The Southern herald., 1886-02-27
FLORA MACDONALD.
How She Risked Her Life for Two
Royal Houses.

When was young girl, and quite
wild over the "Waverley Novels, " you
can fancy my delight at my dear little
grandmothers looking up, with her
bright brown eyes, and saying;
II knew her-your beautiful Flora"
"You knew her, grandmaP"
II have sat on her knee, and she
once kissed mt" said grandma.
'Then it was true about her.
sin measure" said grandma, TAX
ing up her knitting again. "The idea of
her was true. You might say she sat
for the portrait. Her real name, you
know, was Flora Macdonald" ]"
"Oh, was she like the story?'
''That l can't quite say. was so
young, can hardly remember how she
looked said grandma. Il kept only
the sensation that she was something
beautiful and grand. heard them
talking about her, and trembled wheu
she touched me-"
"Was she tall and dark and pale,
with dropping curls and proud glances.
And did she sing about Highland he-
roes, and adore Prince CharlieP"
"a gentleman who was entertained
by her in Scotland says she was little
woman, mild and we'll bred. The legend
of her in North Carolina, where she
went to live, is that she was dignified
and handsome. As for the rest Of your
questions, | rather think that at that
time she talked of sea-sickness and the
weather during her voyage; and if she
adored anybody l suppose she adored
her husband. "
"Her husbandP Why, Flora went
into Il convent
sin the story. In real life she mar
ried an officer and went to live in North
Carolina, as | told you before. But she
stopped in Nova Scotia, either going or
coming, for it was there she visited my
uncle, good old Judge Des Champs,
and there I sat upon her knee"
"And what was the truth about her,
grandma?" I asked in woeful disap.
pointment. Wasn't any Of the story
trueP Tell us, can't youP Tell us,
please now, just how it was"
"Well," said grandma, "you have
read about Charles Edward, the Pre-
tender?'
"Oh yes, of course. He is the Prince
in the story"
"The Prince in the story, and the
Prince in history. For all that is known
of him then, l have no doubt that al
that time he was as lovely gentleman
as the Prince in the story. His mother
was Sobieski, you know, an heroic
race, long descended from heroes in ole
Poland; and he was one of the Stuarts
who had way of taking all men,
hearts.
Gallant and gentle and noble, self
forgetting, dauntless, beautiful, in thos'
early days a superb fellow, people fel
that they could die for him-and di
they did. Just think what career h,
had in his youth In Venice he was re
ceived with royal honors. When Franc
was going to invade England, at tim
when England was half-unprotected, b
was sent for to take command of tn
army.
"He embarked with Marshal Sake
the greatest soldier of his day; and tn
throne of his grandfather was just with
in his reach, when a furious tempes
rose and ragged week and sank th
vessels full of troops to the bottom, am
threw him back upon the coast. Tn
French would not try again; and it wa
all his friend could do to prevent tn
Prince from setting sail for Scotland in
fishing-boat.
"When, after while, he did arrive
with his seven friends, in Scotland, tn
clans flocked about him, and he had 9
first some splendid successes.
"But at last" said grandma, after
little pause, "there came an end to a
his efforts in the disaster at Culloder
where the field was lost through th
sullen pride OF the Macdonald ~
"Why, how could that beP"
"The MacDonalds, you know, wer
an immense clan; and it happened ths
they had been placed on the left of th
army, but they had claimed it as the
right, ever since the service they ha
done at the Battle of Bannockburn, thi
they should charge on the right, and
they refused to charge at all, and lo
the Prince the day.
"The poor Chevalier! What mu'
his wrath and despair have been, whe
he saw so great a cause ruined by
petty whim! But at that, he and b
adherents fled for their lives. For the
had been defeated, and defeat mao
them guilty Of high treason, and the
lives were the forfeit if they should /
captured.
"a hundred and fifty thousand dc
lars was the price set upon the head