The times., 1897-11-07
Ccontiaged from Last Sandag.)
THE BoxNY Lass or EARLsToUN.

THE BoNNY LASS or EARLsToUN-
wasmviutent TO accompanying father
and mother back IL ArdarrOch IL name oi
an escort. hut chieflythat ! might accept
the inyi,nta,n or the laird OF Earlstoun auu
once ui,,re see Mary Gordon, the lass " hose
image / had carried 50 long ia my heart
For. strange a 5 ID may appear, when She
went forth from the kirk that day she
left a look behind her which went straight
70 my heart.
1 tred 10 shut the desire Of seeing her
again Dut of my heart. But, do what
could ID was Lot TO be. 1t would arise,
comm. brt7reeu me and the very paper Oh
which I w1ote my sermon before began
70 learn it nv heart.
God forgive . sinful man! At these
times 8ucht oflmss ID have been thiHNiii-
OF sJ4sthiue else. But " hen man carries
such a passion IA has heart, all the panOply
OF heavenly love Is impotent To restrain
thoughts that .ly swift as the light from
hilltop 10 hilltop al the sUnusing.
So } went home TO ArdarroCh, where,
with kind oi gratitude, / stripped my
coat ard fen to the building OF dykes about
The home park. and The mending Of man
strat-d.
'QGlnJiG, are &c not ashamed; you,
with a parish Of hungry souls, TO be
knockiu al nails and hftin' mucAe-
stanes On tie hiBsdes o. Ardarroch2'
But Anna kept close TO ne, understand
ing my mood. We had always loved one
another ! had used la say that it was
Anna who ought 10 have been the min
lister For her eyes We're full Of q fair
and - acious light, the gentle ouoshiniHg
Or a true spirit within. As for me, after
/ liaa been with her awhile 1 was a better
and d stronger man at least, one less unfit
Tor holy Office
Rigtt gladly would ! have taken Anna
hack " ith tne 10 the manse OF Bainaenie,
but ] knes well tliat She would not 90.
.,Ouiuiin.' she would say. our father
ana mitheI are not 50 young as they once
were. Mv fasCher forgets whiIes, and the
herd LADS are not 20 trust 70. David, there,
is foncver on tae trot 10 this farm-to@n ana
the olher-tU the Clachan o. st. John, to
the New Town OF Galloway, Or to Bad
rnacIeuan lis all une 70 Tim. lie cannot
bide al home after the horses are cut Of
the collar and the chain draps from the
sgvingletr,.. INTO the 1urrow.'
But solae day ye VIII rind lad Anna.
and then you also viii be- leaving Ardar-
roch and the auid folk behind ye.''
Ny sister sraHed quiet smile and her
eyes We're raT away.
Maybe ina ybr," she said, temperately
s-but that day is not yet
Has never a lad come wnoin' ye, Anna?
Was Dot there J0hHny Of IT0nmacanny,
Ave" said Anna, they came, and they
gaed away soither lasses that We're reader
10 nt,e them For never saw alad yetJhat
] could Ike as zyell % $ IA great silly blotheF,
who should hc thinking more about his ser
mon u.aking than about putting daft
thoughts into the heads OF maidens."
After this there was silence between Us
for a j hile. We ma d been sitting in thei.an
with both doorsppen. Tie wide arch TO the
front opening outinto the quadrangle Of the
court yaId let in a cool, dr-wEIg sough OF
afr. and tie smaller door let IL out again.
and gave Us at the same time 4 sweet eye
Dink into orchard, where the apples were
harcinC. mellow and pleasant, on Tie
branches. and the leaves hardly looseTing
themselves FOX their fall. The light sifred
through the leaves from the westering sun
dappIlur the grass and wavcring upon the
hard beaten earthern floor OF the bam.
II ar going over by To EarlStOun,"
saia TO Anna without booking up.
Anna an 1 spoke but half our talks out
loud VIC had been such close comrades ali
our lives that we under rstoOd much without
needing 10 clothe OUT thoughts in words.
Apparently Anna did not hear what
raid- 80 I repea ted it.
'.Liuna." va all she answered.
''And wherefore should l not?" I per
sisted. argumeIta lively. The laird most
Tindly invited me: indeed laid it on ne
like an obligation 70 come"
'.Ye are going over TO Earlstoun to see
tho LAIRD"
'.wby, yes said: that is, he has de-
sire to s4e me. he is the greatest OF all
-he CoveIaut men, aud we have much in
Common 10 speak about
'.Tom0rrov he viii be riding by to the
market az KIrkcudbright, where he has
business Yecan ride with him to thecross-
roads OF Clachau Pluck and talk all that
your heart desires Of kirl, and state"
Anna" said I, seriously, Il am going to
the house of Earistom tomorrow
IN moment she dropped her pretense OF
banter -Quinun, We viii only make your
heart the sarer. Iaddie.'
And v-hrrefOre?" said I.
''See hr sparL;e On the water Gus there,
she saId To lie bosom OF Loch Ken far
below as ITS bonny. But can ye gather
Z in your hand or wear it in your bosom?
Dear and deliEhtsome is this good smell
OF apples and Of orchard freshness, but
can ye fold these and carry them with
you to the bare msnse Of Balma ghie
for Conlror, 90 your heart. No more car
ye take the pride OF the great mans
daughter, the glance OF proud eyes, the
word accustomed to obedience, ana
bring Them INTO subsection TO , poor
mans l9vs''
Love can do all, said I seutenti-
ously.
Ave She said, where love is, Is can
indeed work al things. But, 1 bid We
remember that love dvels not yet IN
Mary Gordon's heart for any man. Hers
Is not heart 20 bend. For rank or fame
she may give herself, but not for love-
Nevertheless, said I, Il viii go to
the house of EaTlstoun tomorrow"
Anna Fuse and laid her hand on mine.
4 keuued it" size said, and little
Wonld I ,hink Ul you, brother OF mine.
Il sc did not"
XVII