Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
"THE DOOR WAS OPENED AGAIN"

| fathers hand who, Of course used his
| power without stint and without mercy,
even as he had promised that he would
| Then came the turn of the villagers who
mad tenancfes or leases of shortdate. Many
| were to leave at Martinmas. Many more
had their warnings to remove at the en-
suing May term, could not but feel that
! those who came to listen to me, still more
| those who Joined themselves to our despised
| communion, were doing so to their own
| cost. Often, indeed, did l demonstrate with
| them and bid them first consider the cost
| But the answer was ever the same.
! Shall you be the only one to lose houses
| or lands for the Kingdoms sake? Are the
promises to be to you alone? Do not
| grudge little of that cup you have
| drained to the lees
For the story had gone athwart the par
| ish like wildfire now that my father was
| now moving heaven and hell together with
| the middle purgatorial state of the court of
| SESSION. to take away my heirship to the
| estate. And indeed as soon as l heard of
| the matter and the parish talk of child
| born to my brother, l went to Mr.. McCrosty
| and offered to make an affidavit as to the
| things which had knowledge Of including
! all that Rupert had confded to me the
night of his death.
| But the old lawyer, smiling softly with
| that dry Scots legal humor. which at it's
| finest is perhaps the best and kindest in
| the world, showed me a better way, and
tempered what he was pleased to call my
| impatient Quixotry with far-seeing acumen
| L need only say now that he has been prov
en- right in every particular.
| But during the following winter our cause
| in Cover for while seemed almost hope
| less. 1t was a hard season in our part of
| the country, with early snow and irregu-
] lar frosts and thaws about Christmas Then
| afterward in the front of the year came
I the hardest weather Of all, culmiuat ting
| about the beginning of February in snow
| storm long memorable in the parish of
| Cover and along the shores of the Solway.
Yet during all this time the open-air
i CO.. rina<. a~I,y
| standing that We were much harried and
| driven from place to place Interdict after
| nterdict was launched against us, my
father being resolved that l SHOULD be ex-
| PEELED from the place More than once it
| was my desire to resign, urging upon nv
| office bearers that in all probab ility they
| would find that the most part of nv
1ather resentment was on my account,
| and that he might prove more easy to be
entreated on behalf of another minister
But the reply of my elders showed much
of that Scottish dourness which, in another
| way. was also my fathers falling
Ma Master john" they said. ct was
you that brocht us DOT O. the land O. bond
| age. and We must cen bide and lead us
into the land O. promise"
AT last things had gone so far that we
| were utterly beaten from all parts and
| pendicleS of the Cover estates, and found
| no rest for our foot save in little sand OF
| gravel pit within the flood mark of the
| tide. where we continued to meet all
| through the winter weather. Yet there was
less of suffering than might at first appear
| inseparable from such privation 1t seem.
ed as If the driving salt spray did not
drench, nor the hail bite. nor the rain soak
nor the easterly wind blow with so fell con.
| sequences as at other times. And many a
time as in the Sabbath noontides we gath.
cred, the psalms of praise went up to the
| accompaniment of bowling winds and roar
| ing waves of the sea. Yet even in this
there was a curious sense of elation, OF
the manful endurance of that which could
not be helped. without whining or boast
| fulness.
One day in particular remember we had
arranged that the communion service was
to be held as early as 10 o'clock in tn,
morning. in order that the tide might no
De full TIL after the dismission of the con
gIegation. But the morning broke darl
with binding drifts Of snow, and If it had
peen possible would have stopped the peo
pie from coming out that day at ALL How
ever. since that could not be, resolved t.
shorten the service. When we arrived
upon the shore at the rocks Of Dhubarran
as our outdoor cathedral was called, the
ground up to the edge Of the gravel pit wal