Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-04-25
Gales aud Sketehes.
From Blackwood's Magizine.
"0NLY JEAN"
CHAPTER /.

minister Oh d parish IN uensely-pOpula-
ted manufacturing town in the South of
Scotland, and having suffered severely from
| fever, ! gladly accepted an offer made me
by a friend to go for few months in sum-
mer to take charge of parish in the West
| Highlands a remote district on the sea-
coast.
In order to appreciate thoroughly the
| beauty of the scenery to which went. and
| realize the sense of exquisite freshness
given by the sea breezes. one must have
suffered as had suffered from the con-
slant smoke and dirt which made open
windows almost forbidden pleasure.
How had longed and painted for fresh
air ! and here the very act of breathing
| was a pleasure. AS health returned, be-
| gan TO wander far and wide, and one day
| | found myself exploring long stretch of
moor, seemingly interminable. Heather,
| not yet in full bloom, and countless marsh
| flowers were mingled together; piles OF
peat were drying in the wind all this lay
before me and around me, on the one
| hand, while, on the other, far below nv
feet, the sea lay sparkling as each wave
| caught the sunlight on its crest. On the
| opposite coast rose the beautiful hills OF
OF Skye; the breeze swept the clouds over
| head fast, and their shifting lights and
| shadows made their forms seem ever new
| myraids of sea-brds whirled high above
| me, screaming to each other in ceaseless
uproar; laiks sang joyously through it all
| and all the time the grand monotony OF
| the rolling waters breaking upon the rocks
| chanted an accompaniment.
After walking some distance, came to
one Of those sudden breaks in the land
| forming a narrow glen. 1t was watered
| by a burn charged with the brown mem
DRY of the peaty soil through which il
passed, and growing purer and clearer
AS it filtered through the stones, leaping
| over others as the descent grew deeper
till it tell in one lovely glittering shower
into the sea.
The ground rose abruptly on either side
of it, and on the banks all the way down
primroses grew in utmost profusion-.he
| primroses such as can hardly be found
elsewhere. with such exquisite freshness,
| such long stems. and such luxuriant leaves
their very look brought sudden sense OF
| GOODNESS and springtide. Besides them,
| in somewhat stately beauty, tall fox
gloves real ed their heads; just coming in
| to bloom. and of every imaginable hue
pure white, delicate pink. with spashes OF
| a dan ker color in their hearts, and beauti-
tul crimson, with dainty brown pencillings.
| Ferns grew in their tenderest green's
club MOSES showed every gradation of
| tint, from richest emerald to olive green;
few silver-slemmed birch-trees dipped
| and moved, swayed by the wind, and
| forming a lovely contrast 10 some sturdy
| stiff Scotch pines that stood at the head
OF the glen, as though they were its sen.
| tinels.
| Near these pines, and sheltered by
ground behind it, stood shielng or cot
tage, humbly built, but with evidence OF
unusual care in its surroundings. Moth
ing of the untidiness that speaks Of hur-
ried life was there; paling, almost con-
ceaed BY honeysucke and the common
Ayrshire rose. fenced the little garden;
more honeysuckle was trained against the
wall and the windows stood wide open
1t was the only sign OF man or his habita-
| tion | had seen in my walk, and as sat
down on the bank to rest and eat my lun-
cheon. wondered if the people living in
this solitude were in any influenced by the
beauty which surrounded them, or wheth-
er they lived unappreciated lives, not
knowing that their 'lines" had fallen in
such pleasant places"
In moment or two my thoughts were,
| in a measure, answered. The door of the
cottage opened, and girl came out with
dish under her arm piled with clothes she
had been washing. She paused for mo-
ment, as though little dazZled by the
| sun, and looked round as ii she thoroughly
| enjoyed the beauty that lay about her and
then, with swift, light step she came
down the bank till she stood on a Hat stone
close to where the burn was imprisoned in
sort of pool. Setting down the clothes,
| n 4 N a in ha afp
and wiring them out. then holding them up
she shook them out, one by one, and threw
| them on the bank. 1t was the homeliest
possible occupation. and her dress differed
in nothing from the dress of most Highland
| girls-a short linsey petticoat, a jacket of
some washing material, with the sleeves
rolled high up above the elbow but her
gestures were full of grace, and her hair
was of a rich ruddy brown, that shed u
sort of light round her head, and remind
ed me OF old pictures had seen.
| | was unwilling to remain so near her
without letting her know of my presence,
| so rose and went down the bank to
speak to her. She answered me with the
| utter absence of selt-consciousness and
with the simple directness possessed by all
| fine natures her manner was reserved
| but kindly, and her voice was low-tOned
ard musical She was not beautiful, il
| beauty depends upon feature and outline.
but she had most interesting and pathet-
ic expression in her dark eyes and when
she smiled, her face lighted up wonder
| fully. She offered me refreshment, which
| declined. but | accepted her invitation to
rest for little while in the cottage.
There is on use in trying to account for
the interest claimed by one stranger when
many pass by unheeded but from the first,
before | knew her, l felt that this girl had
| history, and that in some way she had
suffered, and borne nobly.
The cottage at first seemed dark after
the sunshine. but as my eyes became ac-
customed to the subdued light, | saw the
figure of an old woman lying on bed at
the farihest end of the room. had never
seen any one living so absolutely devoid
of color as she was,-hair and face were
beached-nothng but the keen and rest
| less look Of her eyes. and the incessant
movement of her longl hands busily knit
ting, spoke of life.