The record-union., 1893-05-06

er she nor Effie had ever uttered a word
about the second sight in the boys hear
Ing, and David, who in his heart believed
his wife, though he did not deem it con-
sistent with his dignity to own as much,
abruptly ended the unpleasant affair by
saying peremptorily, II II no permit the
bairn 10 be tauld any mair ungOdly su-
perstitionS and auid wives tales. Ellie
may gang to the dell, and Sandie sail be
WI me in his walks and rides, and Use
warrant yell hear naething from him
but what he learns fra me, guild sense
and sound doctrine!''
And Effie was dismissed, to her own
great relief, and from that day forth
Sandie became his fathers outdoor COM
panion, to the visible benefit OF his health
and spirits.
But no one was so really alarmed at
Sandle's uncanny remark and its conse-
quenceS as David Galbralth himself. His
grandmother, Highland woman, had
mad the second sight, and his father had
told hIm how she lived to become the
terror of her family. Her premonitions
OF death and calamity were unfailngly
true, and the spirit within her never ell
Ilghtened her as 10 how the impending
evil might be averted. She was simply
the medium of announcing approaching
doom. What If her ghostiy gift had
descended 10 her grandson, barren
heritage, that would make him Stunned
by his kindi
Poor Alison Galbraith, finding her hus-
band irritable and unreasonable on the
subject OF Saudies weird speech, sought
comfort in pouring out her fears 10 their
minister, the Rev. Evan Mctarlane, who
gave ear 10 her with as much patience as
could be expected from man whose
Chief business it was in life to speak and
not to listen.
He drew the very worst inference from
nrf g ,.t.l fA1 fltga
second sight, and l Gamma but fear
that there may be waur to come. When
the uncanny spirit lights on a body there
Is ma predicting what its manifestation
may be, and for aught that we ken, 1t
may be to you or me that Sandie I'll see
the death tokens on neist. And Ii ye
continue TO bring him to the kirk, l wad
request that yen no let him SIT glowering
at me, for though sudden death Wad
doubtless be sudden glory to me it wad
no be consistent WI the dignity of min
lister o the Free Kirk tnat he suld be har-
RED untimely into his grave by any un-
canny BARN, that wad hae been burnt for
u warlock IN times game by. And If L
was spared such a Sair visitation, the
BARN might yet be permitted to wark
certain perturbation of spirit in me, that
wad cause me to curtail the word Of God,
and bring my discourse to "A premature
end, to the grievous loss OF them that
hear. And, Mistress Galbraith, let me
tell ye, yen IA into disrepute wiz your
nelghbors gin Sandie sees bawbies on
your minister's honored cen, and aught
came OF 1t TO his prejudicer'
III.
In the following spring David Gal
braith's youngest brother Colin returned,
after an absence OF ten years, to spend
few months with his relations in Scot
land. His industry had been prospered
in Australia, and he was in better posi-
ton than he could have attained by any
exertions of his own in the old country.
He and his nephew struck up a warm
friendship together, and 1t was pretty
sight 20 see them golting on the links
at North Berwick, the strong man ac-
commodating his play to that OF the puny
BOY by his slde,a restraining his speech
so that not word fell from his lips but
what was ut for child to hear.
One day when they had played till San
die was tired they sauntered down to the
beach, Uncle Colin to sit on the rocks
smoking his morning pipe, his nephew
TO perch beside him and amuse himself
with the shells and seaweed that abound
there. Presently Sandie grew weary of
sitting still, threw away the handful of
shells he had picked up, and proposed
that they should go further along the
sands to where the children were bath
ing. And gle me your hand, Uncle
Colin, and Pll tell ye something while we
walk that l Gamma just understand myself.
Pve seen an unco' strange thing; I've
seen your house in Australian
"Hoot mon! what havers are We talk
ing? Ye've been dreamingl" said Uncle
Colin cheerily.
INA. saw it. 1t was no dream; ken
weel the difference between dreaming
and seeing. Your house has ma states on
the roof, like our house; it was theckit
like a hayricll, and 1t had wide place
round it covered with another little
theckit roof, and windows like big glass
doors opened on it. And there was fire
all about, and tall grass all ableeze, and
sheep rinning hither and thither frighted,
and a man with black beard ana gun
in his hand ran out o. the house and
shouted, 'O'Grady, save the mare and
toal! if they're lost the master will never
forgive YEP What ails ye, Uncle Colin,
that ye look sac white?' and the boy
looked up in his uncles face with Won
der.
Its no canny to see such sight,
Sandie! What do you ken o. brush
fires? and ye've never seen a picture of
my house; and who tauld ye that my
groom is an Irishman named O'Grady?
lor Pve tauld naebody here, and the
man with the black beard is my Scotch
shepherd"
There was nae need to tell me anv-
thing about it, Uncle Colin, for | saw it
az; but if the man at the door had ma
shouted OGrady, then L suld na hae
keuned his name"
Colin made u poor attempt at laughter,
that he might hide from the child how
shocked ana startled he was; but as soon
as they reached home he told his brother
about his sons vision, and heard from
him in return the story of Sandie and old
ltlspeth. A few days later Colin Gal
braith received a telegram from his head
shepherd informing him of the heavy
loss he had just sustained from a very
serious bush ire, and both he and David
were convinced that Sandie was an un-
canny bairu.
Colin returned to Australia Immediately
afterwards, and as he parted from his
| brother and SiSter-in-laW he said with a
melancholy smile: "If ony mischance
befa's me, ye'Il ken as sumo as do myself.
| Your awesome BARN will see it a, and
yo may taxi for gospel aughU tauld ye by
ane that hae the second night
one fine afternoon, some three weeks
after Colin had sailed, David having Just
then no particular work to keep him on
the farm all day, proposed for a great
treat to row Sandie to the Bass Rock
Oat cutting would shortly begin, and
then he would not have a spare hour
from morning to night. But to-day he
and his son would enjoy a holiday to-
gether, and Sandie was to take with him
the small gun that his father gave him
on his last birthday, for he was now 8
years of age and high time that he set
about learning TO kill something or other
All the latent boy seemed deVeloped in
the delicate child by the possession of the
small fowllng piece, and he DlaZed away
at the rats under the hayricks, and at the
sparrows on the roof, to the peril alike of
the poultry and of the bedroom windows.
Mother, mother, Hll shoot ye a gannet
maxi We a puShiOn ~ tho dpur1f11 i,o