest cned becomes picturesque under the touch of winter. The prosaic wire-netting round the tennis grounds is fairy lace, and all the narrow woodland ways hold thrilling possibilities, for steps are hidden and one neecs to walk warily. One curving track lends above the woods to where in bygone days the Monks —artistically wise even in their choice of a cite—lived. Still the stones that marked their narrowcells are there, and perhaps some of the trees and shrubs around are descendants of the old monastery garden- They got a glorious view of forest and field from their eminence, and the only difficulty may nave been the river. Neither regal nor monastic authority has rule over water — as Canute found—and so the Monks had to bring their provisions across the ('aider, when it had risen, In a basket that slipped along a wire. To this the next estate owes its quaint name, "Crossbasket," though another legend ascribes it to the fact that Mary Stewart, anxious to pay a call on the Abbot, Had to he taken across In this fashion. All about is

HISTORIC GROUN'D, and is far easier to materialize the patsc here, for so little change lias taKen place. The grim little villages —so different to those in England — are much as they were centuries jtgo, grey, cheerless, with few attempts at decoration or gardens. But tlie stone wal:3 hold cosy homes, viae hearths and warm—tor coal is cneap and plentiful—and box-beds i that may be insanitary but are cerI talniy snug .and accommodating. The j great houses have a r;olid dignity and ! severe beauty that accords well with the sterner character of the landscape, but within their comfort is marvellous. The stately old houses or Glasgow—though many have fallen on evil days—have wide shallow stepped staircases with beautiful balustrades, and great rooms, panelled, and with fine ceilings and niatitlei pieces— houses that suggest generous | hospitality, hearty we-] come*, a genial host, a kindly mi' tre.-,-.. .and a ,;o\vd of happy children, ''lie war i:;': altered much of tain. .Many i.f tno o'l town ho;:scs pre r.hut up, for tne gaieties of a "season" are not >-\!stfnt, and the great familliM have suffered terribly, sever' 1 !':.'. in !os! their heirs, so that the liilo berounw (.'.-.linc-t. i'nle.-?s a wive r'ecn e will allow it tn he i. vivr I in the ;'« male n::e. lint, as in Kiighnd. Ib- !>•> i-.-rveu parents and widows i) 0 NOT ,£[T AX:; .'.IOCI.X. iney w.'irk hard, organizm.;, sewing, knitting, doing nuuecii an. - .! hospital service, for other's sens and husbands, and jeave tears and mourning j ror their s< ant leisure. Tlu spirit j is magnificent. Th.ere is no lonipari- i son between a girl before the war gained i'.i tl'.is respect by the c-iiilic'. j

of r:it!oi:r-. .lie huttoniy has; be- j i o:i;o ;i hi e, ; lie da light* ;■ who w as, ' ivitii i;l;:ro oi cliiliV.":-.. to have mad" ! her 0.-'or, has deveiore ; i mmi-Ii eualilies; i::' it. nun o. ivew;>, ami !• • el- |

heah d.ic s, ;-ueh (■:;•-;, - ;>■:-■;) to verk. ami ym-h d:.-:ecard of . a-v ami i,;::ury. that ior eh'.ei . n: ;i\,'!. To- re ;;!■(■ in many :o .ii iy-iion ;t. i-:I i;iris 1 v.Uo i is;;.' in ! ':.;• eiiill dar!; ! and eo i.iiiix;. walking :-oi',.etim< y for

it is Mn early ior ; lie ears, to nn - pare and .-ervc breakfast for tit- ■ munition workers at the various fen- j

tres. Gil is; '-■ Sio it.-.cl to ■it in iaeii i li'-ibt in ii't< ■l i nj; L'-i i:; "0.. ci ifahi i

in (;':':o.ow than i er li.ey did in j i.naiiH little vi!!;r;o .or : .;• i ro'in | ha e, Si'T.t! Avon (eall' d : tr.ivon. :>■:- j eordli:..? to tile loi al proiiuwiniion I {

•n i! .• eottafio.i you i an still s-e • tin ; hand 1< oiiik being v.\rki'ii. and we ;ia'd '■■' v'sit io one eld weaver who a:! his life had wor! e.j at liis; tra-te ■!e v;»- a little. rosy-( !k ■'. Ed i ia,i. v. irh a fventle voii c and .-aiall hand !

