The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-19
lFrom :. Once . Week.
THE BEST MAN WINS HER.

Mo away IN Tue ioFclicSI part U
Perthshire, nesting among theseften'
sung Braes of Balquhidder. lies Loci
Voel, upon the shores of which Rol
Roy lived and died and where, II
the quiet lonely kirkyard rests "Ciar
! Alpin's omen and her aid - There
are M'Gregors still in the clachan. Of
I Balquhidder,' M'Gregors who speak
with .glistening eye and heightened
color of the chief and amongst " HON
nc, tales are so popular as those which
treat of the wild days when the clan
with the name 9nameless by day
was at once the terror and protection
0fathe country. Every child knows
the story of the. feuds between the
M'Larens and the M'Gregors, ard
how the stewards of Appin
coming to help their kinsmen,
were met by the clansmen at the
clachan, where Rob Roy challenged
any one of Appin to single combat,
eager, by ever such personal hazard,
to avert the horrors of a battle. They
will tell you, too, how the great Duke
of Athol exhausted his time and pa
thence trying to catch Rob Roy; and
the story of the funeral, when Lady
Glenfalloch, thinking her brother was
slain, sprang upon the Duke, and,
dragging him from his horse, gave
him such taste of the tenderness of
the McGregor's that he took timely
warning and retired, leaving Rob to
bury his mother in peace and quiet.
Some ten years ago a descendant of
Rob Roy's, Helen M'Gregor, was the
beauty Of BaIquhidder. Helen was a
fair, blue eyed, golden haired ,lassie,
with whom life had been one long
laugh, and toowhom the world seemed
to bear neither frowns nor clouds.
Her father, Tam M'Gregor, was a
farmer, and well-to do for. his station;
his sons helped him on the hills, and
Helen was tidy hand in the house.
quite able toitake many cares from
her mothers shoulders. ly,.a. .lsloli 3af
- Their cottage stood away from the
claehan, near the foot of the Meal
mach A lovely little stealing it was,
too, with high. gray rocks on one side,
on the other, an oak and birch wood,
among the branches of which the soft
Summer breezes. when they had
kissed the. lake into ripple of de-
light, would sigh and whisper their
pleasant songs Of brighter and warm
er ia nds.9f 20 eGHfR2l1 ~ a3ts1 k7f- ga
Tam's cottage had served the wants
of many a generation of nj Gregors,
here little and there little being
added, as the owners family increased
or his fortunes. prospered. The thatch
was matted together by a fourishing
growth of various plants, wall flowers
and house -leek predominating. Roses
and honeysuckle fourished in the
narrow border, and, clustering round
the windows, met gay and thriving
geraniums, yotiye offerings from the
gardener at Glenbuckie, who was one
OF Helen's many admirers. Helen,
being fancy free herself, was wont to
make joke about love. and not
caring for either fairs or gatherings,
escaped much of the gossip which
attaches to other girls. Yet, quietly
as the little maiden lived, she could
no more avoid lovers than can the
violet hide away her treasures from
the bee Love will venture in
whar her darna weel be seen,"
and accordingly Helen's lovers were
neither few norlslack in making their
way to the farm; while, much to the
girls discomfort, her mother took
pride to herself in counting the stall
wart, well-to-do lads who would take
a place by the ingle- nook, and while
talking to the farmer of the ewes,
wool, and markets, would hope to
catch stray glance, kinder than
usual, from Helen; who, however,
went on with her spinning as if no
no eyes were seeking hers, aud there
were no such thing as love or weoing.
And many lad doubtless thought
with Hobbic Elliott, that : whiriIng
a bit stickwi'a thread trailing to it, .
was but poor and tiresome work. -
One man came oftener than the
rest, so often that it was whispered
about that Helen and Duncan were
nor did Duncan attempt to
deny what he wished in his Utmost |
heart was true. He had loved Helen |
long, and had only waited for farm
to enter the lists openly. Now he had |
a farm and decent house to take a |
wife to, he thought the right time had |
come; and soon, seeing he had the |
good will of both father and mother. |
be was content to wait patiently until |
some happy day when Maggels heart |
would waken up, and his love meet its
reward. And If Duncan was patient,
It was because, never having doubted
his success, he experienced a sort of |
ratification in beating down his pas
lion, or anticipating from distance
The time when Helen would spin by
his own hearth, and pay him back |
tenfold for what she made him suffer |
now. sai = s9saos 81 ls.st3
i. The honest folk in Balquhidder,
called Helen lucky lassie, and |
watched the counting with general in
terest, not unmixed with envy, for |
Duncan was ONE of the vhandsou,est