Often have I stood
musing over it myself, when a shepherd on one of the farms, of
which it formed the extreme boundary, and thinking what could
induce a young man, who had scarcely reached the prime of life,
to brave his Maker, and rush into His presence by an act of his
own erring hand, and one so unnatural and preposterous. But it
never once occurred to me, as an object of curiosity, to dig up the
mouldering bones of the Culprit, which I considered as the most
revolting of all objects. The thing was, however, done last month,
and a discovery made of one of the greatest natural phenomena
that I have heard of in this country.
"The little traditionary history that remains of this unfortunate
youth is altogether a singular one. He was not a native of the
place, nor would he ever tell from what place he came; but he
was remarkable for a deep, thoughtful, and sullen disposition.
There was nothing against his character that anybody knew of
here, and he had been a considerable time in the place. The last
service he was in was with a Mr. Anderson, of Eltrive (Ault-Righ,
the King's Burn), who died about 100 years ago, and who had
hired him during the summer to herd a stock of young cattle in
Eltrive Hope.
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