that slipped in ni:d ou! the invildm'injr pr.lt. i-.i v, ; th wen, 1 . rfsi! ■' 'V'"i'\ j Ho vim weaving a b;i.-.th of whit' I siik, bnjejKi.::'.. an.l i... a :•..; wi: .villi j tiny iKi-ii s in hli'.c a: 1 .! rei! "a j

eottoi) " mesmerise! '' thrcil from i !V:>nd, the old wi nv r inw r:ia'.] mil [)Ut it WitiS ll.'Vi'ire'e.- e'V.live. I Apropos of eld silks, v . ;,mn ! ! A qi'Aint 'ii;i:.\.-i :;•: r :ovk in n village shop recently a iittle emporium that sold ein mm ami chif-

fon, buns aud blaekkad. ami im hut- I cd the advantages of a post am! tele- | ::r is j >li ofliic. The present occupants I ;,d taken it over fifty year ■• auo lock, stock, and bun el- ;ml in the drawers under tlie courier were still some ribbons of the original stock. It was ill.'-.- we were told to a.-m for. j t'l'i y v, ere chanirin: ly d. inure in | |Oile, though one Wily 01 lm, e'v pri.ll-i

icl-t: : ilk with a border of v. hiie I st'-ev. n villi violets. As a uile th" : .r , i uUmrs, , i haps softened !r. a?:'' 1 . | were 11.0 old-fashioned iin':-, i 'a ■■< nt.i ! \\ ine, and pi ach. One vbh i' : ool ( :<r:> was of the dreanilc t ; n ; -Mae. J ■ tie colour of love-in-a-ni'st. aim little | K imagination was needed f- picture | ■ the Dresden china old lad} who .

should have worn is as rao-siriiuis. ; ' Oilier relic;; of tin? past «(>iv H:H I black bupile buple and eht'i'illo .a.;. over whose dcraise we shed no tear. While "at Stratlmvon we houpht rrin perbread at a tiny shoji with a low

mum of display—two cakes and s cardboard boxes. But, for two v dred years successive generations bought gingerbread there, made t some secret recipe, and the s family had made the cakes and 1 there. The woman torn me it line to send abroad to the soldie "ii dinna' gets stale, ye ken," when 1 sampled it, 1 knew why, it was of a durable hardness aire and would stand any' knocking a in transit. So a large "whang' off on its journey to the Dar elles, to glaoden the heart of a k laddie in the trenches. L'ntil I

LINLITHGOW,

llolyrood was my most ronu memory of Scotland, but the r castle-palace that looks down oi silver loch has now no rival, reached it in the late altera coming from Edinburgh thn beautiful country, looking acros the Forth Bridge, so fairy-like, a of purple arches against an opal that it looked rather like the v of a magician than the seven y» labour oi thousands of men. F the hill road we looked down on war boats, deceptively peaceful the silver Firth, and on either of us was Dalmeny, Lord Rosebc beautiful estate. it was all lovely, but when, by the twis village tsree\ we reached the g gates of the castle, and saw ba us the stately pile en its : .g slopes, the climax was reached, li'thgow Palace is steped in ronu and history. It was for centuries gift kings gave their briJe-que and poor .Margaret of Scotland s her happiest and her raddest to there. We climbed by tortuous s stairs to the little ston3 sumi house. Its name, "Bower," is too luxurious —where the queen and watched along the same roac can see to-day. for news of Flod It was ill tidings the man brou tidings of the death of her King lord. U was the quaintest 1 place, octagonal with a narrow s seat and an open doorway, pert high on the wall of the castle, there, looking down on the si niering loch and the distant wo mistily blue towards the daffodil rizon. we spoke of Gallipoli, and gigantic struggle of the nations these latter days. And the old todian said, "Once a German alv a German, mun! The Duka o' C berland he killed the prisoners the wounded, in old times, and was a German!" He took sometl of the general praise accorded New Zealanders to his own ar< for he bad a "brithed doin' w in Invercargill, and telt a proprie interest in our ccountry. The C 8 is a ruin, destroyed by the Eugi and if one can believe the story a vcrv underhand manner. & English soldiers hid in the straw was being driven into the castle fodder, and set light to it. The el red walls still bear testimony to fire. But to Scottish hearLs the c fact about Linlithgow is that ft Stewart was born there. The g chamber, open to the sky, but st ly still with its grey walls and c set stone window-seats still ex: and one is glad to think after piteous tragedy of Holyrood. of lovely princess and happy child such beautiful surroundings. ' State hall is a wonderful apartn with a hearth of three alcoves tfl ty feet long, a glorious sight su: when the great blazing logs th out their welcome heat, and lit the long tables set with silver crystal, and the splendid tapest that covered the stent gruy v.. Within the walls that encircle Michael's, where legend goes, angel warned the hapless iaa.es night before he fell on Floddon. ( tie. church, the grassy slopes | fall to the loch, '.he clusters ot tr purple and golden-brown, that thl reflections into its silver water, gracious country that stretches the sunset, and the small town, little changed since Princess M rode will her ladies and her galla along its cobble stones, is jusl perfect metuHiy. It is said L Eo.-el.Tiy generously offered to J build it lor the list; of RoyaltyM it is a matter lor devout thanW ness the offer was declined. j hustle .'.ml turmoil of modem I would be hideously uaseeming I thn;e grey walls that have witiiesl such historic scenes. I