The Kildonan Midwife

A woman living at Kildonan, on the north shore of
Little Loch Broom, and exercising the useful profession
of howdie, or midwife, had been summoned to attend a
case at Keppoch. She did not arrive at her destination,
although she left home after telling her neighbours where she was going. It was on Christmas eve that Fair Sarah, as she was called, left Kildonan, and for the space of an entire year, not a word, good or bad, was heard of her. Search parties were organized, but all to no purpose. Exactly twelve months after her disappearance, the next Christmas eve, namely, back came the errant midwife to her home, not a hair the worse for her long absence.

She was immensely astonished to find she had been so long away, her own impression being that only an hour or two had elapsed. It was evident to all the natives of Kildorian that Fair Sarah had been among the fairies, in whose company, as every one knows, months and years slip past as quickiy as hours and days. Sarah was asked to speak out and tell her experiences. “It seems to me,” said the flustered howdie, “ that it was but last night that I left for Keppoch. Just as I passed the White Knoll, between Strathmore and Strathbeg, I came upon a company of little folk, who would have me with them, right reason or none. I accepted their hospitality, and what drinking, skipping, revelry, and glee my eyes beheld! At last I grew sick of their cantrips and capers. Remem-
bering I was a Christian and a communicant, I blessed
myself in the name of the Glorious Trinity, with the
result that I was unceremoniously bundled out of the
place.”

The White Knoll had long had the repute of bar-
bouring fairies; Sarah’s experiences put the matter
beyond all doubt. That worthy female continued to
ply her vocation for many years after, with unvarying dexterity and success. None the worse for her year's excursion into Fairyland.

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