|
A FLIGHT TO ST. KILDA
14
quite surprised at the
fair skins and regular features of many of the women,
one of whom is styled the “Queen of St. Kilda.” (See
Illustration). But I was quite as much struck with
some of the girls who were not styled Queens. They had
all red cheeks, and wore their black hair as close cut
as a boy's, with short frocks and bare feet. The young
folks, too, could all speak English, which the others
could not do.
There is not a shop in
the village, so visitors usually don't come
empty-handed. The ladies bring small packages of tea,
the gentlemen bring tobacco, and everybody brings
sweets to the children. The unmarried women have no
head-dress save a red cotton handkerchief, while the
married ones wear white caps, or mutches
as we call them in Scotland. There is no finery worn,
and there is not an umbrella on the whole island. Most
of the children go bareheaded, which we are beginning to
find now is the healthiest plan; so St. Kilda may lead
the fashion after all.
The furniture of the
houses is very primitive. A fire of turf burns commonly
on the floor, and covers everything with dust. The beds
are what we call box-beds. Formerly, one
half of each house was used as a byre; but some years
ago, a storm stripped the thatch from every one of the
houses, and the laird built them new houses with zinc
roofs, and gave the old ones to the tenants to be used
for their cattle. In the houses, I noticed the
photographs of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, which
were sent by the Queen as a coronation present, nailed
against the; wall without any frame whatever.
Some years ago, there was an old minister
of the Free Church, named MacKay, who presided over the
people. He preached on Sundays, taught what children
could be induced to come to school twice a week, and
ruled all things with a rod of iron, while he himself
was ruled by a stalwart housekeeper he had. But at last
the people got tired of him; declared that their elders
could preach bettor than he, and that if bin preaching
did not improve they would cease attending the church.
This brought matters to a head, and a new minister was
sent out. This man, however, apparently lacked prudence,
and some |
