The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-04-19

Macha, are you mad? Wouldn't it be
only to see you happy and well? I sup
pose tho man has good farm aud can
pay his rent. And you would he well
warmed and fed, my Macha, thoagb
your mothers hearth would be blank. "
81 don't want to be well warmed and
fed. am as well off as you and the
grandmother and the girls. He would
take me out to England, over the sea
away, away to the other side of the
worldP
And the girl sobbed wildly on her
mothers shoulder.
"Send him off, then, acushla machree
Why need you break your heart about
what nobody is going to bid you do?
Your mother before you never wore
fine gown, and we will be hungry to-
.gether as we always were.''
Macha's weeping subsidized a little,
but only to break out again as fiercely
as before.
81 cannot send him away, mother! I
love him as we'll as you Oh, why did
he ever come over the mountain? Better
it had been him that lives down in the
lakeP'
The mother stood aghast. ''Holy Vir-
gimp she cried, land tits only score
of days since we saw him first. Then, if
you love him like that, my daughter,
you are bound to be his wife. You must
go, even to England over the seal''
"You don't know what you are say
ing, mother. How could / live without
seeing your face?"
GAS many have to live, my Macha.
Maybe he would bring you back to see
us. And you might be able to send us
the potato seed or piece Of the good
flannel to keep us warm.
Macha looked piteously in her moth
er's eyes and then round the familiar
cabin. The storm came down again
upon her heart, and she flung up her
arms and fell into swoon. Her lover,
arriving up the mountain, found her ly-
ing white on the heather outside the
door, with her head on her mothers
knees, and was thus led into uttering
promises which else he might never
have made.
Its only the heart that is too strong
in her," said the poor mother sorrowful-
ly. ''[t is ill to love stranger that
must part you from your own"
81 swear to bring her back" said the
man eagerly. "She shall come when
ever she pleases and bring as many good
things as she likes. We might even
build house in the valley below
At this the color began to return into
Macha's cheeks, and the comfortable
promises sank deep into her mind.
Little by little the struggle between
the new love and the old was softened
away. The will of the stranger pre-
vailed, and the marriage took place in
a little rude mountain chapel, where
Macha had been baptized, and where,
travelling through hail, rain and storm,
she had knelt every Sunday since she
had been able to walk At the church
doors the husband reiterated the prom
Use that he would bring her back-very
soon she would return to the mountain.
He almost tore his bride away, weeping
and half fainting, from the embraces of
her people, from. the clinging of their
thin brown hands and the kisses of their
weather beaten faces. And In spite of
the promises he had just repeated he
was glad to think that he had probably
seen the last of this wild mountain tribe.
\
Sir Humphrey Gilbert dressed his
wife in a lady's garb and surrounded
her with all the appointments that were
suited to her new station, The first jar
to his happiness was given by his per.
ception that, beautiful as was Macha in
her silks and laces and trinkets, mu-
sical as was her speech, graceful as We're
her movements, there was yet some
thing wanting in her to make her a
bride that could be presented, without
risk Of criticism, to his friends. Che
enchanting mountain girl, with her
picturesque beauty and wild charming
ways, was no more The lovely Lady
Gilbert was q little too unconventional,
with her soft brogue, her vivid and fig
urative language, her quick natural ges-
lures, her little slips in grammar and
artless habitual utterance of the truth.
But Sir Humphrey was very patient
with her and set TO work to polish his
precious gem in the rough,
A long time passed over, and the hus-
band felt no desire to revisit the high
lands of Connaught.
Dear" said his wife to him one
day, "when are we going back to sec
my mother}"
She was standing before him in a
flowing robe of soft white stuff, with
her honey colored hair dressed by a
French maid, with jewels in her ears
and flowers at her breast, looking such
picture of beauty and refinement that
even the peculiar lnFonation that still
clung to her speech could not declare
her other than lady. Macha possessed
in a high degree the power of adapting
herself to the ways of those around her.
Her husband recognized this power in
her and relied upon it to carry him
through the consequences Of his own
rash and extraordinary conduct, He was
grateful to his wife for the persistent
/ efforts he saw her make, knowing she
was influenced solely by love for him,
for she took but little interest in the
pleasures that surrounded her. He did
not know how far she was influenced by
reward, i'll the fulfllment of his prom
Use to bring her back to her native hills,
fro BE CONTINUED
| The Difference.