The Osceola times., 1886-01-30
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
grandmother's looking up, with her
bright brown eyes, and saying:
Il knew her-your beautiful FloraH'
"You knew her, grandma"
II have sat on her knee, and she
once kissed me, v said grandma.
Then it was true about her
'ln measure" said grandma, TAX
ing up her knitting again. "The idea of
hcr WAS true. You might say she sat
for the portrait Her real name, you
know, was Flora Macdonald"
'Oh, was she like the storyp"
THAT | can't quito say. Twas so
young, can hardly remember how she
. looked said grandma. II kept only
the sensation that she was something
beautiful and grand. heard them
4 talking about her, and t embed wheu
she touched me-
WAS she tail and dark and pale,
with dropping curls and proud glanccs,
And did she sing about Highland he
roes, and adore Prince CharliePn
"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 20 live, is that she was dignified
+ and handsome. As for the rest of your
quest lions. | rather think that at that
time she talked of sea-sickness and the
5 weather during her voyage; and if she
& adored anybody l suppose she adored
y her husband.
"lIer husband9 Why, Flora went
into n convcntN'
In the story. In real life she mar
ricd an officer and went to live in North
Carolina, as told you before, But she
stopped in Nova Scotia, either going or
coming. for il was there she visited my
uncle, good old Judge Des Champs,
and there | sat upon her knee"
"Ahd what was the truth about her,
grandma | asked in woeful disap-
poinlment. Wasn't any of the story
true? Tell us, can't you? Tell us,
please now, Just how it was"
well, said grandma, "you have
Ittl IhtlNl tnNIltS IslNtlu, hn'
tcndcr2'
"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, / have no doubt that at
that time he was as lovely gentleman
a. the Prince in the story. His mother
was Sobieski. YOU know, an heroic
race, long descended from heroes in old
Poland; aud he was one of the Stuarts,
who had n way of taking all mems
hearts
Gallant and gentle and noble, self
forgetting. dauntless, beautiful, in those
early days a superb fellow, people felt
that they could die for him-and die
they did. just think what career he
had in his Youth In Venice he was re-
cciycd with royal honors. When France
was going to invade England, at time
when England was half-unprotected, he
was sent for to take command of the
army.
'fIe embarked with Marshal SAKE,
h., greatest soldier of his day; and the
thronc OF his grandfather was just with
In his reach, when furious tempest
rose and ragged week and sank the
vessels full of troops to the bottom, and
throw him back upon the coast. The
French would not try again; and IL was
all his friend could do to prevent the
Prince from setting sail for Scotland in a
Fishing g-boat.
"When. after a whila, he did arrive,
with his seven friends, in Scotland, the
clans nocked about him, and he had at
FIRST some splendid successes.
But at last. said grandma, after
little pause. "there came an end to all
his efforts in the disaster at Culloden,
where the field was lost through the
sullen pride of the Macdonald "
"Why, how could that bep"
The MacDonalds, you know, were
an immense clan; and it happened that
they had been placed on the left of the
army but they had claimed it as their
right, ever since the service they had
donc at the Battle of Bannockburn, that
they should charge on the right, and so
they refused to charge at all, and lost
the Prince the day
"The poor Chevalier! What must
his wrath and despair have been, when
he saw so great cause ruined by so
HtilN u Nhitis ifNt at tuot, nv eiis sA''
adherents fled for their lives. For they
had been defeated, and defeat made
them guilty " high treason, and their
lives were the forfeit If they should be
captured. -,
IA hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars was the price set upon the head OF
the Prince by the British Government.
live months he wandered in the wild
passes of the Highlands, hiding in cav.
erns. under crags, among the gorsc and
heather, slipping in skiff from island
TO island, starving, perishing with cold,
n rags, hunted everywhere, and every
pas guarded by the Duke OF Cumber-
hnd's troops! ..
ut was only the love Of the people, OF
he common people, which saved him.
pw they used to sing sorgs about
IN! And generation later how
\ ed to sing them myselfv' said