The Portland daily press., 1892-07-08
THE LOST SPOONS.

The parish Of Bathgate, in Linlithgow.
shire, ought to be reckoned among the
classic spots of Scotland, inasmuch as IL
formed part of the dowry which Robert
the Bruce bestowed on his eldest daugh-
ter, Margery, when she married Walter,
the high steward of Scotland and thus
became the progenitrix of the royal and
unlucky house of Stuart. Lying mid
way between Edinburgh and Glasgow,
those rival queens of the east and west,
but out Of the common track of traffic
and travel, it has been for ages pas
toral parish of small and rather bacE-
ward farms.
Of late years coal has been found
there, and steam and trade, which bid
fair to leave the world no rustic corner,
are rapidly turning it into mining dis
trict, which nobody thought Of about
the time of the general peace, when
Bathgate lived ON its own oats and bar
ley, wore its own holden gray and had
but two subjects of interest-the corn
market and the kirk session. Among it's
peaceable and industrious population
there was one dame who, though neither
the wealthiest nor the best born, stood
in her own esteem above all but the
laird and the minister, and her style and
title was Widow Simpson. This lady
valued herself, not on the farm left her
by the good man who had departed this
life some seven years before the com
mencement of our story, for its acres
were few and they consisted of half re-
claimed moorland; not on her grown up
son Robin, though he was counted a
likely and sensible lad; not on her own
thrifty housekeeping, though it was
known to be on Che eight screw" prin-
ciple; but on the possession of dozen
silver teaspoons.
Her account of them was that they
had belonged to the young chevalier,
and had been bestowed upon her grand
father in return for entertaining that
claimant to the British crown on his
march from Culloden-in proof of which
she was accustomed to point out half
obliterated crest and the initials G. S.,
with which they were marked. The
widows neighbors, however, had DIFF
ferent tale regarding their coming into
the family. It was to the effect that her
grandfather, who kept a smallinn some
where in Fife, had bought them from an
Ill doing laird for three gallons of High
land whiskey, and bestowed them on his
granddaughter as the one of his family
most likely to hold fast to such an i'm
portant acquisition.
In the family resided in the capacity
of ''help" one Nancy Campbell, girl
about nineteen. who was suspected of
having taken fancy to Robin, who re-
ciprocated the sentiment. Nothing, how
ever, would soften the heart of the
widow as regards match, until at last
the following event occurred and caused
her to give way: About the haymaking
time a distant and comparatively rich
relation was expected to call and take
tea one evening on his way from Lin
lithgow. 1t was not often that this su-
perior relative honored her house with
a visit, and Mrs. Simpson, determined
that nothing should be wanting to his
entertainment, brought out the treas
ured spoons early in the forenoon, with
many injunctions to Nancy touching the
care she should take in Frightening
them up.
While this operation was being con-
Quoted in the kitchen, in the midst of
one of those uncertain days which vary
the northern June, sudden darkening
of the sky announced the approach of
| heavy rain. The hay was dry and ready
| for housing. Robin and two farm men
| were busy gathering it in; but the great
| drops began to fall while considerable
portion yet remained in the field, and,
with the instinct of crop preservation,
forth rushed the widow, followed by
Nancy, leaving the spoons half secured
on the kitchen table. In her rapid exit
the girl had forgotten to latch the door,
The weasel and the kite were the only
depredators known about the moorland
farm; but while they were all occupied
in the hay field, who should come that
way but Geordy Wilson.
Well, the kitchen door was open, and
| Geordy stepped in. He banged the
| settle with his staff, he coughed, he
hemmed, he saluted the cat, which sat
| purring on the window seat, and at
length discovered there was nobody
within. Neither meal nor penny was
to be expected that day; the rain was
| growing heavier, some of the hay must
be wet, and Mrs. Simpson would return
in bad humor. But two objects power
fully arrested Geordy's attention; one
was the broth pot boiling on the fire and
the other the silver spoons scattered on
the table. Bending over the former
Geordy took considerable sniff, gave
the ingredients stir with the pot stick,
and muttered every thin" His pro-