Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-08-22

poets of being so comfortably married. All
! the pros and cons having been set before
her, Mary smitted hung her head, pulled
her fingers until every joint cracked, and,
after number of g could not really says, ;
and g really did not knows" and won
derel why he had asked her, and what
was-she to do, &C., followed by few
hearty tears, she left her mistress and left
the impression that she would in due time
be Mrs Duncan Stewart Her sister Peggy
appeared on the scene, and strange to say
urged the suit with extraordinary vehemence
She spoke not of love, but of honor, rank
position, comfort, influence as all shining
around on the Fraes and Lochabor. Peg
gy never heard of the shepherd, but had
she done so, the knowledge would have only
moved her indignation. Duncan's cousin
ship made his courtship sort ,of family
claim-a social right. 1t was rot possible
that her sister would be so foolish as not to
marry rich man like Mr.. Stewart. Was
she to bring disgrace on herself by refusing
him Mary was too gentle for Peggy, and
she bent like willow beneath the breeze of
her appeals. She would have given worlds
to have been able to say that She was en-
gagged to Donald but that was not the case
Would Donald ask her? She loved him
too well for her to betray her feelings SO
as to prompt the delicate question, yet she
wondered why he was not coming to her re-
lief at such a crisis. Did he know it ? Did
he suspect it?
Donald, poor lad, was kept in ignorance
of all these diplomatic negotiations and
when at last fellow servant expressed his
suspicion, he fell at once into despair, gave
up the game as lost, fingered among the
hills as long as possible, hardly spoke when
he returned home at night, seemed to keep
aloof from Mary, and one evening talked to
her so cross in his utter misery, that next
morning when Duncan Stewart arrived at
the old mause, Peggy had so arranged mat
ters that Mary before the evening was un-
derstood to have accepted the hand of the
rlch farmer. The news was kept secret
Peggy would not speak. Mary could not
Duncan was discretely silent, land took his
departure to arrange the marriage, for which
the day was fixed before he left The min
lster' 5 wife and the minister congratulated
Mary gave no response, but pulled her
fingers more eneTgetically and nervously than
ever. This was all taken as a sign of mod
esty. The shepherd whistled louder than
before for his dogs, and corrected them with
a singular vehemence he playedhis trumps
with greater perseverance, sang his best
songs at night, but he did not walk with
Mary from the kirk and the other servants
something between them, then guessed what
1t was. then knew all about it yet none pre-
sumed to tease Donald or Mary. There was
something which kept back all intrusion,
but no one seemed to know what that some
thing was. The marriage dress was easily
got up by the mause girls, and each of them
added some bonnie gift to make Mary look
still more bonnie. She was special favor
ite, and the little governess with the work
Of her own hands contributed not little to
Mary wardrobe.
All at once the girls came to the conclu-
sion that Mary did not love Duncan. She
had no interest in her dress; she submitted
to every attention as if it were stern duty;
her smiles was not joyous Their suspicious
were confirmed when the cook, commonly
called Kate Kitchen, confded to them the
secret Of Mary love for the shepherd-all,
of course, In strict confidence but every
fair and gentle attempt was made in vain to
get her to confess. She was either silent or
said there was nothing between them, or
she would do what was right and so on or
she would dry her eyes with her apron, and
leave the room. These interviews were not
and so they were soon ended
a gloom gathered over the wedding there
was a want of enthusiasm about it; every
one felt drifting slowly to it without. any
reason strong enough for pulling in an OPP
pOsite direction. Why won't Donald pro-
pose F.? His proud heart is breaking. But
he thinks it too late and viii give no sign.
Why does not Mary refuse Duncan ?-scQrn
him, if you will, and cling to the shepherd?
Her little proud heart is also breaking, for
the shepherd has become cold to her He
ought to have asked her, she thinks, before
now, or even proposed a runaway marriage,
carl-ip1 bar off an1 cba would hove qOu-,
with him, ike a dove gently held by an
eagle, over hill and dale to a nest of their
own, where love would have devoured her.
But both said . 'I'is late T. Fate ike
magic power, seemed to have doomed that
she must marry Duncan Stewart.
1he marriage was TO come off at the house
Of Tacksman, uncle of the brides, about
two miles from the manse for the honor
Of having a niece married to Blairdhue de-
manded special attention to be shown on the
occasion. A large party was invited, scores
of the tenantry of the district. with the
ministers family, and few of the gentry,
such as the sheriff and his wife the doctor,
and some friends who accompanied Duncan
from Lochabor (; big Sandy Cameron from
Lochiel Archy, son of Donald, from Glen
Navls; and Lachlan, son of young Lachlan,
from COrrach. How they all managed to
dispose of themselves in the but and ben,
including the centre closet, of Malcolm
Morrlson's house has never yet been explain
ed. Those who have known the capacity
of the Highland houses-the capacity to be
full, and yet to be able to accommodate more;
have thought that the allspossessed someex-
pansive power, the secret of which has not
come down to posterity. On that marriage
day large party was assembled On the
green outside the house were many High
land carts, which had conveyed their guests;
while horses, their forelegs being tied to-
gsther at the fetlock, with ungainlv hops
cropped the green herbage with freedom,
next twelve hours. Droves of dogs were
busy making one another's acquaintances
collie dogs and terriers-every tail erect or
'curled, and each, with bark and growl, as