. The land of heather . eyond. Most of this field over the wall had beenridged for neeps, but it was cut in twain by a deepravine or den where grew thorny tangles of furze,and where, every June, countless wild-rose bushes out-stretched their slender arms, piled high with blushingbloom. Indeed, the shrubbery and weeds grew sorankly that the depths of the den were quite chokedand impassable. The children liked to roam aroundthis ravine, and tumble on its sunny patches of grass,while they sorted their flowers, or busied their tongueswith their small chatter; or, it may be, forgot all elsein caree
. The land of heather . eyond. Most of this field over the wall had beenridged for neeps, but it was cut in twain by a deepravine or den where grew thorny tangles of furze,and where, every June, countless wild-rose bushes out-stretched their slender arms, piled high with blushingbloom. Indeed, the shrubbery and weeds grew sorankly that the depths of the den were quite chokedand impassable. The children liked to roam aroundthis ravine, and tumble on its sunny patches of grass,while they sorted their flowers, or busied their tongueswith their small chatter; or, it may be, forgot all elsein careering down a clay bank, where they had worn asmooth, slippery slide. The upper edge of the den, on one side, was rimmedwith a narrow path that led far down the brae, into thevalley of the Tochty. Near the stream, in an amphi-theatre of grassy bluffs, was a bit of level meadowwhere the men of Drumtochty were wont to playkites (quoits). Saturday was the great day for thegame, as the final afternoon of the week is a holiday. Washing by the Burnside Village Happenings 43 among Scotch artisans and tradespeople, and a largepart of the village men were then free to use their timeas they pleased. I had the chance to see a matchgame one Saturday. It was between the local club of theclachan and that of the neighboring hamlet of Nether-aird. The Netheraird team arrived in a brake at fouroclock and was taken at once up to the inn. Thehorses were put out, and the men all betook them-selves to the bar, to get a dram. I was told that with-out a dram it was impossible for a kiter to a Hberal allowance of time for social chaffing anddrinking at the public, the players went rambling overthe stile opposite the shoemakers, and on down thebrae to the playground. The several circles of earththat were to serve as targets had already been prepared,and in the centre of each of these circles of freshlyturned ground was an iron pin that barely projectedinto sight. The players, when they pitched
Size: 1263px × 1978px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorjohnsonc, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1904
