erly
asked for information as to the origin of the boon. His curiosity was
satisfied, and when he heard that the same donor had given appropriate
libraries to the garrisons at Inverness, Dingwall, and Kinbrace, he
exclaimed, "Such a gentleman is indeed the Soldier's Friend."

Since the Duke's visit, a small library of books has been sent to the
children's school at the Fort. The population of this military
community, containing as it does a great many married men with their
wives and families, is fully equal to that of Ardersier, and
necessitates a separate school. I was struck with the pronunciation of
the children in this part of the country. Many of the Fort children,
having mothers from the other side of the Border, speak with an
unmistakable English accent and are rather unscrupulous with respect to
the aspirate. The town of Inverness, which is at no great distance from
Fort-George, has long been famous for its clear and unprovincial English
speech, a fact which Johnson (oddly enough) thought due to some of
Cromwell's soldiers having settled there.

Dr. Johnson devotes two pleasant little paragraphs to describe his visit
to Fort-George and his entertainment there by Sir Eyre Coote. I have
always admired the Doctor's sly way of avoiding a description of the
Fort: "I cannot," he says, "delineate it scientifically, and a loose and
popular description is of use only when the imagination is to be
amused."

In spite of the menace of Fort-George, the Highlanders fondly cherished
the memory of Charlie for many a year. To no subject even now do their
descendants listen with such rapt attention as to his tragic story. I
have heard indeed of a Highland minister who was so displeased at the
homage paid to the Prince's memory by some of his flock, that he threw
at them the unanswerable question, "What will Prince Charlie do for you
at the day of judgment?"

I have had the curiosity to ask some of the Session Clerks of country
parishes that were in the line of the insurgents' advance or retreat, if
any references to the rebellion appear in the minutes of the year 1745.
No references appear, as a rule, for that year; but, under 1746, there
are brief accounts of church discipline being exercised in the case of a
few illegitimate births,--the paternity being ascribed usually to _ane
sodger_.[7]

At Inverness and Dingwall there exist similar libraries of great range
and excellence. The men show an interest in Miss Marie Corell