The Southern herald., 1886-02-27

to island, starving, perishing with cold,
in rags, hunted everywhere, and every
pass guarded by the Duke of Cumber-
lands troops!
"It was only the love of the people, Of
the common people, which saved him.
How they used to sing songs about
him! And a generation later how /
used to sing them myself" said
grandma.
'.sThat kiss of Flora MacDonald's
made me staunch Jacobite. Charlie
is my Darling, the Young Chevalier',
and What's a. the steer, KimmerP' and
Come DER the Stream, Charlie, and
'Wha'n be King but Charlie, and Flora
MacDonald's Lament and all the rest"
And then grandma began singing, in
her little quavering voice:
Ozark night cam on, the tempest howled
Loud DER the hills and valleys,
And where was that your Prince lay down
Whose hame should be palace?
He row'd him In a Highland plaid,
Which covered him but sparey
And slept beneath bush o'brOom-
oh, wae's me for Prince CharlieF
''It stirs my old blood now," said
grandma. "Well, it happened when
Flora was on visit in the neighborhood
of one of his hiding-places. 1t was
proposed, all other ways having failed,
that the Prince should put on the clothes
of some woman, and be passed off as
her waiting maid-he had already
played the part of servant to Malcom
| Mcleod
at was a daring undertaking, with
all the scrutiny the British watch-dogs
never dropped minute. The officer
from whom Flora had to obtain a apass-
port was Flora's father-in-law. He
had no idea what he was doing when
he gave her safe conveyance for her.
self, her young escort, Neil Macdonald,
Betty Burke, a stout lrishwoman, and
some others.
"Betty Burke was the Prince. And
it must have been great trial
to a modest and timid young
girl to carry out such an imposition.
But she was rewarded by the love of a
whole people. They sailed for the Isle
of Skye one bright June day.
when they landed, they went to the
house Of the Laird Sleite, which was
full Of hostile soldiers eager in the
search for the royal prize, and Flora
told her secret to the kind lady of the
house, who straightway helped her
along on her way home to Kingsburg
I "And she at last saw the Prince safely
through, and his last words to her were:
Farewell, gentle, faithful maiden; may
we meet again in the Palace Royal'
young Neil Macdonald followed
him to France, and his son became by
and by one of Napoleon's Marshals.
But great was the anger Of the British
Government" said grandma, as if she
quite enjoyed that anger, "when it was
found that Charles Edward had es'
capped.
"They knew the thing could only
have been managed by a woman; sus
picion fell on Flora; and she was ar
rested, together with Malcolm Mcleod
and others, carried on board of man
of-war and changed from one vessel to
another, until she had been nearly 6
year on shipboard before being taken tC
London and thrown into prison to stant
a trial for high treason.
"How cruel for the brave, sweet girl
But her youth, her beauty, her courage
began to create what you might call {
reaction in her favor, especially as shC
had not previously been on the Prince
side, either in respect to his claims tt
the throne or his religion.
1ENho Ksxo. b;YN,colf xuao Gnnnni
the Second-asked her how she daret
save the enemy of his crown and king
dom, and she replied: L only did wha
l would do for your Majesty in the sam,
condition. relieved Distress
"And it all ended by their sendin;
her home with Malcolm Mcleod. |
was about four years afterwards tina
she married Allan MacD Donal6-it seem
when you hear her story, asif half Scot
land was MacDonalds.
'1n 1775, being in some trouble 70
money, and hearing how well his coun
try-people who had emigrated were get
; ting along there, Allan Macdonald fol
! lowed them to North Carolina, and ther
: he settled with his wife at Fayetteville
! where the ruins of their house may ye
be seen, believe, unless recently re
1, moved
"The vast difference between tn
: chills and mists of the Scotch Highlands
and the balmy air in which she foun
herself, / should think must have bee
q very striking to Flora; she must hav
! enjoyed the wonderful fruits an
o flowers, at what seemed to her untimt
q ly seasons; and, in the coldest months
: the great wood-fres furnished by tn
q pitchy forests that still seem inexhaust
o Bile, am told.
a "They only lived a little while in Fa,
E etteville, before they moved to Camera
Hill, twenty miles distant. They ha
no sooner established themselves thel
e than the Revolution began. 1t mu
i have seemed to Flora as if a state of n
# bellion and warfare were the natur;
o state of man, or as if she were fat
4 never to escape it.
a "The chief of the Macdonald ella
9 among the North Carolina emigran
q had been given, whether through polio
a or not, commission as General in IL
British Kings army. The Stuart bu;
ness being over and done with, the
q probably appeared to him no reasc
4 why he should not takeit. Hesummont
all loyal Highlanders to meet under h
a standard and march with him to 10