The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-12-11


Kirkton miller had obtained, through n
honesty and industry, sufficient Of tn
goods of this world to make him con
Portable in it. His family for three gey
erations had been occupants of the mi
of Klrkton, and Andrews greatest amb
ton was to be succeeded in it by his po:
territy. He had married early in lift
but for many years had been unblcsse
with family, until his wife brought hin
n daughter, and died giving birth to hel
The miller's whole affections were thu
thrown upon one object, and the littl
Mary Tod was in fair way, it nigh
seem of being from infancy a spoile'
child; for her fathers love was more lik
doting than ordinary parental affection
But circumstances fortunately intcrvcned
which rendered Mary Tod, at the age o
eighteen, not only far from being aspoil
cd child, but girl Of manners and intel
ligcncc far above the ordinary maiden'
OF her rank. What these circumstances
were, it is necessary that we should OK
plain.
In the preceding reign-namcly, tha,
of James V.-thc ancient church frs,
began to loose its hold on the respect Of
the Scottish people. In this reign, at
least, the first open defections were made
to the reformed doctrines. The Catho.
lies, however were still in possession ol
power, and the king himself could not
stand out against them, or defend the re-
formers from their cnmity. Hence those
who openly protcssed tile new doctrines
were in many instances obliged to fly, and
to hide themselves, for the preservation
of their lives. One of these fngitivcs, a
worthy priest who had attached himself
to the new light, had found shelter in the
little retired Vale of Manor Here he
applied himself to tho teaching Of the
rural population around; and sucl, was
his utility, and ths respect which his
learning and manners acquired, that he
spent his DAYS in safety while the hour OF
danger lasted, and when the reformed
religion came to be openly proiesscd by
the country, continued still insfr,lcting
the youth OF the little vale. His place
of refuge had been the cot ola poor
widow, whose husband had died about
the period of the good priest'sarrival, and
had left her with an infant boy TO pro.
vide for as best she might. The small
pittance which the priest could afford TO
her, together with the produce ola little
plot of land, constituted the whole of her
revenue. Her son, Edward Burnct, was
the avoritc pupil of the refugee; and
well did his progress and attainments re-
pay the care bestowed on him. The
miller's fair daughter, also, had been,
from her childhood almost, the object OF
the good priests instructions; nor was
this care thrown away Oh an uniruittni
soil. Edward and Mary were thus often
together when children: and, as they
grew in years, they still continued to re.
ccivc Jointly the lessons Of the priest
But whether this arose altogether from n
desire of learning is matter Of doubt
and in this dubitation our readers will
most probably be inclined to join, after
perusing what follows.
1t was clear and pleasant evening in
summer, when Mary Tod left the door Of
her fathers comfortable straw.thatchcd
dwelling, and directed her steps to the
side of little stream of the Manor. She
was neatly dressed, in apparel of her
own spinning; and though it was evil
IDENTIFY not her holiday suit, yet every
thing was arranged with such care as be.
tokened some purpose in her mind of ap-
pearing to the best advantage where she
was going, As'she tripPed lightly along
the bank of the stream, her comely face
and handsome form made her appear like
the rural genius of the place. Mary's
thoughts, however, were filled entirely
with objects of a sublunary and mortal
character; and though she was pretty
enough for the deity of the stream to fall
in love with her, MS used to be the case
with streams in the days OF Homer, she
would not, we believe, have broken the
tryste which she had made with an earth
" lover for the flowing tresses Of Nep.
tune himself After walk OF some
length, Mary turned into little glen
which sent in its tribute of waters to the
Manor, and casting an anxious gaze
around for some moments, seated herself
at the foot of a solitary mountain ash, or
as she herself would have called it, a
roman tree. Here she did not sit long
alone, though quite long enough for the
slightest pout imaginable to gather on
her pretty lip, before she was joined by
the person for whom she waited. This
was slender but wel-knit young man,
dressed in the usual attire Of peasant,
but seeming, from his fine intellectual
face, as ifthat were not his proper habit
Ing.
"Do YOU keep a your swccthearts wait
ing for YOU this gait I" said Mary, start.
ing 10 her feet when her lover came for
ward. "They would need to like you
wecl, else they wadna tryste to meet you
a second time" ,
"And so You do like me weel, Mary
said the youth, slipping, with very in
sufficient rcpulse, his arm around the
maiden's waist; "at least You should dc
it, Mary, for you know how truly, how
deeply, ! love you.' ani..,
ut does not seem sac, Edward" ," replied
the millcr's daughter, not yet altogether
pleased, and probably indulging a little
in that strange popularity oflovcs which
leads them, in the absence of any great
cause of offence, to make the most Of any
little one that occurs, for the mere pleas
ure Of asking or being asked forgiveness
In the present instance, however, whcr
her lover informed Mary that his delay
was caused principally by slight illness
Of his mother all the pouting disappeared
at once and the pair, restored to the con
fiding tono which marked their feeling
with respect to each other, began &
\ sDool ,f THAR situafion and t,rt,sf,cfts-