THE UPRIGHT HIGHLANDER.

. An Anecdote of Scotch Honesty. IT will be seen that trust begets trust Only by the same principle can true friendship exist. When human beings distrust and suspect each other, then good-bye to honourable friendships. There’s an end to the confidence and love attached to this beautiful silken tie that binds man to man, family to family, nation to nation. Two centuries ago it was thought an insult in the Highlands to ask a note from a debtor. It was considered the same thing as saying, “I doubt your honour.” If parties had business matters to transact they stepped into the open air, fixed their eyes on the heavens, and each repeated his obligation with no mortal witness. A mark was carved upon some rock or tree near by as a remembrance of the compact. Such a thing as a breach of contract was rarely met with, so highly did the people regard their honour. When the march of improvement brought the new mode of doing business, they were often pained by those innovations. An anecdote is handed down by a farmer who had been in the Lowlands, and learnt worldly wisdom. On returning to his native parish he had need of a sum of money, and made bold to ask from a gentleman of means named Stewart. This was kindly granted, and Mr. Stewart counted out the money. This done, the farmer wrote out a receipt and offered it to Mr. Stewart. “What is this, man?” cried Mr. Stewart, eyeing the slip of paper. “It is a receipt, sir, binding me to give ye back yer gold at the right time,” replied Sandy. “Binding ye! Well, my man, if ye canna trust yersel, I’m sure I’ll no trust ye; ye canna have my gold!” And, gathering it up, he put it back in his desk, and turned the key on it. “But,” sir, “I might die,” replied the canny Scotchman, bringing up an argument in favour of his new wisdom, “and perhaps my sons may refuse it ye, but the bit o’ paper would compel them.” “Compel them to sustain a dead father’s honour!” cried the Celt; “they’ll need compelling to do right; if this is the road ye’re leading them ye can gang elsewhere for the money, but ye’ll find nane in the parish that’ll put more faith in a bit o’ paper than in a neighbour’s word of honour and his fear o’ God.”