The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-13


rather hae yersel-iuist what's in yir
bert, Patrick; the Almighty II ken the
lave rest himself"
So Drumsheugh knelt and prayed with
pauses:
ALMIGHTY God, dinna be hard on
Weelum Mcclure, for he's no been hard
w. .onyb in Drumtochty. Be kind
tae him as he'i been tae us a for forty
ar. We're a. sinners afore thee For
give him what his dunno wrang, an din
nj cuist it up tae him. Mind the fouk
he's helpit, the weemen an bairnies; an
gle him welcome home, for he's sair
needn't after a. his wark. Amen"
THANK ye, Patrick, and guide NIGHT
lac ye. Ma ain true freend. gie's yir
hand, for all maybe no ken ye again.
Moo all say ma mither's prayer, and hae
sleep; but Yell no leave me till a. is
over"
Then he repeated as he had done every
ght of his life:
This night lay me down to sleep,
l pray the Lord my soul to keep;
And if die before wake,
/ pray the Lord my soul to take"
He was sleeping quietly when the wind
drove the snow against the window with
a sudden "swish;' and he instantly
awoke, so to say, in his sleep. Someone
needs him.
Are you frae Glen Urtach?"
And an unheard-of voice seemed to
have answered him.
Worse, is she, an sufferin' awful;
that's no lichtsome; ye did RIGHT tae
come. The trent doors drifted up; gang
roond tae the back an ye ill get inta the
kitchen; all be ready in meenut Gie's
hand wi the lantern when am said
ding Jese, an ye need ma come on till
day LIGHT; a. ken the road"
Then he was away in his sleep on some
errand of mercy, and struggling through
the storm.
Its coorse night, Jess, an heavy
traivelin'; can se see aforeye, lass?-for
am clean confused wi the snow. Bide
wee till a. find the Diversion O. the
roads; it's ABBOTT here, back or forrit.
Steady, lass. steady; sinna plunge; it's
drift we'er in, but ye're no sinkin'. Up
moo! There, ye are on the road again.
Eth. it's deep the NIGHT, an hard on us
bath, but there's puir wummun MIGHT
dee if wee didna warstle through.
That's it.; ye ken fine what am saying.
We ill haze to leave the road here, an
TAX tae the muir. Sandie ill no can
leave the wife alane tae meet US. Feel
for yersel, lass, an keep out O. the holes.
Yon's the hoose black in the shaw. San
die! Man, We frightened us; a dinna see
ye ahint the dyke. Hoo's the wife,"
After awhile he began again:
"Ye're fair dune, Jess. and so a. am
masel; we're bath gettin' auld, an din
ma take sac weel wi the NIGHT wark. We
ill sumo be hame moo; this is the black
wood. an it's no lang after that. Weer
ready for oor beds, Jess. Aye, ye like
clap at time; money mile we've gaed
thegither. Yon's the LIGHT in the kitchen
window; nae wonder ye'er nickering
[neighingl. It's a been stiff journey;
am tired, lass m tired tae deith.'
And the voice died into silence.
Drumsheugh held his friends hand,
which now and again frightened in his,
and as he watched, change came over
the face on the pillow beside him. The
lines of WEAKNESS disappeared. as if
Gods hand had passed over it; and
peace began to gather round the closed
eyes.
The doctor had forgotten the toll of
later years, and had gone back to his
boyhood
The Lord is my Shepherd. Ill not want
he repeated. till he came to the last
verse, and then he hesitated:
&C 'odness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow MS
Follow me-and-and-wha next?
Mither says ives tao head ready when
she cam. 'A'll come afore We gang tae
sleep, Wullie, but yell no get yer kiss
unless ye can flemish the psalm "And
in Gods house-forever my''-hoo dis it
rim? a Gamma mind the next word-my.
my. It's over dark moo tae read it, an
mither'll sumo be comm"
Drumsheugh. in an agony whispered
into his ear: "'My dwelling place.
| Weelem"
That's it, that's it a moo; wha said it?
''And in Gods house for eye'more
| My dwelling place shall be-
"A'm ready moo, an all get me kiss
when mither comes. A wish she wud
come. for am tired an wantin' tae sleep.
Yon's her step-an' she carryin' LIGHT
in her hand; a. see it through the door.
Mither. a kent ye wudna forget yir lad
die. for ye promised tae come, an ave
feenished me psalm,
''And in Gods house for eyeTmore
| My dwelling-place shall be-
"Gie me the kiss, mither, for ave been
waitin' for ye, an all sumo be asleep"
The gray morning light still fell on
Drumsheugh still holding his friends
cold hand and staring at a hearth where
| the fire had died down into white ashes: