Grampian Club > Scotland, social and domestic

52 Introduction
The present condition of the peasantry in some of the
Western Isles is sufficiently degrading. In the island of
Lewis, agricultural labourers live under the same roof
with their cattle. There are two apartments, in one of
which the family are accommodated, the other is the byre
or cowhouse. The latter presents, after the half-yearly
cleansing in spring and summer, a considerable hollow,
which is supposed to be conducive to the welfare of the
kine. The hollow is gradually filled up by the accumu-
lation of straw and manure, the existence of which
is believed to generate a healthful warmth. There are
no windows in Hebridean cottages, but a little light is
admitted from apertures at the lower portion of the
roof. The constant smoke and improper ventilation of
these huts are most prejudicial to the young. One-
third of the children born in the Hebrides, and in
certain districts of the Highlands, die under the age
of twelve.
In one respect the discipline of the Scottish Church
has proved beneficial. To this cause may be ascribed
the reverent observance of Sunday, which has so long
been a characteristic of the people. This observance
has occasionally assumed a morose character, and tended
to present religion, especially to the young, in forbidding
aspects ; but on the whole it has been salutary,
especially in a country where potent beverages are used
so unsparingly. The early plantation of parish schools,
due to the sagacity of Knox, has mainly conduced to the
success of natives of Scotland in countries other than
their own. To a native of the north a little learning is
not a dangerous thing ; it prompts him to aspire to
higher attainments and greater proficiency.
The civilization of Scotland is largely due to the