The herald., 1897-12-05

ness; others that he has been driven
mad by the sin and the shame!"
Now this was sore and grievous tid-
ings to me, not only because of Mary
Gordon, but for the sake of the cause.
For Alexander Gordon had been for a
generation the most noted Covenanter
of the stalwart sort in Scotland He
had suffered almost unto death with
out wavering in the old i'll times Of
Charles and James. He had been long
in prison, both in the Castle of Edin-
burgh and that of Blackness. He had
come to the first frosting of the hair
with a name fair and untainted. And
now, when he stood at the head of the
Covenanting Remnant, it was like the
falling of a God, that he should so de-
cline from his place and pride.
Then the other part of the news that
the Presbytery, as the representatives
of and custodians of morals, were to
lay upon him the greater excommuni-
cation, was also thing hard and bit
ter. For if they did so, it inferred the
penalties of being shut off from COM
munion with man in the market-place
and with God in the closet. The man
who spoke to the eXcommunicated par
took of the crime. And, though the
power of the Presbytery to lose and to
bind had somewhat declined of late,
the terror of the Major Anathema still
pressed heavily upon the people.
Hob went soberly up to his bedroom.
The boards creaked as he threw him
self down, and l could hear him asleep
in q minute. But sleep would not come
to my eyelids. AT last arose from nv
naked bed and took my way down to
the water-side. where I had walked
| oftentimes in dark days and darker
nights.
Then, as I was able, I put before
Him. m-who-is-never-absen the case of
Alexander Gordon. And I wrestled long
as to what l should do. Sometimes I
thought of him as my friend, and
again 1 knew that it was chiefly for
the sake of Mary Gordon that 1 was
thus greatly troubled.
But with the dawning of the morning
came some rest and growing clear
ness Of purpose-such as always comes
to the soul of man, when out of the in.
definite turmoil Of pain, something to
| be done swims up from the gulf and
stands clear before the inward eye.
1 would go to Earlstoun and have
| speech with Alexander Gordon. The
Presbytery had condemned him un-
heard. His own folk of the Societies.
at least some of the elders Of them,
| had been ready to believe an evil re-
port and had suspended him. He need
| ed a minister's dealing. or at least a
| friends advice. l was both, and there
was all the more reason, because I was
neither of the Kirk that had condemned
nor of the communion which was ready
to believe an i'll report Of it's noblest
and highest.
1t was little past the dawning, when,
being still sleepless, I set my hat on
my head, and taking staff in hand, set
off up the wet meadow-edges to walk
| to Earlstoun. I heard the black-cap
sing sweetly down in the gall-bushes
Of the meadow. A black-bird tuned up
some notes of his morning song, but
drowsily and without the young ardor
Of spring and the rathe summertime.
Suddenly the east frightened and rent.
The day STROBE over the land.
| journeyed on, the sun beating hotly
upon me. 1t was very evidently to be
a day of fervent heat. Soon I had to
take off my coat, and as 1 carried it
country-fashion over my shoulder the
harvesters gave me good day from the
corn-fields of the pleasant strath and
over the hated park-dykes which the
landlords were beginning to build.
Mostly, when I walked abroad, I saw
nothing, but to-day I saw everything
with strange clearness, as one some-
times does in vision, or when stricken
with fever.
| noted how the red willow-herb grew
among the river-stones and set fire to
little pebbly islands. The lilies, yellow
and white, basked and winked belated
on the still and glowing water. The
cattle, both molt and kye, stood knee
deep in the shallows-to me the sweet
sights.
AS I drew near to New Galloway
sc0re of laddies squattered like ducks
and squabbled like shrill scolding
black-birds in and out Of the water, or
darted, naked, through the copsewood
at the lochs head, playing "hide-and-
seek" about the tree trunks.
And through all pulsed the thought,
What shall 1 say to my friend? Shall
I be faithful in questioning, faithful In
Christening or rebuke? Shall take part
with Mary Gordon's father, and for her
sake stand and fall with him? Or are
my message and my Master more to me
than any earthly love? I feared the
human was indeed mightier in my
heart of hearts. Nevertheless there
seemed to be something within me
greater than myself.
TO BE CONTINUED.