. The land of heather . long the hillsides. No doubt thishaphazard character is due to the uncertain and hum-mocky lay of the land. Wherever you walk you areeither going up or down a hill, and the hill is likely tobe steep at that. The streets are crooked and haveunexpected turns in them, and there are frequent littlelanes that have an odd way of jerking around cornersand dodging under houses. The dwellings are nearly all of red sandstone froma quarry high on the hillside. In most cases thehouses are weather-darkened and battered, thoughsome of the older cottages have walls coated with plas-te
. The land of heather . long the hillsides. No doubt thishaphazard character is due to the uncertain and hum-mocky lay of the land. Wherever you walk you areeither going up or down a hill, and the hill is likely tobe steep at that. The streets are crooked and haveunexpected turns in them, and there are frequent littlelanes that have an odd way of jerking around cornersand dodging under houses. The dwellings are nearly all of red sandstone froma quarry high on the hillside. In most cases thehouses are weather-darkened and battered, thoughsome of the older cottages have walls coated with plas-ter, and certain others get periodical brightenings ofwhitewash. To the last class belongs the house thatof all others in Thrums is the centre of the Barrie in-terest. You go down a steep hill from the town square,cross the stone brig that spans the burn, and at oncebegin the ascent of the famous brae (the Scotch wordfor a steep roadway or hillside). When you get to theelbow of the brae, there is Hendrys cot before you at. 3 2 Thrums 127 the top of the hill. It is a one-story house with anarrow garden in front, and in its gable is a tiny win-dow that you feel sure is Jesss window as soon as yousee it. This window looks easterly down the brae andover the town ; and it is remarkable when one goesabout the village and the surrounding hill-slopes howoften the cot at the top of the brae is in sight, and howthe little window seems watching you as if the househad an eye. In Mr. Barries description the cottageroof is of thatch, with ropes flung over it to keep it onin wind. But now the roof is rudely slated. Thatchis out of date in Kirriemuir. Yet there was one rustyHne of cottages on a neighboring hill that still retainedits ancient coat of straw, and the straw was secured fromthe clutches of the gales by strips of board fastenedon it. Hendrys cot had tenants, and they were plainly ofa thrifty turn of mind, for a black sign hung on thehouse walls that labelled the place A Window inThrum
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjohnsonc, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1904
