electric and gas-the baths, the telephones, the tramcars, the splendid picture gallery, the museums, the St. Andrew's Halls, the People's Palace-in the dilapidated Glasgow Green-and many of the libraries are the property of the city in its corporate capacity, and are under the direction of the city officials. In all these respects Glasgow has the reputation of being a model city, and the reputation is fully justified. The predictions of croakers as to the city's immiment bankruptcy or great financial losses have been completely belied. By such later ventures as the telephones and especially by the tramcars she has scored a great financial success. * * * In all that relates to the supply of practical and business conveniences, Glasgow is probably in advance of any other city in Europe. More than this, many of the corporation ventures are run at a handsome profit, or in a manner that otherwise saves the pockets of the ratepayer; and since every new venture is practically to the ratepayer so much gain, the corporation is regarded by the majority of the citizens with an affectionate reverence only second to that which they cherish toward the clergy."

EXCURSIONS

There are numberless delightful short journeys from Glasgow, like the one through the "Scotch Lakes and Trossachs," and there are many pleasant resorts near by, such as Roseneath Castle, one of the seats of the Argyll family. The favorite excursion is by steamer from the Broomielaw, down the Clyde through the Kyles of Bute, a long curved channel between the Isle of Bute and the mainland. This trip may be continued through the Crinan Canal and on to Oban.

LOCAL ACCENT

We cannot leave Glasgow-"Glesca" as it is called by the uneducated-without speaking of the marked accent one hears. Indeed, the accent is quite different in the different cities of Scotland. Two Scots sisters who had many years been separated, one living in Glasgow, one in

Edinburgh, finally met. After visiting together for some time one said to the other, "What a twang ye have, Jeannie!" "Twang! I've nae twang," said the other, “but what an awfu' accent ye have, Maggie!"

THE BURNS COUNTRY

AYR

During some years more people visit the shrine of Burns in Ayr than go to Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-on-Avon. Ayr and the surrounding country have changed greatly since the days when Robert Burns lived and toiled and sang and suffered there. His countrymen have erected expensive monuments to his memory and a costly tomb to preserve his earthly remains, while he spent his life struggling for the means of subsistence. The world may count itself fortunate that this struggle could not quench his song which was as irrepressible and spontaneous as is the song of a bird. When we visit Ayr, therefore, we must remember that in the poet's day it was a small place with much poorer houses than we see there now. There were none of the suburban villas that abound at the present time.

THE BURNS COTTAGE

The house in which Burns was born is two miles from Ayr. It was a thatched house, a "clay biggin," and originally consisted of two rooms, a kitchen with a "concealed bed" and a sitting room. It is now kept as a museum. In many of the older houses a bed is built into the wall of the kitchen. In the case of well-to-do people it is for the use of the servants.

Burns was born on a stormy night on the twenty-fifth of January, 1759. Just before the event his father was hurrying away to find an attendant. When he reached the river he found an old woman who asked him to carry her across. Notwithstanding his haste he stopped to comply with her request, and on his return home he found the old