St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-09-17

farmsteading there, where mother and
an only daughter lived. The daughter
WAS Ailasa Macdonald Maid of
killeena the boy used to call her to
himsclf-and his heart grew light in
thinking of her. The picture he had
before his imagination was really one
to dwell with delight on; that of II
young girl of sixteen. graceful in figure.
with light brown hair that. unlooSed.
would have rippled down to her feet.
eyes brightly blue and shaded with
dark eHelaShes, and Il disposition ;lS
merry, and bright. and innocent, as
ever cheered up Il rude home. And
that WAS Il rude home enough the
small arm-house of Carn-Slcan, which
WAS set i'll the middle of Il moor, with IL
few fields reclaimed from the black
peat moss all around. and with but Il
scanty show of sheep on the dricr up
lands abutting on the farm. She had
no lover. this Maid of Killecma but
there WAS some one over the narrow
channel that separated the island from
Daroch who let his boyiSh fancieS
cluster around her in tender and wist :
tnl fashion, keeping the secret, aS he
imagined, sacred to himself.
IL was no secret, however, l" his f"ur
brothers. the eldest of whom Il short
thick-Sct. hard visaged man of fierce
temper and passionate speech
himself supposed to halbnr some wish
,ii;'t ne hll%i' III Il year or Two gel TINS
"ilS,i' Young HISS I" "t, HIS Mne' i''i'-
"a" ,"" II Hr"Nt "''S'''A "i HIS """S''
~ '"'' >'>''S I" '''' i''''" vi 'I'"-
HIean' ne never ia" any great rove
i"r the lad' VIII" WAS Ill qualified Tor
tht rough WORK "i the lshln%: but
sometimes he SPOKE "i nm with >IId,
"'ll cillPiilSiS "i hillcd Whl'h stariIc"
the others. ol' inns "cc;'Sioh' Whth
Young Allster Lewis came lunnlng
down t" the point, t" hlIl the boat, the
eldest hI"tlier had turned and SAID
h"rrtiN'
we VIII nor Z" III l" ihe sil"rt Tor
MN mo- ny h"tl' we VIII MOI 90 III l."
lHr shore. lie Is II" Use t"r me iISlllnG,
NOT more ;i~ II he wasN Il child and he
VIII look ont for he storms with those
lrfilrS "f eyes OF his staring. Let HIM
Z" +" the farm. Let him look after the
hens and brIn" the COWS home. W"
l,.t no more Use for him III the boat
But we hrt got his fiddle with us.
said another of the mothers rcgrrttullN {:
''and he is ferry go"t with the songs
and the stories.
he songs and the stories SAID
duncan Lewis, win an oath. Wv no
VIII want I" hct stories that Will mex
the ferry dead rise up i'll their graves ,
They are not %"ot songs tnr the middle
"t the night. His songs and his stories :,
Let hln TEX them over I" that lass at
klIleelia She VIII hcf his songs and
his stories.
But it is .N"u. Duncan Lewis. Your
elf. rctoItcd the brother. "who would
like t" hrt Il word with Mrs. Mac'i"n-
aids lass.
ne eldest brother dld not answer ::
lIr struck his oar INTO the water. the
other oars Instantly fnilnwlu": and
then the measured tlIroh could have
been heard aluu" the shores of these
lonely islands. while Il gloomy silence
prevailed on board the boat.
MeanwhIlr. AlI>tcr Lewis had got up
10 his fcet. ing himself Il tail ami
well-madc STRIPPING enough. Though he
had not the stalwart make of his
brothers
VIII Z" over I" hll"rlli, II" Slld
t" himself. 81 hef something t" SAY t"
AllaSa
II" walked along the shores "f the
island the ShInglN beach "f which
soon gave way I" stretches of lin" wind
swept sand. II" came +" a marrow
channel. ON the other sid" OF which
WAS another island darker and NOR"
\ IDIiInfIl
between had clearly a strong current
running thr"ugli 1t. How I" get over
mere WAS NOT even h"'lNr Nilmlh
sight on these dr>"l;tr shores. h'
lad c""lly uhdrtsSrd himself. tird MS
clothes III u bundle an'l strapped them
on his shoulders, then he made his WAY
rHrrtnll y int" the water. ami SWAIN the
channel. he water WAS pretty smooth
hnl an the same th' '"N"i part "i IN,
hlhdlr WAS r"hslhclahlN wet N"i
hrrdlhg that much indeed. ne hiu
calculated on II he lapldlN dressed
himself agaIn and began Walking
>nIaltlN mp and oVcI the nIarShN green
wastes of killecnl. until he reached Il
small farm set amidst the black moor
lands that had been cut Tor peat. I'm
elderly woman was at the door. III the
misty sunlight. spinning wool. One "l
tW" people mostly old men. win" had
given up he fishing, but VIII" still wore
ti>hrrmcns clothes were at work IL
the fields. There was II" Sign "t the
young Maid "t killccna.
"lcS. is il Nou, Ali>lcr Lewis Mis-
Macdonald said. in the Gaelic: land
have You not brought Nour fiddle I,
L.. L..
not gone to the fishing to-day -
My brothers have gone {" the fish.
ing without me-" said AliStcr. in til,
same tongue. -'and they have taken my
fiddle with them. want to see Nour