St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-01

clearly before them they should take
few minutes intermission in which
to make up their minds, and he was
sure they would be glad to have Mrs
Mavor sing. In the interval the me1
talked in groups, eagerly, even fiercely
hampered seriously in the forceful ex,
preston Of their opinions by the pres.
ence of Mrs. Mavor, who glided from
group to group, dropping a word here
and a smile there. She reminded me of
a general riding along the ranks, brac-
ing his men for the coming battle. She
paused beside Geordie, spoke earnestly
for few moments, while Geordie
gazed solemnly at her, and then she
came back to Billy in the corner near
me. What she was saying could not
hear, but poor Billy was protesting,
spreading his hands out aimlessly be.
fore him, but gazing at her the while
in dumb admira ton. Then she came to
me.
"Poor Billy! He was good to my
husband" she said softly, land he has
a good heart"
Hes not much to look at" I could
not help saying.
tThe oyster hides it's pearl" she an
swered, little reproachfully.
'"The she'll is apparent enough" re-
piled, for the mischief was in me.
"Ah, yes" she replied softly, "but it
is the pearl we love-"
l moved over beside Billy, whose
eyes were following Mrs. Mavor as she
went to speak to Mr.. Craig.
WELL" I said, "you all seem to have
high opinion of her."
can Ugh hopinionw he replied in
deep scorn. Gan Ugh hopinion, you
calls itr'
"What would you call it?" I asked,
wishing to draw him out"
"Oi don't call it nothink," he replied,
spreading out his rough hands.
"She seems very NICE" said indif
ferently.
He drew his eyes away from Mrs.
Mavor and gave attention to me for
the first time.
"Nicew he repeated, with fine con-
tempt, and then he added impressive
ly, Them as don't know shouldn't say
nothink."
"You are right" l answered earnest
ly, "and am quite Of your opinion"
He gave me quick glance out of his
little, deepset, dark blue eyes and open
ed his heart to me. He told me in his
quaint speech how again and again
she had taken him in and nursed him
and encouraged him and sent him out
with new heart for his battle until,
for very shame's sake at his own mis-
cradle weakness, he had kept out of
her way for many months, going stead
lily down.
"Now, Oh hain't got no grip, but when
she says to me tonight, says she, oh,
Billy'-she calls me Billy to myself"
(this with a touch of pride) -" ooh,
Billy says she, we must ave a total
habstinence league tonight, and Oh
want you to 'elpr and she keeps a-look-
in at me with those heyes O hern till,
if you believe me, sir" lowering his
voice to an emphatic whisper, though
Oh knowed Oh couldn't 'elp none, afore
Oh knowed OF promised 'er OF would.
It's 'er heyes. When them heyes says
do hup you steps and does"
l remember my first look into her
eyes, and | could quite understand
Billy's submission. Just as she began
to sing | went over to Geordie and took
my seat beside him. She began with
an English slumber song, "Sleep, Ba-
by, Sleep" one of Barry CornwalPs,
think, and then sang love song with
the refrain, Love once again." but no
thrills came to me, and began to won
der if her spell over me was broken.
Geordie who had been listening some
what indifferently, encouraged me,
however, by saying: "She's just pittin'
aft time with the feckless sangs. Man,
there's nae grup till them" But when,
after a few minutes pause, she began
"My Ain Fireside" Geordie gave q
sigh of satisfaction, "Aye, that's some
thin like" and when she finished the
first verse he gave me a dig in the ribs
with his elbow that took my breath
away, saying in whisper, MAN, hear
till Won, wull ye?" And again found
the spell upon me. 1t was not the
voice, after all, but the great soul be-
hind. that thrilled and compelled. She
was seeing, feeling, living, what she
sang, and her voice showed us her
heart. The coy fireside, with it's bon
ny, blithe blink, where no care could
abide, but only peace and love, was
vivil1ly present to her, and as she sang
we saw it too, When she came to the
last verse:
"When I draw In my stool
On my coy hearthstane,
My heart loups sac LIGHT
l scarce kent for my ain,"
there was feeling of tears in the flow
ing song, and we knew the words had
brought her a picture of the Preside
that would always seem empty. felt
the tears in my eyes, and, wondering
at myself l cast a stealthy glance at
the men about me, and saw that they,
too, were looking through their hearts
windows upon firesides and ingle hooks
that cleaned from far.
And then she sang "The Aud Hoose,
and Geordie, giving me another poke,