any sudden danger
that requires instant succor.

The Highlands of Scotland is the only country of Europe that has never
been distracted by religious controversy, or suffered from religious
persecution. This possibly may have been due to their patriarchal form
of government. The principles of the Christian religion were warmly
accepted by the people, and cherished with a strong feeling. In their
religious convictions they were peaceable and unobtrusive, never arming
themselves with Scriptural texts in order to carry on offensive
operations. Never being perplexed by doubt, they desired no one to
corroborate their faith, and no inducement could persuade them to strut
about in the garb of piety in order to attract respect. The reverence
for the Creator was in the heart, rather than upon the lips. In that
land papists and protestants lived together in charity and brotherhood,
earnest and devoted in their churches, and in contact with the world,
humane and charitable. The pulpit administrations were clear and simple,
and blended with an impressive and captivating spirit. All ranks were
influenced by the belief that cruelty, oppression, or other misconduct,
descended to the children, even to the third and fourth generations.

To a certain extent the religion of the Highlander was blended with a
belief in ghosts, dreams and visions. The superstitions of the Gael were
distinctly marked, and entirely too important to be overlooked. These
beliefs may have been largely due to an uncultivated imagination and the
narrow sphere in which he moved. His tales were adorned with the
miraculous and his poetry contained as many shadowy as substantial
personages. Innumerable were the stories of fairies, kelpies, urisks,
witches and prophets or seers. Over him watched the Daoine Shi', or men
of peace. In the glens and corries were heard the eerie sounds during
the watches of the night. Strange emotions were aroused in the hearts of
those who heard the raging of the tempest, the roaring of the swollen
rivers and dashing of the water-fall, the thunder peals echoing from
crag to crag, and the lightning rending rocks and shivering to pieces
the trees. When a reasonable cause could not be assigned for a calamity
it was ascribed to the operations of evil spirits. The evil one had
power to make compacts, but against these was the virtue of the charmed
circle. One of the most dangerous and malignant of beings was the
Water-kelpie, which allured women