Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28
CHAPTER II.
Visions Of the Night.

Upon the highest floor of Blair Castle
there was long and spacious apartment,
like unto the gallery in Paisley Castle.
where John Graham had been married to
Jean Cochrane. and which today Is the
drawing room. To this high place Claver-
house climbed from the room where he had
examined the two Engishmen. and here he
passed the last hours of daylight on the
day before the battle OF Killiecrankie.
Seating himself at one of the windows, he
looked out toward the west, through whose
golden gates the sun had begun to enter.
Beneath lay a widespreading meadow
which reached to the Garry: beyond the
river the ground began to rise, and in the
distance were the hills covered with
heather. with lakes of emerald amid the
purple. There are two hours Of the day
when the soul of man is powerfully at
fected by the physical world in which we
live and in which. indeed the things we
see become transparent, like q thin veil.
and through them the things which are
not seen stream In upon the SOUL One Is
sunrise. when there is first a grayness in
the east. and then the clouds begin to
redden. and afterward a joyful brightness
heralds the appearing OF the sun as he
drives in rout the reluctant rearguard of
is when all the high lands are bathed in
soft. fresh. hopeful sunshine. but the gIens
are still lying in the cold and dank
shadow, so that one may suddenly descend
from a place of brightness, where he has
been in the eye of the sun. to a land OF
gloom. which the sun has not yet reached.
Sunrise Quickens the power that has been
sleeping, and calls q man In high hope to
the labor of the day. for II there be dark
ness lingering In the glen there is light on
the lofty tablelands. and soon 1t will be
shining everywhere. when the sun has
reached his meridian. And 1t puts heart
n ING n m r(lvv1a 10 Nd anvry
through the hollows when the sun is rising,
for though the woods be dark and chill,
the traveller is sure Of the inevitable vic
tory Of the light.
Yet more imperfous and irresistible Is the
impression OF sunset as Dundee saw the
closing pageant of the day on the last
evening of his life When first he looked
the green plain was flooded with gentle
light. which turned into gold the brown.
shaggy Highland cattle scattered among
the grass. and made the river as 1t flashed
out and in among the trees a chain of
silver. and took the hardness from the
Jagged rocks that emerged from the sides
Of the hills. As the sun entered In be-
tween high banks Of cloud, the light be-
gan to fade from the plain. and it touched
the river no more: but above the clouds
were glowing and rsddening like celestial
army clad IN scarlet and escorting home to
his palace a victorious general In q few
minutes the sun has disappeared, and the
red changes into violet and delicate, in
ucoSAipooiS VI green anu Dlue, IKE
the color Of Nile water. Then there is q
faint flicker, sudden and transient. from
the city into which the sun has gone. and
the day Is over. AS the monarch Of the
day withdraws. the queen Of the night
takes possession, and Clavsrhouse, leaning
his chin upon his hand and gazing from the
sadness Of his eyes across the valley, saw
the silver light, clear, beautiful, awful
flood the mountains and the level ground
below. till the outstanding hills above and
the cattle which had lain down to rest in
the meadow were thrown out as in an
The d.w nth ~. nanrninS nrowi.a eth
its noontide heat, with its evening glory,
was closed, completed and irrevooable The