The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-25

Must over gear him for new guests. and leave
:he mute memorials OF the lapsea years.
-hichsrd Burton.
MICKLE.MOUTHED MEG.
The fsuds Of the Scottish clans are q pro-
verbal part and parcel of the history of
Scotland. When not at war with Enelsnd
the Scotch have delighted TO pick some
petty quarrel with each other. and the 90
casion has often been too trinine to men,
sion IN history. while the consequences
have often risen to matters of dssp and
sometimes fatal importance. But under
meath all this aome comic characteristic Of
thu nation has pssped out-some ill-con-
scaled craft Or cumming or closs-handsd
thrift indicative Of the canny Scotsman.
and which belong to NO other people In suoh
excess % those Of the 'bordsr."
One Of these feuds, now existing only In
tsaditionary lore. lay between the SCOTS
and Murrays, and, al ono time. 1t seemed
only too probable that the representative
Of the former clan would meet . disgrace
full death At tho hands Of the chief Of the
latter.
sis Gideon Murray. the laird Of Elibank.
was q chosen favorits of King James vi.
who afterward bestowed Upon him the Office
Of deputy treasurer OF Scotland. The laird
was an honest, upright man. but was sub
jecs to fits Of passion, which, however. sol
dom lasted long. and in the end rarely did
anybody any hahn. His wifs was q care
ful. painstakinR woman. . good wife and
mother. and. in her youth, must have been
esteemed q fair specimen of the Scotch
beauty. At the age Of 80. the time Of
which W write. she was still bright and
blooming. her fair. ysllowish hair still I'M
touched by the frost Of time, and her good
natured smile displaying teeth of The
purest white. without thanks 10 the dentist.
even had his art flourished Of that period. 5
The good dame was very fond of brilliant
colors, and besides the endless variety Of
tartsns with which she deoksd herself
wearing mot only her husbands colorss but
those of her mothers family and OF her
by numbsrlsss pink, bright red or corn
colored cap ribbons. 80 that the good gen.
tlewoman gave tho appearance OF q flower
garden. 4
Good looking a. the lady Of Elibsnk in
contestably was. no one could say as much
for the three daughters, who were the solo
heirs Of Sir Gideon. all his sons having, to
his great disappointment. died In infancy.
We may, however, except ono az being
tolerably pretty. or these daughters Allie
the eldest, was a red-haired, freokle faced
lassie. large and awkward, with the dullest
Of all blue eyes 'like pewter buttons drap-
pit In q crook o. white butter" the lads
said.
The second. jean. was a prim. bony, old
maidish woman, still and quiet, hardly
speaking the day through, except to warn
her sisters that they were talking too
loudly.
The youngest daughter was fair a. III.
day 10 long. but in spite Of q pair Of bright
bin eyes and 4 straight nose. her face Was
made homely BY a mouth so wide and
thick-lippsd that she was known from her
earliest childhood by the sobriquet Of
"Miokle- Mouthed Meg all over Elibank
town. and indeed wherever the laird and
his family were known. No one Was more
sensible OF her looks than Meg herself. She
sing. lest her head should DO divided INTO
two parss-snd she often expressed tho
hope that in heaven she would not be
recognized by her mouth. The n
disposition was everything to the
Murray family. II softensd the asperities
of poor Jean. whose youth had suffered a
sod disappointment. and it made amends
by its kindness for the thoughtless and
awkward rudeness of Allie. 1t covered
over the absurdities of Lady Mutray's cos
tune, n it was moro than an even match
for the laird's passionate temper; subduinR
it by softness only, as the horse tanner rules
his fiery subjects. Yet the good and amia-
bic Scottish maiden was invariably called
by her uninviting nickname. and the young
lairds never toasted the n%eiRhboring beau
ties without bringing in Mickle-Mouthed
Meg rs q foil to the loneliness Of their own
Cha-mers.
Meg had her own admirers. The gar.
dener's lame boy. from his armchair by
the window and a little table loaded With
books N pictures. cakes and fruits, the
gift of Margaret Murray. never failed to
hail her coming as that of his guardian
angel; and old, decrepit Sawnv Maointirs,
the schoolmaster of Elibank when Sir Gid
con was a young man, could never b. made
to think that Meg was not . perfect beauty;
epithet upon the child Of his former pupil,
and the youths continued to laugh disdain-
fully at the amplitude Of her mouth, Sawny
would shy: "Hech, slrs! but the ~lassie's
heart il as muckle as a hnill regimen Of
suoh as your AIM.
Meg had just entered her twenty-hnh
yenr. when her father came home suddenly
business. and alarmed tho family with the
news that he had heard. Young Willism
Scott, the son Of Scott. OF Harden, was
already making large ineursions upon lands
belonging to the laird of Elibank, and his
Expectations were made in open defiance of
all law. and in n manner worthy of tho most
lawless freebooter; at least suoh was the
story heard by the laird. and by him be-
lieved true.
To sound the alarm among the laird's re-
talneis. to summon the whole clan OF Muir
ray. and to defeat tho marauders through
superior force, was tho old knights easy
task. Another duty seemed coming upon
him to execute, which, after the heat. Of
passion and tho flush OF victory should be
over. would perhaps load his whole life with
unavailing rcmorsc.
Young Scott, OF Harden, was takcn pris-
oner and brought to Elibank Town, whore
he was confined in a room in Sir Gideon's
own castle. until lawful measures could be
taken to punish him. Having deposited
his prisoner in safety, the knight of Eli.
bank betook himself to tho pvoseuos of his
lady. to report his deeds OF martial prowsss
in rescuinR q flock of sheep from the
clutches of the borderers.
Magnificent. in a new head dress. Decor
ated with purple thistles and enormous
white lilies. Lady Murray heard her hus-
bands boast of his warlike deeds, and CON
graduated him warmly upon preserving his
mutton from the mouths which IL was
mover intended to supply. Still. she knew
Scott OF Harden. and she could NOT helm
feeling serry that so fine q young man
should have been mixed up with such an
affair.
"wna' are ye gaen TO do vi him. Eli
bank?s she nsked.
''Isa wi him?" asked the laird. with an
expf eBsion more nearly resembling acorn