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A New, Improved, and Authentic Life of James Allan
A New Improved and Authentic Life of James Allan Author:James Thompson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The pipers walked and played in procession; while some lay stretched on the grass, and others formed reeling parties. But James was distinguished above all for g... more »race, agility, and smartness. A young Gipsy coquette succeeded in attracting his attention, and she was conquered by his gallantry. Their vanity was also gratified by the plaudits which greeted the performance of their spirited jigs. This evening's engagements with the dark-. eyed and frolicksome Gipsy generated a new passion in Allan's breast, which strongly modified his future character. CHAPTER III. Allan joins the Fairs as a Piper—Rendezvous at Elishaw—The Yetholm Gipsies— Their King, old Will Faw—Account of Long Jean Gordon—Allan witnesses a Murder—Defends a Witch at Spittal—His Success as a Piper in his own Neigh- . bourhood—His Fame roaches the Countess of Northumberland—Invited to Aln- wick Castle. JAMES now joined the "Jaa-gang" as an independent man, but continued with the tribe to which his father was attached. Their walk was confined to a certain district, which included the rivers of North Tyne, the Aln, the Reed, and the country from Kelso down the banks of the Tweed to Berwick. In strolling over this circuit, there were several favourite haunts, where the gangs con- gregated for the purposes of council and enjoyment. The two principal were Elishaw on the Reed, and Yetholm on the Scottish border. Elishaw was the hospitable residence of the late Lord Cranstoun of convivial memory. Here the Elishaw (or the Willow Wood, according to a writer in the Archaeologia .Klimin) is seated near the junction of Durtre Burn and the Reed. Here are the traces of a Roman bridge, where the Watling Street crossed the Reed; but there are few remains of the hospital that stood here. This place is now the prop...« less