HIGHLAND SIMPLICITY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1771, 2 August 1888, Page 4

HIGHLAND SIMPLICITY.

. A poor simple Highlander, who once made his appearance at Stirling shore and purchased a cart of lime, me\ with an adventure sufficiently untoward. Donald had no sooner got his cart filled than he turned his own and his horse’s head to his own dear Highland hill. He had not, however, gone far beyond Stirling Bridge when a smart shower of rain came on. The lime began to smoke. Donald, who was sitting on the front of his cart, at first supposed it to be a whiff of mountain mist, but at last becoming enveloped in a cloud, and no longer able to see his way before him, he bethought himself it was time to cast a look behind, and was not a little amazed to discover that the whole cause of the annoyance proceeded from his cart of lime. It was on fire; but how, was beyond his comprehension. He stopped his horse and stood still, in hopes that the rain would quench the intruding element, but remarking no abatement, he drove his cart to a stream at a short distance, and, taking his shovel, began lustily to throw water on his smoking load, this speedily brought Donald’s difficulties to a crisis, for his horse, unaccustomed to the heat that threatened to deprive him of his tail, began now to exhibit symptoms of open rebellion. Besides, seeing that his cart was in danger of being burnt to a cinder, and not knowing but that the horse might take it into his bead to start burning too, he was resolved that the bewitched load and “ the puir beast and braw bit cart ” should be instantly disunited. He accordingly unyoked the impatient animal, and immediately buried the smoking lime in the stream, triumphantly exclaiming as the hi-sing mass yielded to the overpowering element, “The de’il is in her if she’ll burn noo.”