Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-08-05
4 HOmely Heroine.

y
twentieth time that day, she rose anil went
to the cottage-door to look for her husband.
1t was between two and three on the after
noon of Hogmanay, the last day OF the
year. On every side undulating ranges OF
hills met her eve, and seemed to close in
the wide valley from the world beyond.
The sun was low in the west, enveloped in
strange reddish haze; behind the hills to
the north, great masses of heavy clouds
were rolling up. piled one above another
a bitter icy wind whistled down the valley,
bearing on its wings an occasional snow
flake; 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 around in all direc-
tions, but could see nothing of her hus-
band, who had been absent since the early
morning, and saying to herself: Il wish
| saw him safe hame; it's gaun to be II
wild nicht, l doubt" she closed the door,
and returned to the fireside. She put on
some more peats, made herself certain that
the kettle was boiling. 50 that she might
" mask" the tea rs soon as Archie came
in; then, drawing forward the little table
which was all ready set for tea, she sat
down on low chair, and resumed her oc-
cupation of rocking the cradle. AS she
bent over the fair little baby it contained
the freight lit up II very homely face; a
mouth rivaling in width the famous Meg
of Harden's; small gray eyes, and a low
forehead; and yet the face was not with
out its redeeming points. The large mouth
disclosed two rows of pearly teeth; the
eyes were frank and sweet, with a confid-
ing trustfulness in them; and the forehead
was crowned with masses of thick soft
brown hair She was remarkably tall
nearly six feet, and splenddly proportion
ed, with the exception of her arms. which
were rather long. And at the time of heI
marriage-iust year before this-there
were many Jokes passed upon the fact that
she was two or three inches taller than hel
husband. who was little and slight, with i
fair boyish face. which made him loob
Younger than kirstie, though he was TWEEN
tv-five. and she was only twenty-five
Archie Brydone let them laugh away, and
could well afford to do so, for none knew
so we'll us himself what II treasure he hat
got in this homely wife of his.
When kitstie was little lass of eigh
wears old, her father and mother died o
fever within a few weeks of each other
and left her friendless orphan. Strange
lv enough. her father, who was shepherd
also, had had this very herding of Dyne
foot and the cottage to which she return
ell us a bride WAS the same in which she
had passed a happy childhood. Mr.. Gray
the farmer of Auchensack, her father:
master, took her to the flrm house, anC
,hcre she remained till she was married
first as little herd-girl, then rs nurse Il
the children, and finally rs dairymaid.
Tt was during the two or three summer.
which she spent herding the cows that sii,
tirst knew Archie Brydone. He was :
delicate puny boy, who even then looked
Young for his years, and his parents feared
ut one time that he was going to be lame
though he grew out of it afterwards. Hi.
father had taken Il dtiry on the neighbor
mo farm of Barbreck. and Archie was Sc
to the t.lsk of herding, Il very necessar,
one in those great stretches of moorlano
md pastures, where there were few, if any
proper fences.
In their pastoral employment the tive
children became inseparable companions
Archie was a smart boy and good reader
and many II lesson he gave Kirstie, wht
was II diligent, though not very apt pupil
for at all times of her life her heart wa
infinitely greater than her intellect A
other times he would read aloud to her
while she worked her stocking; and, shell
tered bv an old plaid, which preserved
them alike from sun, wind and rain, the,
passed many happy hours. Finally, Ar
chic thought he must learn to weave
stockings for himself, anil, under Kirstie'
tuition, soon became nearly as clever ut i
AS she was herself; and so her dream of
was realized, though very differently from
what she anticipated, as dreams SO Otter
are.
Two happy summers passed in this way
and then Archie, having outgrown hi
lameness, was sent away to farm-service
and when he became older, went to th'
Highlands as a shepherd, For two o.
three years his father and mother remain
ed at Barbreck dairy, and klrstle heard o
him occasionally from them but eventual
lv they went to large dairy down in Gal
lowav, and for several years she did no
know whether he were deal or alive; bu
she did not forget him, and on fine Sunda,
afternoons in summer, sometimes walket
Is far As the rowan-tree, with which he wa
inseparably associated.
A great surprise was in store for her
IL.
as Young herd. Kirstie had not heard th,
name of the young man who was coming
indeed had heard nothing about him, ex
cept that he was coming from the High
lands. She was in the kitchen alone whel
he came in; it was dusk, and she did no
recognize his voice; but the freight wa
shining full upon her as she stood making
the porri,lee, in the cooks absence; ant
OF hp
tiu that this till girl, with the grand figur'
and plain face. was no other than his ole
friend kirstie.
"Do We ever herd the COOS for onybody
now-a-davs, Kirstie?" he said at length
very quietly.
"Preserve us az" exclaimed Kirstie
nearly upsetting the porridge in her agita
ton; then, as the fire blazed up, and dis
closed the fair curly head and merry blu
eyes she remembered so well, she sai'
with fearful eyes and trembling voice
g. Can this be you, Archie Brydone? Gla'
am | to see We back again. But what
start We gied me, for mony's the time I'v
| wondered if yc were alive"
"Alive and hearty replied Archie, witt
rather II forced laugh, TO hide the emotion
he really felt when he saw how agitate'
she was. But the truth is, / we;tried c
the Highlands; it's a dull thing being one
lane in II house for months, and thocht
would try the Low Country again"
Archie was surprised to find, as tim
passed on, and he and Kirstie dropped in
to their cid friendly terms. how littl
changed she was in mind from what sh
used to be; the same simple guileless crea
ture. strong as rock for truth and right
and thoroughly un>elfish.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gray were SO much attach
ed to her that they looked on her almos
AS a child of the house, and yet she was 8
unconscious of any special favor. that sh
quite avoided all jealousy on the part 9
her fellow servants. Archie staid steadll
on at Auchensack, and became almost a
much part of the household as Kirstie
the other servants went and came, bu
these two remained fixtures.
When Archie had been three years wit
Mr.. Gray, the shepherd at Dynefoot lel
/ to take n small farm and MIR. Gray OHere