The times., 1897-10-31

the house. Well might remain to keep the
evildoers from the doors-'
/ felt soft hand touch mine. as il by
accident, and a low voice whispered close
To my ear.
But l was there. / watched it all. and
when saw you were kneeling before them
al with tie hands of the minister's upon
your heal hac almost swooned away
The soft hand was fully in nine now
I was cot conscious of having taken it,
but, nevertheless, it lay trembling a little
and nesting contentedlyin my palm. And
because l was tired, and the day had been
q labor and burden To me, was corn-
forted that Jeans hand abode in mine
l PRESSED it and said: Little one, /
ala glad you were there. But the work is
Il great one for one SO young and unworthy
IS I. 1t presses upon me-
''But YOU have good friends said Jean;
friends at-that think of you always
and wish you Well"
We had fallen little behind, and /
,onld hear Alexander-Jo Jonita in her high,
clear voice, telling her father how she had
found a sick sheep on the Duchrae Craigs,
and carriedit I all the way home onh her back
''Whatin cried her father; over the
heather and the fell?"
Aye" she answered, as IL the thing
Were nothing; ''and what is more, the poor
beast is like 10 live and thrive
Sol was settledin my parish, which wasa
goodone, as times W ent. Theyicara ge wasa
pleasant stone house, which sat iii a biedy
hollow beneath the kirk hill OF Baluaehie.
Snug and sheltered 1t lay, an encampmeut
of great beeches sheltering it from the
the blasts, and the hills looking down on
it with kindly tolerant silence.
Ny brother Hob abode with me in the
uianse OF Baima glie TO be my man. 1t
was great good fortune TO thus keep him,
aud in the Coming troublOus days | ken
not what / should have done without his
good counsel and strongly willing right
hand. Ny father and mother came over
OH the od pony from 4 Ardarroch. my mother
riding on ID pilii"n behind my father, and
both OF them ready, OH the sign of the least
brae, to get off and walk most of the
way, with the bride over my father y arm,
Willie my mother discoursed of the terrible
thing 1t was to have two of yonr sons SO
Tar from home, strange in Il strange land.
is had not seemed SO terrible to her when
We went To Edinburg.
Be- this parIsl, Of Balmag ghiei IL was
a far cry anda coarse road, said nIymother,
and size was sure that We both took our
lives III our hands each tine that We went
aFoss It's uneanny pastures
Nevertheless, once there, she did halt nor
slacken till she .ad taken ih h and the furui-
ture ant '~pleuIsning OF tie nanse, ana
brought some kind of order out o I the piled
ard tortured confusion, which had been the
haS st Tnh nd I
Keep us, laddics, = she cried, after the
first hopeless look at our handiwork Il
Gamma think on either O. We takin' a wife
Yet IN feared that Wife ye maun get
| atween ye, For / eanna thole to let we
gang on this wild gate, WI your meal o.
nieat ready, anG only goBleril Hob Ia do
it,
Then ven let Anna come to bide with
| US for awhile, il We are so vexed for us,
| said TO try her.
Nay. indeed, l Gamma do that. A nna is
needed az Eame where she is There's your
| fatEer, NOW he's grown that bairnIy he
thinks there can be nae guid grass in the
meadow that Annals foot treads not on
| The hens wouldna lay, the kye wouldna
let doom their milk withoot Anna Ardar
| roch stans on the braeface because 'ti-
| anchored doom WI Anna. Saw We ever sici
fyke aboot lass?''
| "QuintIn hast" said Hob, with intentio
| for which | did not thank him.
! What" cried my mother, instantly TAX
ing fire ''hae suu.e O. the fmpudent queans
q Ralnaghie been settin' their caps at him
| already"
There We are. mither," said Hob, "y5
| speak bravely aboot Quintin gettm' mar
ried, but as soon as We speak aboot ans
| iassplaffP sc gang up like d watt o tow
t thrown IN tie fire"
| Il wad like 10 sec the besom that wad
make up to my Quintinr' said m ynother
! her indisuatinn beginning TO simmer down
Then come over to the -'' he was be
1 ginning.
Hob" said, sternlys that is
enoughi'
/ And when I spoke to him thus Hob was
/ amenable enough.
! 30 ny.,..4.....,-s