Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

6
His jocular offers of that neat little possession, and its
batchelor laird, to the lasses of the neighbourhood, were
a standing source of good humour at all the parties where
he was present: but he continued to live with his sister
till she left him and was married.
During these years he went several times on excur¬
sions to some distance, on some occasions for busi¬
ness, and on others merely, as he said, to see the
country. At one time he went with his sister to Perth,
and from thence to view the scenery to the westward :
and on another occasion, he went with an acquaintance
to Dunkeld, and from thence to Loch Tay, Logierait,
&c. His admiration of Dunkeld, the pleasure grounds
in the neighbourhood, and the falls of the river Braan,
3t the Hall of Ossian was unlimited : and he was equally
amused by the strange medley of names presented in the
book where visitors are requested to write their signa¬
tures before entering the grounds : here were Counts
from Italy, and manufacturers from Glasgow ; Princes,
Dukes, and Peers, mixed with common folk like himself;
and names celebrated ovor the whole world, standing be¬
side others which no body had ever heard of. The
Highland scenery had but little attraction for him : and
to a man of plain understanding the view of bare moun¬
tains with a scattered patch of vegetation here and there
among the brown heather, cannot be very delightful. The
want of comfort among the inhabitants : the poorness of
their turf cottages ; and the leanness of their miserable
fields, utterly wearied him of the Highlands ; and what¬
ever may be the professions of tourists, we suspect that
others besides Mr Millie have repented of seeking for
entertainment among scenery so barren of all the asso¬
ciations of humanity.
We have said that Mr Millie generally employed one
or two servants or journeymen in carrying on his busi¬
ness. It was not always easy to get men who were both
good workmen and of steady characters ; because such
persons are generally valued by their employers in Dun¬
fermline (where only the damask manufacture is carried
on), and do not chose to take employment in the coun¬
try. On this account Mr Millie had often occasion to