The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-04-20
Mlstellaneous.
NJ y S. s L d L .
ny PROF. WILSON.

Gilbert Ainslie was poor man, and he
had been poor man all the days OF his life
which were not few, for his thin hair was
now waxing grey. lie had been born and
bred on the small moorland farm which he
now occupied and he hoped to die there,
rs his father and grandfather had done be-
fore him, leaving a family just above the
moro bitter wants of this world. Labor,
hard and unremitting, had been his lot in
life !; but although sometimes severely tried,
he had never repined and through oil the
mist and gloom, and even the storms that
had assailed him, he had lived on from year
to year in that calm and resigned content
mcnt which unconsciously cheers the hearth.
stone Of the blameless poor. With his own
hands he had ploughed, sowed, and rcaped
his often scanty harvest, assisted, rs they
grew up, by three sons, who, even in boy
hood. were happy to work with their father
in the fields. Out Of doors or in, Gilbert
Ainslie was never idle. The spade, the
shears, the plough-shaft, the sickle, and the
aail, all came readily to hands that grasped
them well and not n morsel Of food was
eaten under his roof, or n garment worn
there, that was not honestly, severely, nobly
earned. Gilbert Ainslie was slave, but il
was for them he loved with sober and deep
affection. The thraldom under which he
lived God had imposed, and 1t only served to
give his character shade Of silent gravity,
but not austerc; to make his smiles fewer.
but more heartfelt; to calm his soul ut grace
before and after meals; and to kindle it in
morning and evening prayer.
There is no need to tell tho character Of
the wife Of such man. Meek and thought.
full, yet gladsome andgay, withal, her heaven
was in her house; and her gcntler and weak
cr hands helped to bar the door against want.
OF ten children that had been born to them,
they had lost three; and Us they had fed,
clothed, and educated them respectfully, 50
did they give those who died respectable
funeral. The living did not grudge to give
up, for while, some Of their daily comforts,
for the sake of the dead: and bought, with
the little sums which their industry had say
cd. decent mournings, worn on S.bhath, and
then carefully laid by. OF the seven that
survived, two sons were farm servants in the
neighborhood, while three daughters and
two sons remained at home. growing or
grown up, small, happy, handwriting
household.
Many cottages are there in Scotland like
Moss-sidc, and many such humble and vir-
tuous cottagcrs rs were now beneath its roof
Of straw. The eve Of the passing traveller
may mark them, or mark them not, but they
stand peacefully in thousands over all the
land and most beautiful do they make it,
through all its wide valleys and narrow
glens; its low holms, encircled by the rocky
walls ofsome bonny burn. Its green mounts,
elated with their little crowning groves OF
plane-trees, yellow corn 6elds-its bare
pastoral hill-sides, and all its healthy moors,
on whose black bosom lie shining or conceal
ed glades of excessive veriure, inhabited by
flowers, and visited only by the far.aying
bees. Nloss-side was not beautiful u care
less or hasty eye, but when looked on and
surveyed, Il seemed u pleasant dwelling. Its
roof, oyergrown with grass and moss, was
almost as green rs the ground out Of which
its weather-stained walls appeared to grow.
The moss behind il was separated from lit
tie garden by a narrow slip OF arable land,
the color of which showed that II had been
won from the wild byIpatient industry, and
by patient industry retained. Ii required q
bright sunny day to make Mos-side fair. but
then 1t was fair indeed; and when the little
Drown moorland birds were singing their
snort songsamougth the rushes and the heather,
or lark; perhaps lured thithcr by some
green oariey-held Tor its undsturbed nest,
rose ringing oil over the enlivened solitude,
the little bleak farm smiled like the paradise
Of poverty, sad and affecting in ia lone and
extreme simplicity. The boys and lv;rls bnd
made some plots Of flowers among The vese-
tables that the little garden supplied Tor