Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-18

ueuuious, raplo, aNectlOnate, eager Scotch
voice-the swift, aimless, bewildered mind, the
baffled utterance, the bright and perilous eye:
some wild words. some household cares some
thing for James. the names Of the dead, Rab
called rapidly and in a ''fremyt" voice. and he
starting up, surprised and Sinking off as il he
were to blame somehow, or had been dreaming
he heard; many eager questions and beseech-
ings which James and l could make nothing Of
and on which she seemed to set her all, and
then sink back ununderstood. 1t was very
sad but better than many things that are
not called sad. James lowered about, put
out and miserable, but active and exact
as ever; read to her. when there
was lull, short bits from the Psalms, prose and
serious way. showing great knowledge of the
| fit words bearing up like man, and doting
| over her as his lain Allie" "Ailie. ma woman!n
| Ma ain bonnie wee dawtie,"
The end was drawing on; the golden bowl
| was breaking; the silver cord was fas peng
| loosed that G'ainuLd, bldnduld, rGq,tld hospes
co'nesque was about to fee. The body and
| soul-companions for sixty years--were being
| sundered, and taking leave. She was walking
| alone through the valley OF the shadow into
which one day we must all enter-and vet she
was not alone, Tor we know whose rod and
staff were comforting her.
One night she had fallen quiet. and as we
hoped asleep: her eyes We're shut We put down
| the gas, and sat watching her. Suddenly she
| sat up In bed, and taking bed gown which
| was lying on it rolled up, she held it eagerly
to her breast-to the right side. We could see
her eyes bright with surprising tenderness
| and JOY, bending over this bundle of clothes
She held it as woman holds her sucking child;
| opening out her nghtgown impatiently, and
holding it close. and broodng over it, and muir
| muring foolish little words, as over one whom
his mother comforteth, and who sucks and il
satisfied. 1t was pitiful and strange to see her
wasted, dying look, keen and yet vague-her
| immense love.
Preserve mel" groaned James. giving way.
And then she rocked back and forward az
II to make It sleep, hushing it. and wasting on
| Wa ne, DOCTOR declare she's thinkin' it's
that BARN.
What bairn?"
lhe Only BARN |e ever had; our wee Mysie.
and she's In the kingdom forty years and mair :"
1t was plainly true; the pain in the breast telling
! It's urgent story to bewildered, ruined BRAIN
was msread and mistaken; it suggested to her
the uneasiness Of breast full Of milk and then
the child; and SO again once more they were
| together, and she had her ain wee Myse in her
| BOSOM
This was the close. She sank rapidly; the de-
| ljrlum left her, but, as she whispered, she was
,'clean silly it was the lightning before the
maj maj darkness. After having for some
said James" He came close to her. and
| lifting up her calm. clear, beautiful eyes,
she gave him long look, turned to me kindly
but shortly, locked for kab, but could not see
|
would never leave off looking Shut her eyes
and composed herself She lay for some time
breathing quick, and passed away so gently that
when we thought she was gone James, in his
oid-fashioned way, held the mirror to her face.
After long pause one small spot of dmness
was breathed out; it vanished away and never
returned. leaving the blank, clear darkness of
the mirror without stain. hat is our life !?
1t is even vspor. which appeareth for little
time, and then vanisheth away"
Rab all this time had been full awake and mo-
| tlonIeSs he came forward beside us; Allies
| hand, which James had held was hanging down;
1t was soaked with his tears; Rab licked it all
over carefully looked at her, and returned to
| his place under the table. G.c
James and sat. | don't know how long. but
for some time. saying nothing. He started up
abruptly. and with some noise went to the table
and putting his right FIRE and middle fingers
each into shoe, pulled them out, and put them
| on, breaking one of the leather latchets and
mutterlnS III anger, Il never did the like O that
| afore."
believe he never did; nor after either. ''Rab,"
he said roughly, and pointing with his thumb
to the bottom of the bed. Rab eapt up and
| settled himself, his head and eye to the dead
face. 'Maister John. yen wait for me-" said
the carrier, and disappeared in the darkness
Numbering down stairs in his heavy shoes.
ran to a front window; there he was. already
| like shadow.
was afraid about him. and yet not afraid so
sat down beside Rab and. being wearied. fell
asleep. | awOke from sudden noise outside
1t was November. and there had been a heavy
fall OF snow. Rab was in stdtu guO: he heard
the noise too, and plainly knew it; but
never moved. looked out; and there, at the
gate, In the dim mOrning-fOr the sun was not
up-was Jess and the cart cloud of steam ris-
Ing from the old mare. / did not see James: he
was already at the door, and came up the stairs
and met me-. 1t was less than three hours since
he left, and he must have posted out-who
knows how?-tO HOwgate, full nine miles of,
yoked Jess. and driven her astOnished into
town. He had an armful of blankets. and was
streaming with perspratiOn He nodded to
me, spread out on the floor two pairs of clean
old blankets. having at their corners ga G..
1874" in large letters in red worsted These
were the initials of Alison Creme, and James
may have looked in at her from without-him-
self unseen but not unthonght Of-when he was
wat, wat and weary" and after having walked
many miles over the hills may have seen her
sitting while "a the lave were sleepin'," and
by the freight working her name on the
blankets, for her ain James bed.
He mOtioned Rab down. and. taking his wife
in his arms laid her In the blankets and Mapped
her carefully and firmly up. leaving the face I'M
covered; and then lifting her he nodded again
sharply to me, and, with resolved but utterly
miserable face strobe along the passage. and
down stairs, followed by Rab. followed with
a light, but he didn't need it. went out, hold
Ing stupidity the candle In my hand in the calm
frosty air; we were soon at the gate. could
have helped him, but saw he was not to be
meddled with, and he was strong and did not
need it. He laid her down as tenderly, as safely
as he had lifted her out ten days before ten
DERBY as when he had her first in his arms when
she was only "a. G.,"-sOrted her. leaving that
beautiful sealed face open to the heavens; and
then taking Jess by the head he moved away.
He did not notice me, neither did Rab, who pre-
sided behind the cart.
| stood till they passed through the long
shadow Of the College. and turned up Mich
olson street. I heard the solitary cart sound
through the streets, and die away and come
again; l returned, thinking of that company
going up LibbertOn Brae, then along ROslin
Muir, the morning light touching the Pent-
lands and making them like On-looking ghosts;
then down the hill through Auchindinny woods,
past haunted Woodhouselee;" and as daybreak
came sweeping up the bleak Lammermuirs, and
fell on his own door, the company would stop,
! and James would take the key. and lift Allie up
again, laying her on her own bed, and, having
put Jess up, would return with Rab and shut
the door.
James buried his wife with his neighbors
mourning. Rab inspecting the sOemnity from a
distance. 1t was snow, and that black, ragged
hole would look strange in the midst of the
swelling, spotless cushion Of white James
looked after everything; then rather suddenly
fell i'll, and took to bed; was insensibe when the
doctor came and soon died. sort of low fever
was prevailing in the village, and his want Of
sleep. his exhaustion and his misery made him
apt to take it. The grave was not difficult to