Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20


Of Durrisdcer. Mr.. Henry lad the chief part
OF my affection. Itwas with him worked;
and found him an eKsotDg master, Keep
Ing all his kindness for those hours in which
we were unemployed, end in the stewards
office not only loading me with work, but
viewing me with shrewd supervision At
length one day he looked up from his paper
with kind Of tImidness, and says he, "Mr.
Machellar, l think I ought TO toll YOU that
you do very we'll" That was my first word
Of commentator and from that day his ieal.
ousy of my performance was relaxed; soon
it was "Mr. Maokellar" here and "Mr.
Mackellarn there with the whole family; and
for much OF my service at Durrisdeer have
transacted everything at my own time and
to my own fancy, and never u ferthing chal-
lenged.
Even while he was driving me, had be-
gun to find my heart go out to Mr.. Horny;
no doubt partly in pity, he was a man SO pal
pably unhappy He would fall into deep
muse over our accounts, staring at tho page
or out of the window; and at those times the
look of his face, and the sigh that would
break from him awole in me strong feelings
Of curiosity and commiseraton One day,
I remember, we were late upon some bust
ness in the stewards room. This room is in
the top of the house and hns q view upon tho
bay, and over a little wooded cape, on the
long sands; and there, right over against the
sun which was then dipping we saw the free
traders with great force Of men and horses
securing on tho beach. Mr.. Henry had been
staring straight west, SO that | marveed be
was not blinded by the Gun; suddenly he
frowns, rubs his hand upon his brow, and
turns to me with a smile.
you would not guess what | was think.
Ing" says he II was thinking would be
happier man if | could ride and run the
danger Of my life with these lawless compan-
IONS
told him had observed be did not enjoy
COOL spirits; and that il was a common fancy
to envy others and think we should be the
better of some change; quoting Horace to the
point, like young man fresh from college.
"Why, just So" said he sand with that
we may get back to our accounts"
1t was not long before | began to get wind
of the causes that so much depressed him.
Indeed a blind man must have soon discovered
that there was shadow on that house, the
shadow of the Master of Ballautrae Dead
or alive land no was then supposed to be dead
that man was his brothers rival; his rival
abroad, where there was never good word
for Mr.. Henry and nothing but regret and
not only with his father and his wife, but
with the very servants
They were two old serving men that were
the leaders. John Paul, Il little bald, solemn
stomachy p,an, a great professor OF piety and
take him Ter all i'll ally pretty faithful SER
want, was the chief &c the masters faction
None burst go so far as John. He took a
pleasure in dsreCarding Mr.. Harry publicly,
often with sighting compari on. My lord
and Mrs. Henry took him up, TO be sure but
never so resoutelv as theY should; aud he
had only to pull his weeping face and begin
his lamentations for the maStcr-"hiS ladlie,"
as he called him-tU have the whole con-
doned. As for Henry, he let these things
pass in silence, sometimes with sad and
sometimes with black look There wus no
rivaling the dead, he knew that and how to
censure an old serving man for fault of
loyalty was more than he could see. His was
not the tongue to do it
Mlacconochie was chief upon the other side;
an old, ill-spoken, swearing ranting, drunken
dog; and | have often thought it an odd cir
cumstance in human nature that these two
serving men should each have been the
champion of his contrary, and blacIened
their own faults aud made light OF their own
virtues when they beheld them in master.
Macconochie had soon smelled out my secret
inclination, took me much into his confidence,
and would rant against the master by the
hour
Ny old lord was uniformly kind to Mr.
Henry; he had even pretty ways of graft
tude, and would sometimes clap him on the
shoulder and say, as if TO the world at large;
This is very good son TO me-" and CRATE
full he was no doubt, being man OF sense and
| think ba was MI nd 7
sure Mr.. Henry thought So The love was
all for the dead son. Not that this was often
given breath TO: indeed with me but once
Ny lord had asked me one day how got on
with Mr.. Henry, and | had told Eim the
truth.
"Ay,' said he, looking sideways on the
burning fire, Henry is a good lad, a very good
lad, said he. 'You have heard Mr.. Mackel-
lar, that had another soni | am afraid he
was not SO vTtuous a lad as Mr., Henry; but
dear me, he's dead, Mr. Mackellnr! and while
he lived we were all very proud of him, all
very proud. II he was not all he should have
been in some ways, well, perhaps we loved
him betterl' This last he said looking mus
ingly in tho fire; and then to me, with a great
deal OF briskness, But | am rejoiced YOU do
so we'll with Mr.. Henry. You will find him
good master" And with that he opened
his book, whlch was the customary signal of
disnission. But it would be little that he
read and less that he understood; Culloden
field and themaster, these would be the burden
Of his thought; and the burden of mine was
an unnatural jealousy of the dead man for
Mr.. Henry's sake, that had even then begun
to grow on me.
am keeping Mrs Henry for the last, so
that this expression of my sentiment may
Seem unwaIrantably strong; the reader shall
| Judge for himself when | am done But
must first tell of another matter, which
was the means of bringing me more mil
mate. / had not Yet been six months At
| Durrsdeer when it CHANGED that JOAN Paul
fell sick and must keep his bed; drink was
the root of his malady in my poor thought;
| but he was tended and indeed carr.e himself
| like an afflicted saint; and the very minister
who came to visit him profe,,ed hiW If eil-
! fled when he went away. The third morn
ing of his sickness Nj. Feur, come, to me
with something Of "A huhg-dog lo,t
"Macke.lar," says he. IL wish / could
trouble you upon a little service There is Il
pension we pay; it is Johns part g. curry it,
AID now that he is s'k | know uov to whom