The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-21

~ '-''-' 80 -LonGegol.
A warm, bright, mirthful July morning.
Early morning we Southerners would say
it was-not being used to asunrise half an
hour or so after midnight, as people in
Shetland are during midsummer months.
Mistress Sinclair is sitting in the sheepfold
with company of her women folks pluck
ing the fine wool from the sheep. Wiry,
active, petulant little animals they are, who
quite spoil the character of their kind for
patience. They want to be higher up on
the hillside, to taste its sweet herbage
while the dew yet fingers. Why should
they submit to this rude mauling by mere
women, whose absurd chattering and laugh
ter mars SO wilfully the chorus of the re-
bellious bleating? Like wise sheep, how
ever. the fathers and mothers of the flock
reckon that the less they struggle the sooner
shall they win to the hills again. Not so
the youngsters. They won't be feeced
without a struggle.
A peal of laughter echoes among the
rocks and one bold fellow who is but half
plucked breaks away from the arms of Mis-
tress Sinclair herself, and, rushing at the
fold gate, clears it in a twinkling, and
bounds up the hill with nimbleness un-
known among our heavier English muttons.
A young girl leaps up and is after him
Instantly. It WILDE smart race methinks ;
yet would back the sheep; for he, cum
ming rogue, will skip across many patch
of treacherous bog that even the light foot
of Bena Sinclair must not touch.
The laughter and the murmur of busy
tongues below in the sheepfold grow faint
er still the girl pursues that wilful crea-
ture, for she sees that it has but the sagac-
ity of sheep after all, and although stop
ping now and again to pluck mouthful of
heather just for defiance sake apparently,
is making straight for spot where the grey
rock rises abruptly some twenty feet or so
to bar further progress.
'Ye'll hae ia come back ia my arms, my
bonnie lambie," says Bena to herself, as
she warily shifts her ground little, in case
he should change his purpose ere it was too
late, and escape by doubling down the hill
side
"Ah!-yon man is na welcome I" she
exclaims in tone of vexation. A young
man mounted on Shetland pony suddenly
has emerged from the mist which lies farther
up the hill. His appearance has done just
what she feared might happen. The er-
rant sheep has come to standstill, before
entering that cuL de sac.
But her expression of annoyance had
scarcely left Bena's lips before rich flush
of pleasure spread over her face.
Magnus, Magnus my lamb, she cried,
clasping her hands in mock despair. "Ye'll
be driving him ava"
Not so, however. By dexterous flank
movement, which only a Shetland pony
could have been trusted to make among
those rocks, the young horseman shut off
what chance remained for the wanderer of
escaping down hill Then he jumped from
his pony, and with merry eagerness the
maiden and he raced after the lamb to-
gether. 1t was soon caught. Thereupon
Bena, holding the truant tightly in her
arms, sat down on a messy mound to rest
awhile.
Magnus Laurie might well look with ad-
miring fondness upon that bright and
beautiful face: ay, with contentment, too ;
for he, lucky fellow had already learnt
from Bena herself that she would not mind
sharing the bitter and the sweet of life
with him-some day. The day will be one
of sore tribulation for the lads of North
Mavine, and of hopeful contentment for the
lasses, since Bena Sinclair, in virtue ef her
position as the acknowledged beauty of the
parish, is sort of unknown quantity" in
most of the lovemaking thereabouts. To
be Just to her, she was quite guiltless of
any coquetry, but she could not hinder the
bewitchment of those dark, lustrous eyes of
hers, which were all the more fascinating
that they were so rare among Scandinavian
people, as the Shetlanders are. Tradition
reports that shipwrecked Spaniards of
the Great Armada settled in those wild
northern isles, and have left traces of them
selves in the features and bearing of some
of the present inhabitants. This might
possibly explain why the maiden sitting
there seemed in looks and ways so much
more a child of the sunny south than of
storm beaten Thule
II thought was your lamb, Bena, when
you called to me, said Magnus, as he
watched how she alternately caressed and
chid with mischievous earnestness the little
creature in her arms.
"You'' A merry ripple of laughter and
a toss of the dainty head followed this ex-
clamation. Then she added quickly, "You
are sheep for thinking so, Magnie.' .
II won't deny being sheep just now,
for 1 shall follow you, my darling, instead
of running away as that silly lamb did.
'Nay, that ye will not, said Bena, jump
ing to her feet suddenly. "The lasses
down yonder in da sheepfold will jist bother
me all da morn, and-and say"
"What will they say
"That l jist ran ava to meet ye.
Custom supported Bena in her unwill-
ingness that her betrothed should bear her
company back to the fold. Shetland
maidens take credit to themselves in not
being found out in their courting. People
may suspect as much as they like, but until
the wedding day is actually fixed Bena will
be amusingly ignorant of the fact that her
heart is not her own. Such is her present
intention, at any rate.
Magnus Laurie had been south, as far as
Edinburgh. Indeed he was then on
months holiday from his business of civil
engineering. He had lost faith in some of
the customs of his native land. Especially