Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-20

the women cried Bloody Claverse? as she
passed. She knew without any word Of
abuse that both she and her husband were
bitterly hated, because he was judged a
prosecutor and she a renegade. They were
two of the proudest people In Scotland,
but although ClaverhouSe gave no sign that
he cared for the peoples loathing she often
suspected that he felt it, being true Scots
gentleman, and although Jean pretended
to despse Covenanting fanaticism, she
would rather have been loved by the folk
round her than hated While she declared
to Graham that her deliverance from her
mothers party, with their sermons, their
denunciations, their narrowness and that
horrible Covenant, had been passage from
bondage to liberty, there were times. as
she paced the terrace alone and looked out
on the gray sea of the east coast, when
the contradictory circumstances of her life
beset her and she was troubled. When she
was forced to listen to the interminable
harangues of hill preachers, sheltering for
night in the castle. and day by day was
resisting the domination of her mother, her
mind rose in revolt against the Presby-
terians and all their ways. When she was
among men who spoke of those hillmen
as II they were vermin to be trapped, and
as II no one had breeding or honor or in
telligcnce sincerity except the Cavaliers
she was again goaded into opposition. Jean
had made her choice, both of her man and
of her cause-for they went together.with
her eyes open, and she vas not woman
to change again, nor to veX herself with
vain regrets. 1t was rather her nature to
decide once for all and then to throw her
self without reserve into her cause, ana
to follow without question her man through
good report ard Ill, through right, and, II
need be. wrong. Yet she was shreWd
and high minded woman, and not one OF
those fortunate fanatics who can see moth
thing but good on one side and nothing
but ill 'on the other. Life had grown in
tolerable in her mothers house, and Jean
had not in her the making of convinced
and thoroughgoing Covenanter. and In
going over to the other party, she had, on
! the whole, fulfilled herself. as well as found
mate of the same proud spirit. But she
was honest enough to admit to, herself that
those Ayrshire peasants were dying for
conscience sake, though she might think
1t narrow conscience, and were sincere
in their piety. though she might think it an
unattractive religion. And she could not
shut her eyes to the fact that there was
little glory in shooting them down like
murfowl, or that the men of Claverhouses
side were too often drunken and evil-living
braves.
acuteness that evening she read for
the third time letter which had come
from Edinburgh by the hands of Grimond
At the sight of the writing her pulse
quickened, and Grimond marked, with jeal-
GUS displeasure (for that impracticable
Scot never trusted JEAN, the flush of
love upon her cheek and its joy In her
eyes She now drew the letter from her
bosom, and this is what she read, but in a
different spelling from ours and with some
slight differences in construction, all OF
which have been translated:
Sweetheart: 1t is my one trouble wnen
l must leave you, and save when 1 am
engaged the kings work my every
thought is with you, for indeed it appeareth
to that if l loved you with strong de-
sire on the day of our marriage l love you
more soul and body this day. When an
other woman speaks to me in the daytime.
though they say that she is fair, her beauty
coming into comparison with yours IS ds-
paraged, beside the sheen of your hair ana
the richness of your lips, and though she
may have a pleasant way with men, as
they tell me, she hath no lure for me, as
1 picture you throw back your head and
look at me with eyes that challenge my
love. When the night cometh and the task
of the day is done, l hold you in my en-
| brace, the proudest woman In Scotland.
and you say again. as on that DAY In 'he
pleasaunce, For life, John Gfaham, ana
for DEATH
1t has not been easy living for you, Jean,
since that marriage day, when the trumpets
were our wedding bells and your mother
curse our benediction, and l take thought
oftentmes that 1t has been harder for thee,
sweetheart, than for me. l had the en-
counters of the field with open enemies
and of the council with false friends, put
thou hast had the loneliness of Dudhope,
when l was not there to caress you and
kiss away your cares. Faithful nave you
been to the cause and to me, and l make
boast that l nave not Detll
self to either. but the sun has not been
always shining on our side of the hedge
and there have been some chill blasts.
Yet they have ever driven us closer into
one anothers arms, and each coming home,
!! if it has been like the first from the work
of war has been also like 1t a new mar
riage day. Say you is it not true. sweet
heart. we be still bridegroom and bride,
and shall be to the end?
When l asked you to be my wife, Jean,
l told you that love even for you would
not hinder me from doing the kings work,
but this matter l have had on hand IN
Edinburgh has tried me sorely-though one
in the council would guess at my heart.
l have also the fear that 1t will veX you
greatly Mayhap you have heard, for such
, news flies fast, that we lighted upon Henry
Pollock and party of his people last
week. They were going to some preaching
and were taken unawares, and we captured
them ALL not without blows and blood Pol
lock himself fought as ye might expect,
like a man without fear, and was wounded.
/ saw that his cuts were bound up and
that he had meat and drink we brousht
him on horseback to Edinburgh, treating
him as we'll as we could, for while l knew
what the end would be- and that he sought
no other l do not deny that he IS an hon
est man and l do not forget that ne loved
YOU Yesterday he was tried before the
council, and l gave strong evidence against
him Upon my word it was that he was
declared guilty of rebellion against the
kings authority and was condemned 10
death None other could. 90, Jean, loi He
that spared dangerous and stalWart an
enemy as Pollock, is himself traitor, but
when the council were fain to insult him l
rebuked them sharply and told them to
their face that among them there was no
shirt so clean and brave. This morning
he was executed. and. since there was a fear
lest the people who have greatly loved him
should attempt to rescue, l was present
with two troops of horse. 1t needeth not
me ia tell YOU that he died we'll, bidding
farewell to earth and welcome to heaven
in words 1 cannot forget, though they
sounded strange to me. Sweetheart. Will
saw something boldly in thine ear. l have
had little time to think of heaven and lit
tie desire for such a place, but l would
count myself fortunate if in the hour OF
Henry Pollock So he died for his side,
and / helped him to his death; some day
1 may die for my side, and his is friends en- as
will help me to my death 1t Is dark
day and a troubled nation. Henry Pol
locx and John Graham have both been