The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-10

nv father "douce John OF Ardarroch,'
ae all the parish called him, moderate
man and no highnier, as he woulu nave
described himself-yet out OF whom ms
wife (and my good mother) had by the
constant dropping Of argument hdue
Covenant man and even ialrly CON
sistent follower Of the Hill folk. Neither
Will / bide to speak OF my pro'heiS' ny
and David. for their names ana V"'i "o
ters will have occasion 10 appear %
write down my own strange history. NOT
vet can / pause to tell Of the sweetness
and grace of my sister Anna, whose
brown eyes held a cnarm which even my
bovish and brotherly insensibillty ac-
knowledged and delighted in, being my
elder by half dozen years and growing
mn among MS rough louis OF the heather
like a white rose In the stocky corner
Of an herb-garden.
For | must tell OF myself and what
befell me on the Bennan top the TWEEN
tv-nrst day Of June-high midsummer
dav OF the Year Terrible, and Of all that
Il brought TO me
7 had heard. indeed. often enough OF
chasings. Of prisOnments. OF men ana
women sent away over seas TO the cruel
plantations. Of the boots and the thumb
screw of the blood Of slain men redden-
ing tive heather behind dvke-backs There
was indeed. little talk - anything else
throughout all the land Of the South ana
West But n so CHANGED that our house
Of Ardarr h. being set high mp on the
eide Of Bennan aud with no prominent
Covenanters near by to be mark for the
fury ~ the prosecutor. we Mac Clellans
had thus far escaped unquesuoned ana
scathless.
put IN nv tale Of midsummer day OF
Year Terrible.
had been out all day over the rough
rig Of heather. looking tentily TO my
sheen. for / had been "hefting' tas the
business is called in our Galloway lano).
a double score Of lambs which had Just
been brought from a neighboring low
land farm 10 summer upon our scah'y
INLAND pastures. Now. II is the nature OF
sheep TO return. If they can TO tlelr
mother-hill. or AT least to stray lurlhei
and further. seeking some well-known
Iandmarlx So till such newcomers grow
satisfied and theft" Cor attach them
selves 10 the SOIL they must be watched
carefully. both night and day
was at this time thirteen years OF
ace. well nourished and light of foot as
q goat. Indeed. there was not a goat IN
the herd that I could not run down and
grin by the neck. And when Hob, my
elder brother, would take after me pc
cauea ~ some mischief / had wrought
warrant he had a long chase ana
sore sweat before he caught me- If got
but ten yards start and the heather Tree
before me.
This dav had n couple OF fine muckle
scenes in my pocket. which my mother
had given me. besides one ! had pur-
Joined for myself when she was not look
ing. but which my sister Anna had seen
me take and shaken her head. lnat,
however. I minded not fly l snatched
un also a little square book from the win
cow sill, hoping that in IL might ma
some entertainment 10 while away the
hours I'm the bield Of some granite stone
or behind some bush or heather. But
found II to be the collect Of Mr.. samuel
Rutherford. his letters from Aberdeen
and Anwoth. and at first l counted the
reading Of IL dull enough work Bul AFTER
wards. because of the names OF kennel
places in our Galloway and also the me
well-smacking words in IT, liked II none
so III. .,.,.,,.
Asbie and Gray. my dogs. sat on either
eide of me. Brother and sister they were
OF one year and letter, yet diverse as
anv human brother and sister-Ashle De
ing gay and frisky. ever fun OF ireils anu
caperings, his sister Gray on the otner
hand. sober as hill-preachlhg WHEN
Clavers is out looking for IT,
As for Ashie. he nipped himself In the
eanlx and pursued after his own tail as
n ne had taken some ill-wil at IT. But
ola maidish Gray sat erect, cooking het
ebort ears and keeping a sharp eve on
the hefting lambs. which went aimiess-
w straving and cropping below, seeking
in vain holms as kindly and pastures
as succulent as those Of the valley crolts
from which my father had driven them
q day or two before.
Eor myself I had been singing a merry
stave. one YOU may be sure that j did
not let my mother or my sister anna
hear I had learnt Il from wild David
who had brought the wide sheet back
| with him from Keltonhill Fair thus
3, had been carrolling, gay as the leverloch
! which / watched flirting and pulsIhs up
| uards ont of the dun bents OF the fell.
! put after n while the small print Of my
| hook and perhaps also the high instruc-
tivoness Of the matter inclined me To-
wards sleep.
| Tho Heating OF the sundered lambs
DESTROYS Of motherly udders fell more
! soothinrlv and plaintively to my ear
| II seemed to bring dreams pleasant ano
| delightful with il. | heard the note OF II
| einls and change TO that heavenly muir
murinc that comes with drowsiness' OF
which mayhap is but the sound OF th'
norter opening the poppy gates OF sleep
and which may break yer more ueisn'
! ell, on our ears when the gates ina
omen for us are the Gates of Death.
I suppose that all the afternoon th'
vhaups had piped and "wily-whaeed'
the snipes bleated and whinnied owe
head. and that the peewits had com
planned to each other of the questin'
beast below them, which ran on TWO rex
and waved other two so foolshly in TN
air. But I did not hear them. My ear
were dulled. The moorland sounds melte'
deliciouslv into the very sough and muir
muir OF reposefulness. ] was well on m
way TO Drowsieland. l heard my mothe
~ q