Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-12
a HOMELY HEROINE.

murmured Kirstie Brydone, as, for the
twentieth time that day, she rose and went
to the cottage door to look for her hus-
band. 1t was between two and three on
the afternoon of Hogmanay, the last dav
of the year On every side undulating
ranges of hills met her eye and seemed
to close in the wide valley from the world
beyond. The sun was low in the west
enveloped in strange reddish haze; be.
hind the hills to the north great masses OF
heavy clouds were rolling up, piled one
above another; bitter icy wind whistled
down the valley, bearing on its wings an
occasional snowflake; while to the south
the great range of hills rose up, clear and
distinct in their slight mantle of snow,
against the purplish sky. Kirstie looked
round in all directions, but could see
nothing of her husband, who had been
absent since the early morning, and say
ing to herself, q wish | saw him safe
hame; it's gaun to be a wild met, |
doubt" she closed the door, and returned
TO the fireside. She put on some more
peats, made herself certain that the kettle
was boiling, so that she might "mask"
the tea as soon as Archie came in; then,
drawing forward the little table which
was all ready set for tea, she sat down on
q lOW,ehair and resumed her occupation
OF rocking the cradle. As she bent over
the fair little baby it contained the fire
light lit up very homely face; a mouth
riyaling in width the famous Meg of
Harden's; small gray eyes, and low
forehead; and yet the face was not with
out its redecming points. The large
mouth disclosed two rows of pearly teeth
the eyes were frank and sweet, with con-
fiding trustfulness in them; and the fore
head was crowned with masses of thick,
soft, brown hair. She was remarkably
tall, nearly six feet, and splendidly pro
portioned, with the exception of her
arms, which were rather long. And at
the time of her marriage-iust year be
fore this-there were many Jokes passed
upon the fact that she was two or three
inches taller than her husband, who was
little and slight, with fair, boyish face,
which made him look younger than
Kirstie, though he was twenty-five, and
she was only twenty two. Archie Brydone
let them laugh away, and could well
afford to do so, for none knew so we'll as
himself what treasure he had got in this
homely wife of his.
When Kirstie was little lass of eight
years old her father and mother died of
fever within a few weeks of each other,
ly enough, her father, who was a shep-
herd also, had had this very herding of
Dynefoot, and the cottage to which she
returned as bride was the same in which
she had passed happy childhood. Mr..
Gray, the farmer of Auchensack, her
fathers master, took her to the farm
house, and there she remained till she was
married, first as little herd girl, then as
nurse to the children, and finally as dairy
maid. 1t was during the two or three
summers which she spend herding the
cows that she first knew Archie Brydone
lie was delicate, puny boy, who even
then looked young for his years, and his
parents feared at one time that he was
going to be lame, though he grew out of
it afterward. His father had taken
dairy on the neighboring farm OF Bar
brock, and Archie was set to the task of
herding, a very necessary one in those
great stretches of moorland and pasture,
where there were few, if any, proper
fences.
In their pastoral employment the two
children became inseparable compan-
ions. Archie was smart boy, and a
good reader, and many lesson he gave
Kirstie, who was a diligent, though not
very apt, pupil, for at all times her
heart was infinitely greater than her intel
lect At other times he would read aloud
to her while she worked her stocking :;
and sheltered by an old plaid, which pro-
tected them alike from sun, wind and
rain, they passed many happy hours
Finally Archie thought he must learn to
"weave" stockings for himself, and under
Kirstie's tuition soon became nearly as
clever at it as she was herself, and so her
dream of companion knitter under the
rowan-tree was realized, though very diff
ferently from what she anticipated, as
dreams so often are.
Two happy summers passed in this
way, and then Archie, having outgrown
his lameness, was sent away to farm ser
vice; and when he became older went to
the Highlands as a shepherd. For two
or three years his father and mother re-
manned at Barbreck dairy, and Kirstie
heard of him occasionally from them;
but eventually they went to a large dairy
down IN Galloway, and for several years
she did not know whether he was dead or
alive; but she did not forget him, and
on fine Sunday afternoons in summer
sometimes walked as far as the rowan
tree, with which he was inseparably as
sociated.
A great surprise was in store for her,
however, for he came back to Mr.. Gray's
as young herd. Kirstie had not heard
the name of the young man who was
coming-indeed, had heard nothing about
him, except that he was coming from the
Highlands. She was IN the kitchen alone
when he came in; it was dusk, and she
did not recognize his voice; but the fire
light was shining full upon her as she
stood making the porridge, in the cooks
absence; and after a minutes quiet sur
yey he was certain that this tall girl with
the grand figure and plain face was no
hotter than his old friend Kirstie.
Do you ever herd the COOS for ony-
body. nowadays?" he said at length, very
quietly
q Preserve us a t' exclaimed Kirstie.
nearly upsetting the porridge in her agi-
tation: then, as the fire blazed up and
disclosed the fair curly head and the
merry blue eyes she remembered so well,
She said with fearful eyes and trembling
voice, "Cau this be you, Archie Bry-
donep Glad am | to see We back again.
But what start We gied me, for mony's
the time I've wondered if We were alive. "
"Alive and hearty" replied Archie,
with rather forced laugh, to hide the
emotion he really felt when he saw how
agitated she was But the truth is, !
wearied o. the Highlands; it's dull
thing being ones lane IN house toI
months, and / thought | would try the
Low Country again
Archie was surprised to find as time
nassed on and he and Kirstie dropped
Ito tbair old friendly terms how little