for the Bailie, whose smoky stump had
accidentally come to grief, or a continuation of our stroll as far as
the remotest point of the arc formed by the quay, where, seated on a
wall of rough stones, we took in at one glance the moonlit bay, and the
quiet, peaceful town, scarce a hum from which reached our ears, so
hushed and still was the place at this hour.

A couple of little girls of true Gaelic blood came and gazed curiously
at us one evening, as we thus sat. The elder of the two, a head shorter
than her companion, responded readily to the Bailie's questions,--among
other things naively accounted to us for her diminutive size, as if it
were a foregone and inevitable result of her lot, by the grave
statement, "Oh, I am the eldest, Sir; I tended all the rest"; and then,
at his request, they united in singing us a genuine Erse song, the
guttural accents of which, softened by their childish tongues,
harmonized wonderfully with the Hebridean landscape, redeemed from its
otherwise rigidity and gloom by Oban gleaming like a pearly jewel from
its rude setting of stone. It was the only incident that I can recall
connected with our moonlight ramblings. Was it not, perhaps, the
absence of incident or adventure, the holy calm, the unbroken stillness
of the scene, that lulled our hearts then to pensive musings, and that
still whispers to our memories, "Peace"?

The Caledonian, though it found room for us, was wellnigh overflowing
with visitors. Besides our fellow-passengers and those of another
steamer of the same line, which had arrived almost simultaneously from
the northern or opposite direction, there were not a few who had either
been waiting in Oban, or had returned thither from some excursion in the
neighborhood, to be in readiness for the first opportunity for a voyage
around Mull. This trip, which occupies twelve hours, is during the
travelling season advertised for every alternate day; but, as the
pleasure, oftentimes the possibility, of the excursion is dependent on
wind and weather, persevering tourists are often detained for a week or
more in default of sunshine and a fair breeze. The elements on the
morning after our arrival being in all respects favorable, the great
household was early astir. Though breakfast is served on board the
luxurious pleasure-boat, we preferred to rise at the earliest notice and
make all possible haste with our toilets, for the sake of breakfasting
on terra firma. Many were of the same mi