I asked my brother, as we walked along, why he put his question in that particular form:  “Which is the Cobbler and which is his Wife?” He told me he was thinking of a question so expressed many years ago, long before revolving pictures were thought of, and when pictures of any kind were very scarce.  A fair was being held in the country, and a showman was exhibiting pictures which were arranged in a row alongside his booth or van in such a way that his customers could pass from one picture to another and which they could see by looking through slightly magnifying glasses placed in pairs, one to fit each eye after the fashion of a pair of spectacles.  Before the show stood a number of small boys who would have been pleased to have a peep at the pictures if they could have raised the money.  Just at that moment a mother with her two little girls appeared, and when the children came near the show, one of them called out, “Oh, Ma! may we see the peep-shows?  It’s only a penny!” whereupon the mother took out her purse and handed each of the little girls a penny.  When the showman saw them approaching, he shouted angrily to the small boys who were blocking the entrance; “Get away, you little ragged rascals that have no money,” and then he added in a much milder tone, “and let the little dears come up what’s a-going to pay.”  When the children reached the first peep-show, he said:  “Now, my little dears, look straight forwards, blow your noses, and don’t breathe upon the glass!  Here you see the combat between the Scotch Lion, Wallace, and the English Bulldogs, for eight hundred guineas a side, while the spectators are a-looking on in the most facetious manner.  Here you see the lion has got his paws on one of the dogs whilst he is whisking out the eyes of another with his tail!”

The little girls could see a picture but could not quite make out what it was, so one of them called out:  “Please, Mr. Showman, which is the lion and which is the dogs?” and he said:  “Oh! whichever you please, my little dears, and the likes was never seen, and all for the small sum of one penny!”

My brother said that when he asked the gentleman which was the Cobbler and which was his Wife he would not have been surprised if he had said angrily, “Whichever you please,” and had walked away, since he seemed in a very irritable frame of mind.

Since those “good old times” the character of these country fairs has changed entirely, and we no longer sing the old ballad: 

  Oh yes, I own ’tis my delight
  To see the laughter and the fright
  In such a motley, merry sight
    As at a country fair.

  Boys on mamma’s treacle fed,
  On spicy cakes and gingerbread. 
  On everybody’s toes they tread
    All at a country fair.

The village of Arrochar stood in a very pleasant position, at the head of Loch Long amid scenery of the loftiest and most varied description.  Illuminated as it was by the magic rays of the sun, we thought it would compare favourably with any other watering-place in the Highlands, and was just the spot to offer irresistible temptations to those who required a short respite from the more busy scenes of life.