on is an autumnal
afternoon.) The philosophy of the saying is that you are to begin your
work betimes in the season of autumn; at early dawn if possible, and not
to stop at all for dinner, seeing that once the day has passed its
prime, the hour of sunset approaches with giant strides, and there is
little or no twilight to help you if you have been foolish enough to
dawdle your time in the hours of sunset proper. "_'S fas a chuil as nach
goirear_" is another pregnant adage. (Desert, indeed, is the corner
whence no voice of bird is heard.) Some people are very quiet, almost
dumb indeed, but on the occurrence of some event, or on the back of
some remark of yours, they speak, and speak so clearly and well that
you are surprised, and quote the saying that it is a solitary and silent
glade indeed whence no voice is heard. "_Am fear a bhios na thamh,
saoilidh e gur i lamh fhein as fhearr air an stiuir_" is a common saying
of much meaning and wide application. (He that is idle [a mere
spectator] thinks that he could steer the boat better than the man
actually in charge.) And we all know how apt we are to meddle, and
generally unwisely, with the proper labours of others. Nothing, for
instance, is more annoying and dangerous even than to put forth your
hand by way of helping a driver in managing his horses, or to interfere
with the tiller of a boat at which a perfectly competent man is already
seated. We have known the saying just quoted scores of times suffice to
stop the unwise and gratuitous intermeddling of such as were disposed to
interfere with what did not properly belong to them. "_Bidh fear an aon
mhairt aig uairean gun bhainne_" is a frequent saying, and implies more
than is at first sight apparent. (The man with only one cow will be at
times without milk.) The import of the saying is something more than a
mere statement of fact. You have only one cow, and you are certain to be
at times without milk. Get by your industry and perseverance _two_ cows
or three, and then you are pretty sure to have more or less milk all the
year round.

We have thus briefly touched the hem, so to speak, of a very interesting
subject--a subject that in the Highlands of Scotland, at least, has
never yet received a tittle of the attention it deserves. And let no one
be afraid to meddle with it to any extent he pleases, for we promise him
that he will meet with nothing in any way to shock his delicacy or
offend his taste, no matter how fine so