The herald., 1896-04-05

/ A tuft OF primroses was blooming hard by
| the leg Of an old, black table tombstone,
and he stopped to contemplate the random
| apologize. They stood forth on the cold
earth with trenchency of contrast; and he
was struck with sense of incompleteness
| in the day, the season. and the beauty
| that surrounded him-the chill there was
in the warmth. the gross black clods about
the opening primroses. the damp earthly
smell that was everywhere intermingled
with the scents. The voice of the aged
Torrance within rose in. an ecstasy. And
he wondered If Torrance also felt in his old
bones the joyous influence Of the spring
morning; Torrance, or the shadow of wnat
once was Torrance, that must come so soon
to lie outside here in the sun and rain
with all his rheumatisms, while new
minister stood in his room and thundered
from his own familiar pulpit? The pity of
it, and something of the chill of the grave
shook him for a moment as he made haste
to enter.
He went up the aisle reverently and took
his place in the pew with lowered eyes, for
he feared he had already offended the kind
old gentleman in the pulpit, and was sedu-
lous to offend no farther. He could not
follow the prayer, not even the heads Of
1t. Brightnesses Of azure, clouds of frag-
rance, tinlxle of falling water and singing
birds rose like exhaiations from some deep
er, aboriginal memory, that was not his,
but belonged to the flesh on his bones.
His body remembered; and 1t seemed to
him that his body was in no way gross,
but ethereal and perishable like strain
Of music; and he felt for it an exquisite
tenderness as for a child, an innocent, full
of beautiful instincts and destined to an
early death. And he felt for old Torrance
of the many supplications, of the few
days-a pity that was near to tears. The
prayer ended Right over him was a tab
let in the wall, the only ornament in the
roughly masoned chapel-for it was no
more: the tablet commemorated, 1 was
about to say the virtues, but rather the
existence of a former Rutherford of Her.
miston; and Archie, under that trophy OF
his long descent and local greatness,
leaned back in the pew and contemplated
vacancy with the shadow of a smile
between playful and sad, that be-
came him strangely. Dandie's sister.
sitting by the side of Glen in her
new Glasgow finery, chose that moment to
observe the young laird. Aware OF the stir
of his entrance, the little Journalist had kept
her eyes fastened and her face prettily
composed during the prayer. 1t was not
hypocrisy, there was no one farther from a
hypocrite. The girl had been taught to be-
have; to look up, to look down, to look
unconscious, to look seriously impressed in
church, and in every conjuncture to look
her best. That was the gaile OF female
life, and she played it frankly. Archie was
the one person In church who was of inter-
est, who was somebody new, reputed eccen-
trio. known to be young and laird, and
still unseen by Christina. Small wonder
that, as she stood there in her attitude of
pretty decency, her mind should run upon
him! If he spared glance in her direc-
ton, he should know she was well-behav-
ed young lady who had been to Glasgow.
In reason he must admire her clothes, and il
was possible that he should think her pref
ty. AT that her heart beat the least thing
in the world; and she proceeded, by way
of corrective. to call up and dismiss SER
les of fancied pictures of the young man
who should now by rights be looking at
her. She settled on the planest of them, a
pink short young man with dish face and
no figure, at whose admiration she could
afford to smile; but for all that, the consci-
BUSINESS of his gaze (which was really fixed
on Torrance and his mittens) kept her in
something OF a flutter till the word Amen
Even then, she was far too well bred to
Glasgow touch-she composed her dress,
rearranged her nose-gay of primroses, look
ed first in front, then behind upon the |
other side, and at last allowed her eyes to |
move, without hurry in the direction of the |
Hermiston pew. For a moment, they were |
rivited. Next she had plucked her gaze |
home again like tame bird who should |
have meditated flight. Possibilities crowd |
ed on her; she hung over the future and |
grew dizzy; the image of this young man,
slim, graceful, dark, with the inscrutable |
half-smile, attracted and repelled her like |
chasm. II wonder, will have met my |
fate?" she thought and her heart swelled.
Torrance was got some way into his first |
exposition, posting deep layer Of texts |
as he went along, laying the foundations |