Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-12


in which these hapess little people were
shut up in some small, close, overcrowded
parish church, surprising That they lived
anywhere within half Il dozen miles of
such buildings Now she would be Joan
of Arc, or perhaps Queen Esther that was
so surprising beautiful, or Lord Ulin's
daughter that was drowned within sight
of lva's shores. And was it not suic-
icntly strange that this same magical
creature, who represented to them every
thing That was noble, and beautiful, and
refined, and queen-like, should now be
moving about amongst them, cutting
cakes for them, laughing, joking, patting
this one or hat one on the shoulder, and
apparently quite delighted to wait on them
and serve them
The Introductory singing Of the Old
lIundrcdth Psalm was, il must he con
fessed, IA failure. Tie large majority Of
the children present had never heard or
seen piano, and when Meenie went to
that strange looking instrument ut had
been brought over from her mothers
cottnge with considerable difficulty, and
when she sat down and strnck the first
deep resounding chords-and when Ron
aid, at his end of the table, led Off the
singing with his powerful tenor voice 80
they We're far too much interested and
awe struck TO follow. Meene sang in her
quiet, clear way, and Maggie timidiy
joined in, but the children were silent
However, as has already been said, the
restraint that was at first pretty obvious
very soon wore of; the tea and cake were
consumed amid much general hilarity and
satisfaction; and when in due course the
Chairman rose to deliver his address, and
when Miss Douglas tapped on the table TO
secure attention, and also by way of ap.
plause, several of the elder ones had quite
enough courage and knowledge of af-
fairs to follow her example, so that the
speaker may be said to have been re-
ceived with favor
And if there were any wise ones there
whose experience had taught them that
tea and cake were but snare to entrap
innocent people into being lectured and
sermonzed, they were speedily re assured.
The Chalrman's address was mostly about
starlings, and jays, and rabbits, and fer
rets, and squirrels, and about the various
ways of tanning these and teaching them.
and of his own various successes and
failures when he was a boy. lie had to
apologize at the outset for not speaking in
tine Gaelic; for he said that if he tried
they would soon be laughing at him: he
would have to speak in English; but If
he mentioned any bird or beast whose
name they did not understand, they were
to ask him, and he would tell them the
Gaelic name. And very soon it was clear
enough that this was no lecture on the
wanderings OF the children of Israel nor
yet sermon on justification by faith; the
eager eyes Oh inc DONS lOIlONeI every ut-
tail OF the capture of the nest of young OS-
preys, the girls were like to cry over the
untlmely fate of a certain tame sparrow
that had strayed within the reach-or the
spring, rather-of an alien cat, and gen.
eral laughter greeted the history of the
continued and uncallcd for mischiefs and
evil deeds of one Peter, squirrel but half
reclaimed from its savage ways, that had
cost the youthful ma ulalist much anxiety
and VeXatiOn, and also not q little blood.
There was, moreover, II dark and wild
story OF revenge, on an i'll conditioned cur
that was the terror of the whole village,
and was forever swapping at girls ankles
and boys legs-a most improper and i'm
moral story to be told to young folks
though the boys seemed to think the ill
tempered beast got no more than it de-
served. That small village, blythe way,
down there in the l.othians, seemed to
have been n very remarkable place, the
scene of the strangest exploits and per-
formanccs on the part of terriers, donkeys,
pet kittens, and tame jackuaws: haunted
by curious folk, too, who knew all about
bogles and kelpies and such uncanny
creatures, and had had the most remark
able eNpcr enCe OF them Though modern
science was allowed to come in here for a
little Dir with its cold-bloodcd eNplnna-
tons OF the supernatural. And when, TO
finish up this dsCursive and apparently
amleSs address, he remarked that The only
thing lacking in that village where he had
been Brought up, and where he had OBJ
served ali these incidents ard wonders,
was the presence OF a kind-hearted and
generous young lady who on an occasion,
would undertake all the trouble Of athcr-
ing together the children 'or miles around,
and would do everything she could
to make them perfectly happy they knew
perfectly well whom he meant and when
he said, in c, Inclusion, that if they knew
of any such n one about here. in Inver-
Mudal, and if they thought that she had
been kind to them, and If they wished 10
show her that they were grateful to her
for her goodness, they could not do better
than give three loud cheers, the lecture
came to an end in perfect storm of APP
plause; and Meenie, blushing a little and
Yet laughing. had to get up and say that
she was responsible for the keeping of
order by this assembly, and would allow
no speech making and no cheering that
was not put down in the program.
After this there was service of raisins
and in the general quiet that followed,
Mr.. Murray came in the room, just to
see how things were going on. Now the
innkeeper considered himself to be a man
OF Il humorous turn: and when he went
up to shake hands with Miss Douglas. and
looking down the long table, and saw
Ronald at the other end and her presiding
ut this, and all the children sitting so
sedately there, he remarked to her III his
NdESISn way,
well, now, for young married couple,
you have very large family"
But Miss Douglas was not a self-con-
scious young person, nor easily alarmed
and she merely laughed and said,
81 am sure they are a very well be-
haved family, indeed"
But Ronald (who had not heard the
iacose remark, by-the-way) objected to
any one coming in to claim Miss Douglas 5
attention on so important an occasion, and
in his capacity of Chairman he rose and
raped loudly on the table.
Ladies' and gentlemen" he said, "we're
no going to have any idlers here the
night. Any one that bldes with us must
do something. | call on Mr. Murray
TO sing his well-known song, Bonnie
Peggie, o."
"inieed no, indeed no." the inukeeper
said, instantly retreating to the door.
There is too many good judges here the
night. I'll leave you TO yourseifs; but if
there's anything in the inn you would
like sent over, do not be afraid to ask for
it, Ronald, And the rooms for the chill
dren are oil ready, and the beds; and
We'll make them very comfortable, Miss