Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-11-13
his warm affection, but it subsisted not a lit

his warm affection, but it subsis,ed not a lit
tie. The acceptance, on her part. Of a
bunch Of sweet v%iolets, or a bonnet full Of
hazcl-nuts, was quite enough to satisfy him;
and after the day that she met him in the
glen, and besought him of her own accord,
with tears and bushes, to climba ncighboring
crag in search ola pet lamb that had straycd,
Eichcn felt as If he never should despair
again.
Hugh's arrival and subsequent prctcnsions
were a cruel blow TO poor Eichcn. The
fceblcness of his own claims stared him in the
face Immediately, for what we're a stout-arm
and a faithful heart when balanced against
money and lands like Hugh's.-Thc answer
was not far to seek, and, accordingly, Eiclien
began to hate his rival with all the fervor and
fidelity Of the Gael. Our mountaincer, now
ever, nattcrcd himself that he had a better
reason for his dislike Of Hugh than the obvious
ono of Hugh's better fortune. He argued
himself into believing hat Hugh was cold,
gripping, and avaricious and in a late tram
%saction, by which he had trcblcd his favor
with his master through his activity in jovis-
tIgating the circumstances Of Il robbery by
which Colonel Munro had lost a caskct of
valuable jewels, Eichcn persuaded himself
that the worst passions had been displayed ;
for though the box was never discovered,
Hugh had tracked the thief and secured him
with a cool satisfaction that rcvoltcd the free
horn and untutorcd soul Of the Highlander.
At all events, Eichen was at no loss to ac-
count for his dislike to the man, and, as is
very generally the case on such occasions,
the sentiment was returned with interest.
One evening in the end ofharvest, Eichen
Dhu took his melancholy way down the mar
gin of Loeb Boyochd at the witching season
when the gricfs of the sorrowful hang heaviest
and the Joy of the happy is most intense, the
soft dim starlight vcspcr hour before the
moon has yet come forth to chase away all
minor influences with her own cold ma csty.
Eicl,cn was saddcr even a something despc-
rate in his heart which made it snccr at the
world and its mcanncss. He had wandered
up towards the mil, as he often did at milk
! ing-timc, in hopes of kind good even, or at
all cvcnts a passing nod, from his bashful mis-
tress as she followed the cows which the
hcrd-boy was driving before him, but she
had passed at a little distance without rcmar-
king him, and a few minutes after, Hugh
jumped over the stilc, and he and Annie en-
tered the house together.
Eichen walked home angry and disappoin-
ted. The hot, bitter pang Of jealousy was
at his heart, and it swellcd in his bosom with
a rcbclious rccklcssncss that made him feel
as if he could have dared the world. Hall
m hour with Hugh, hand to hand on the
green sward, would have settled the turmoil
IN his breast, but that fair trial was denied
L.. .,l -. ,.o,1 H. c,1. L., ,o,,, hn:,,
absorbed in the overlooking anxiety to cir
cumvcnt his rival by other means. Eicher
weighed the chances of his unhappy sui,
with as much more of reason and judgement
, than people in his humor often display, ant
, the result was any thing but satisfactory
Annie had given him nothing like direct en-
> couragcnicnt, yet his own heart whispered
:. hope of her approval too subtle to be anal
l yzcd-his brave and tender constancy-hi.
handsome personals very misfortuncs, oil
: most of all, perhaps, tho strange fatalism o
! human sympathy would not suffer him to be-
: lievc that Annie would really prefer to hin
! a man so stern and and ungcnla
, as her wcal,hicr sutton; but with this convic'
i ton came the proud contcmptuous concious.
D ness that gold would buy her truth, or pa,cr'
nal authority compel it. His fiery spiri
writhcd and chafcd at the conclusion; HI
n opened his broad chest and stretched hi
stout arm, and felt that if wealth could b.
:, won by honorable excrtion, it might yet b'
his, butte seek 1t he must leave Annie th'
uncontcstcd prize of his rival, and the tho
d was not to be endured. Oh why could no
: some kind spirit bcstOw upon him a porto,
G of his filthy lucrc, if but for "A time; AM
r Annie once his, and settled in a home tina
might set Hugh's Wanted farm house at de-
: %fiancc. EicIlcn felt that the very pith ant
C substance Of his frame should be ~expcndc,
to repay it.
The shadows had fallen and ~dccpencd
a and a cloud was on the moon, and as Eichcl
u Dhu pursued his painful rcvcry, he stumbled
d slightly over tin. long heather in his path, ant
found on looking round him, that he hae
II wandered from the pathway, and got anon,
the cliffs exactly overhanging the Linn o
the Caldron. At the moment in which h
discovered his mistake, the fair moon shon'
h out bright and clear upon the Loeb, and re
vcalcd the black pool of the goblin treas
y urc, lying still, and dark, and wavclcss at hi
a feet. A cold shuddcr shook the young man
wcll-strung nerves as he observed this ant
with the ready superstition of his country, h
S felt that the spell Of the water-spirit was upoI
him. lie had been guided directly to tn
1t spot, evil and unholy as it was, where hi
1t pcrtulent ycarnimg might be satisfied. Iii
l. first impulse was to fly, but the clear whit
moonlight was so rcasSuring, that he lingcr
y cd on the crag in revercntial dehendencc Of
ID the shelter of its beams. In a few minute
|c came the first whisper of the tempter. VIII
re should he cast aside the good so thrust upo
him? Who could tell, that if the pot Of gol'
&c was really there, the kclpie meant evil t
% HIM who found it? Did not the prophcc
imply that no dishonor could cling to the in
dividual so favored? And was not the pres
" ent opportunity a direct intervention of tn
ii, spirit in his bchalfl Then the vision of til
A. naked swords passed across him. Well
'r but how could swords work doom unwield
y cd And what arm was there TO put then
~ e. n