The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-02

keeping them for me-to gle them
to your mither the day ye were
capped in Edinburgh"
did /, mither7 Did l say that? l
wasna minding that had said that.
But I'll get ye far Drawer and better
anes"
MY mother rocked herself to and
fro, as she had often done when her
BARNS were children. The motion
had become habitual to her when
she was in trouble. Then she
checked herself, and sat straight up,
lest | should think she was fretting.
81 dinna want your pearls, laddie.
What would the like O. me do wi with
pearls9 1t is better as it is. They'll
set bonnie young Nance Chrystie far
better than an auld done body like
me. Oh, ken, that.
"Mither, mitherl"
"Haud awa'-dinna touch me the
moo. I'm no greeting, | tell ye, l
didna want the bit of pearls. 1t was
juist-juist that ye should haze
thocht vince O. gettin them for me,
and that ye cutted your feet bringing
them DOT O. the water"
If the condemned criminal suffers,
as l did then, | am 10 favor OF instant
execution, five minutes after SEN
tence.
No, l was not crying. How should
man of almost one and twenty cry
like BARN?
Then, when my mother spoke again,
it was in a changed tone-like one
ashamed, and yet more than half Gu
rious.
And what did she say when We
gied the ring to her?'
"She gied it back to me againl"
ooh, the limmer,-how dared shep'
cried my mother, on fire instantly at
the hint of an insult or rejection to
her eldest son.
at Was nv fault, mither-I quar-
relied her-I angered her. l tainted
her till she did it,"
"What angered ye, laddie?-what
did she do to ye?
But | was not telling tales on
Nance, that journey-not even to my
mother.
"Oh, nothing" l said; sit was only
my own ill-nature-my de'irs tenn
per-"
"Were ye tauntin her about haein
ither lads9" said my mo;her
"How do ye ken that, mither?" |
cried astonished in my turn.
She laughed little-a laugh l
had never heard before. Itseemed a
young laugh-the laugh lass laughs
to lad she likes we'll when they two
are all alone.
"Ah!-thirty years thirty years
-"said my mother. And there was
a sweet sad light of memory in the
misty eyes of blue.
"Oh, mither," said q was on my
knees beside her; how l came there
l do moi know eye are winsome yet
mither. Ye maun has been bonny in
your day. Then with sudden con-
triton, aye are bonny and winsome
moo"
My hand was between her two, and
she patted the back of it gently with
the uppermost.
Alexander, lad" she said, still in
the young voice, II mind lad and a
lass that were fond of yin anither,
like Nance and you. And he quar-
relied her, and he was prood, and she
was prooder. And he gaed awa'-
thirty years since-thirty year,"
VAST my father9" 1 asked.
Ma" said my mother, drawing in
her breath quickly, "na-no near sac
guild man as your father. But the
lass was fond of him-aye: he was
her first, ye see. And he gaed avail
She never saw him mairw
l waited for the rest. But there
was no more.
The wrinkled hand, hardened with
work, but soft as silk when the touch
of love was in it, went on gently pat
ting mine.
And l stroked my mothers hair as
if she had been my sweetheart. She
never let me do that before. l de-
clare felt her lean her head against
my hand as stroked, just as Nance
did.
"Gang back-gang back to her
this vera NIGHT, Aleck," she cried
earnestly. "Dinna ever be prood wi
the one ye love. She will no be prood
wi you, gin she lo'es you. I'll wager
she is greetin'-greetin' sair-the
noo!"
"She was laughin' when she gaed