The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-30

through the years, tenderly speaking
of this one and that who had died,
till she came to say, can moo we're
left a alane, an hae name O. oor ain
to come efter u.s."
Her brother was touched; but he
managed to say, half jocularly, "Tut,
lassl ye forget, we hae the Beat
sons"
"The Beatsons!" said Murjory,
with great scorn-and then she re-
cited Jamie's unfortunate speech.
Very seldom, indeed, did Mr..
Thomson lose his temper; but he did
then, and he denounced sharply the
lmpcrtinence of his heirs. Now's
tho time, thought his sister, and sho
quietly remarked:
''Davie, We maun marry"
"Marry! What! NIe!' replied her
brother
Yes, marry, an hae son O. ycre
ain"
mo! ma. lass, I'm no gaun to be sac
foolish"
bit it wud nae be foolish; it S q
duty ye owe to yere race
But rs ye ken brawly, it wud be
wrang."
mo it wudna. Jeannie in Heaven
hersel wud smile on ye."
I'm over auld, at ony rate"
"Ye're naething O. the kind; auld
Jack Southfiel married an had BARNS
efter he was sax-an' -saxty, an yere
no sax-an'- fifty yet"
tSEDr a thot NT,r,o,r
Wilma dae. / wud be the lauchin
stock O the hale kintra side; an
though [ am richt vext that thae
Beatsons sud follow us, it Gamma be
hclpit noo."
"Yc re wrang n thegither there,
an it wnd be the wisest days warll
ever ye did. Better late than never,
ye ken"
Her brother shook his head and
grew silent. Murjory, wise female,
said no more, satisfied with gaining
one point. Laird Thomson's S mother,
when in the flesh, had often said of
her son David, that he could be led,
not driven. No one knew the truth
of this better than his sister. So,
although she had determined to gain
her point, she made no attempt to
cocrce. She talked perhaps little
more than heretofore of the pleasures
of parentage and the loneliness of
bachelor lifc-hinted occasionally
that she was growing old and could
not last forever, and generally ma
naged to keep the marrying idea
present in his mind. After little
she got into the habit Of inviting
young lady friends to the farm; and
once or twice even went the length
of limiting to the laird that Miss This
or That had evidenced liking for
his society, and was getting every
fond Of him."
l question, however, if Mallory,
clever rs she was, would have gained
her wish, had it not been for an Incl
dent that occurred to her brother as
he was returning from Bridgend
market one night When he got to
the end of our village-which he
reached in the gray cleaning of an
autumn evening Gf that information
is worth aught)-he camo upon old
Beatson seated, half drunk, on stile
Guide cen, John," quoth the
laird.
1.-The same to you. Hoo are We
bath at the farm?" replied the
worthy cousin.
80. brawly! whan are ye comm
up to see the farm?"
Comm? 1 kenna-at the latest
whan 1 come into possession"
"Yes better come afore that, rs I
may last ye oot,' said the laird, ra-
ther ncttled."
"Weel Il weel, it does ma matter;
it'll be the BARNS then, an a guide
thing that will be; for they'll doe gud
wild it, rs jamie was saying this
mornin'."
I'm thinkin' yonr jamie lats his
tongue wag over muckle aboot the
guide he'll dae when he's laird" re-
torted Mr.. Thomson, now in pas
sion.
'Wag or no wag, he's a clever lad
die, an sac is Geordie, an ye Wilma
be able to keep them DOT of Burn
bank whin yere dune with it, try
what ye like"
"Wccl, John, ye are aiblins RIGHT,
but we'll see," and without n good
NIGHT the owner Of Rurnhonk strotlo