The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-06-21
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about that Helen and Duncan were
courting, nor did Duncan attempt to
deny what he wished in his inmost
heart was true. He had loved Helen
long, and only waited for farm to
enter the lists openly. Now, he had
o farm and decent house to take n
wife to, he thought the right time
had come; and soon, seeing he had
the good will of both father md
mother, he was content to wait pa
tiently until some happy day, when
Maggie's 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 q sort of qualification in
beating down his passion, or antici-
pating from q distance the time when
Helen would spin by his own he rth,
and pay him back ten-fold for that
she made him suffer now.
The honest folk in Balquhidder
called Helen lucky lassie, and
watched the courting with general
interest, not unmixed with envy, for
Duncan was one of the handsomest
and steadiest Of the young men:
moro than that, and what, perhaps,
went even further among the girls,
Duncan was the champion wrestler,
runner and hammer-thrower, and
twice had he carried off prizes from
the Braemar Gathering. Duncan's
courting had made no further impress
sion upon Helen when the Gathering
of 1S5- drew on. All the world
went to Braemar that year, and Dun
can, much to his own surprise and
the Indignation of the Balquhidder
people, was beaten both in wrestling
and throwing by Il newcomers
young man who, by his superior style
of dress and manner of speech, was
evidently from different part of the
country, if not indeed of different
rank in life to that of the irate young
Highlander; and when standing, hot
and angry after his last failure, he
was by no means comforted by see
ing Helen's cheeks redden before the
glances of the victor, who, cap in
hand, introduced himself to Tam
M'Gregor as the son of his old friend,
Mel Lesley, and saying that he had
come to the Gathering on his way to
Balquhidder, his father having told
him of the sheep p-farming there, and
how, for auld acquaintance sake, he
might be lucky enough to get his les
son in the management of hocks
from Tam himself-a lesson he meant
to put in practice as q farmer in Aus
tralia. Tam was pleased to find his
friend had not forgotten him, nor
was he proof against the compliment
neatly offered to his farming skill.
Moreover, there is never lack of
hospitality among the Celts, and Tam
made his young friend welcome to the
best his house afforded SO long as he
liked to stay.
Mel was q fair-haired, blue-eyed
man, tall and light-limbcd, but with
the muscles and sinews of prize
fighter. He had been Mt the High
School in Edinburgh, was well-up in
modern topics, and able to hold forth
upon subjects which rarely reached
the ears of the inhabitants of the
Braes, except when the shooting sea-
son brought down the great folk, and
the great folk brought their servants;
then politics, parliaments and the
court were familiarly discussed in
every shieling.
Mel was no idler, either in work,
or play, or love. Everything ho set
his hand to he did in the manner, we
are told, is sure to succeed. So no
wonder that, falling in love, as he did
at once, he reused what poor Duncan
had watched and waited for in vain;
and, waking up the sleeping heart,
brought the love-light into the sweet
hazel eyes, that softened and dropped
now as they had never done before
any mans gaze. There was no ques-
ton of love speech between the two,
and yet, before the summer came,
Helen had found out what different
place love could make the world
There had never been such heather
on the hills, or bracken and wild
roses on the braes, as now bloomcd;
the love-flter was acting and nature
took tone, rs it always does, from the
heart.
''How bonnie you're growing, Mel
ly!' said Tam one day, as Helen
came running up the grass, her hair
escaping from the sky-blue snood,
the gay cotton short gown coming
halfway down the striped linsey pet
ticoat, which was just short enough
to show her neatly-clad feet and
shapely ankles, coquettishly arraycd
in bright stockings, with elabora.cly-
embroidered clocks. "What's come