The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-17

Jane Portsr's ''scottish chiefs'' Is a good. healthy. stirring story in which vice is pun tshed, virtue rewarded and patriotism exalt- ed. No wonder our grandfathers and grand mothers, our great-grandfathers and our great -grandmothers read 1t and reveled in 1t. It ought to be read today much more widely than it is It was a best seller of its day; and what best seller of the pres ent can compare with 1t in sustained inter est, in virility and In heaithful influence
 1t Is rather too comprehensive--takes in rather too much of Scottish history. per- haps Scott would have made dozen nov presses into ssrhe Scottish Chiefs" But It never flags in interest. and while some 2. the characters are vague others stand out strongly and are well drawn.
 Wallace is somewhat idealized: but na- tional heroes should be tdeaiized' That which is base about them should not ps remembered. and that which is noble snoulu be recorded; for patriotism itself is ideaiism, and without ideals the world would sink back into chaos and barbarism. Napo,eos sssn nf prohibited the sale of the translations or 'The Scottish Chiefs in his dominiohs, TOT at the time 1t was published he neia mary nations subject; and his genus rne, 2, "nse call to those oppressed by a foreign yoke to fiSe and throw 1t off.
 It was a day, of intense excitement Ill the lordly castle of Boutwell,, heid py inc venerable Earl of Mar for ms brother in Jaw, the lord who took ms title from the hold. Lord Mar had been set upon by English soldiers In tne streets of Lanark and brought oack .o the castle grievously wounded. ns life had been saved only by the llnels arrival of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Eilerslie. Returning from the cas- tie of Sir John Monteith with myste- rious casket that the latter had com mitted 10 his care. he had come, op- portuneiy on the fight between Mar men and the English soldiers. Wallace conveyed the wounaeo ears to his own house, but the vengeance or inc EnrIish Governor, Heselrigge--for the English had Scotland under tneir feet at that time-followed them 10 Ei- iersiie. Lady Wallace was killed by the Governors own hand In her nali, perishfng with her unborn. child. Ihe house was given to the names ana Wallace was driven a fugitive to the wfids of the Cartlane Craigs. The earl was saved only by being concealed m The hottom of dry we'll After the brutal soldiery had gone. he was car ried to Boutwell, Castle by 1albert the Saged harper of the house of Wallace. The spirit of the old Earl of Mar was unbent by age.l Smarting under the outrages he had felt and witnessed, he proclaimed vengeance against the Southron and proposed to summon his own and his brother in laws follow CTS to arms that they might join with the men of Lanark whom Wallace had with him in the wilderness.
 1T am sure" said he to his nephew, young Andrew Murray, that your fa- ther, the noble Boutwell,, woula were he here, agree with me that the time has como to act if Scotland Is not to be forever ground beneath the heel of the oppressor.
 'Oh. my uncle," exclaimed &he en- thusiastic Murray. ''sureiy the time for Scotland's freedom has come! I will lead my fathers vassals to Sir William Wallace and avenge our wrongs and Ecotland's.s
 Before long a messenger arrived at the castle with the intelligence that Wallace had descended on the castle held by Heselrigge, destroyed the gar rison and burned the hold. He had avenged the death of his beloved Ma rion by killing the English command CT with his own hand. The liberty of Scotland, which had seenIed lost fer ever. had found, a champion again.
 Lord Mar gave orders for all the vas- saIs of Boutwell, to assemble on the following morning on Boutwell, Moor. No one entered more enthusiastically into the preparations for again lifting the standard of Scotland than the earl's daughter, the young and beautiful Helen. If sMurray's form and bearing  and lofty port that of his cousin was the perfection of female loveliness and high-bred grace. Through her beauty shone a modesty and spirit that held spelIbound all who looked on her.
 Here, Helen." said her father, lis a lock of Sir William Wallace's hair which he sent me as a token that the messenger just arrived was surely from him. He writes that he cut 1t from his own head with the captured sword of Hesselrigge. the sword yet wet with his wife's blood, You can see the stains on it. Work 1t into banner which Murray shall carry to Cartlane Craigs and lembroider the motto God arms me- upon the standard. Those words are the words of Wallace"
 As Helen hastened to her room to begin her task the gallant Murray fol- lowed her with his eyes, and for the first time realized that within his heart was a feeling for her stronger than for a cousin. But there was one among the household of Earl Mar who viewed with alarm and bitterness this prepar- ation for the deliverance of her coun- try It was the Earrs second wife Helen's stepmother, the young and beautiful Princess of Orkney. who was closely allied to the houses of Cum min, Soulis and March, those probing fish lords whose treachery both to Bruce and Baliol had helped so well to bring about Scotiand's enlightenment.
 Consider, my lord" said this proud and ambitious lady. Consider. Your project Is wild and needless. Now that Baliol has surrendered his crown to Edward, is not Scotland at peace%
 "A bloody peace, Johanna" answered the Earl. "A peace filled with plum der and assassination. have seen and felt enough of Edwards Jurisdiction, It is time I should awake-that Scotland should awake--and, like Wallace, die or be free"
 As soon as the Countess left her lord she sent a letter to her kinsman Lord Souls. The very next morning as Lord. Mar was delivering his in- structions to the fifty brave chiefs who were to lead the men assembled on Both we'll Moor, the door of his apart ment was burst open and in strode Lord Soulis. A man in splendid Eng fish armor with a train of Southrou soldiers followed the recreant Scot The Earl started from his couch and de- manded: Lord Souls, what Is the meaning of this unapprised visit?"
 '"The ensign of the liege lord of Scot land is my warrant" answered Soulis, haughtily. You are my prisoner in the name of the King of England. Three thousand English troops have seized upon your levies on Boutwell, Moor The castle Is surrounded. Re- sistance is impossible. Throw down your arms. all here present, or be hanged for rebels as you are."
 A cry of rage arose from the Scots. Their swords flashed. Hot and fiercely broke the combat around the couch of l. .