The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1919-07-04

The Heart of Midlothian, by many
called the finest Of the Waverley Nov
els, was published anonymously in
1918. 1t takes it name from the Toll
booth or old city Jail, in Edinburg
heart" of Midlothian, which reared it's
ancient front in the very middle of the
High street of the city.
On the afternoon of September 8,
1876, Reuben Butler, assistant-master
Of the school at Libberton, and licens-
ed minister of the gospel, found him
self in unexpected trouble. First Of
all, he had become entangled with the
crowd of good citizens of Edinburg
in the Grassmarket, murmuring at the
postponement of the execution of Cap
tain John Porteous of the City Guard.
They were still in the heat of anger
from the events of the preceding day,
when Porteous had ordered his men
to fire, and had fired himself, upon
the crowd, some of whom were at
tempting to cut down the body of
Scotch Wilson, the famous snug
gler. Several innocent citizens had
been killed. Now that the chief Of
fender seemed likely to escape, there
was no knowing what the mob might
do. The quiet young pedagogue would
gladly have returned to Libberton.
Then, to his CONSERVATION, he learned
that Effie Deans, the younger and
more charming sister of his sweet
heart Jeanie Deans, was imprisoned
in the Tolbooth
When he had last seen Effie, more
than a year before, she had been a
beautiful and blooming girl, the lily
Of Saint Leonard's. Many traveller
past her fathers cottage had stopped
his horse on the eve of entering Edin
burg, to gaze at her as she tripped by
him, with her milk-pail poised on he1
head, bearing herself so erect, and
stepping so light and free under her
burden that it seemed rather an orna
| ment than an encumbrance. Now the
poor girl scarce eighteen years of age
| lay in the Tolbooth, charged with
| child-murder
The facts were that after working
for a time in a shop in Edinburg, the
unhappy prisoner had disappeared fol-
the space of week. and then made
her appearance before her sister a
Saint Leonard's in a state that haC
rendered Jeanie only too certain O.
her misfortune. But to all question:
she had remained mute as the grvae
until the officers Of justice had come
to apprehend her
| Before Reuben Butler could see her
the Tolbooth was closed; and before
he could escape from the city Grove
OF rioters compelled him to return
with them to the jail and administe
the last rites to Porteous, whom the,
dragged forth to death
The leader of the mob, young mar
disguised in woman's clothes, seizet
moment in the midst of the Turmoil
in the Jail to beg Effie to escape
For Gods sake-for your own sake
for my sake-flee, or they'll take you
life" was all that he had time to say
The girl gazed after him for a mo
ment, and then, family muttering
Better tyne life, since tint is gud
fame she sunk her head upon he
hand, and remained, seemingly, as uu
conscious as statue, of the noise ant
tumult which passed around her.
In the morning, on his way to se
jeanne and her father at Saint Leon
ards, Butler encountered in the King
park a young man of noble bearing
but strangely agitated, who bade hin
tell Jeanie Deans that, when tn
moon rises. shall expect to meet he
at Nicol Muschats Cairn, beneatl
Saint Anthony's chapel"
After attempting in vain to induc
Jeanie to explain the message, h.
returned to visit Effie again, in tn
Tolbooth. only to be compelled, on hi
arrival there, to tell the whole story
lest he be convincted of guilt in tn
Porteous affair. And then he was sen
home, under bail not to leave Libbe,
ton, nor to communicate with an
member OF the family of Effie Deans
But if his experiences were to hin
incomprehensible, they were by n
means SO to the authorities. By piee
ing together his testimony with tha
OF others, they rightly determined tina
the stranger in the Kings park, tn
leader Of the Porteous mob, and tn
father Of Effie's child were one an
the same person; namely. Geordi
Robertson, comrade of Wilson tn
smuggler. and but lately ESCAPED fror
. the very prison in which Effie Dean
was now confined Accordingly, the
planned to capture him that night a
Muschats Cairn. But before the
could reach that place, Robertson ha
time to beg Jeanie to save her siste
at the trial by testifying that Eff
had disclosed to her her condition
Then he escaped
; Merely that slight falsehood woul
have removed the case of Effie Dean
from under the letter of the crue
Scotch statute. But Jeanie, steadfas
ly. devoutly truthful, was utterly ur
able to placate her conscience in beaI
ing false witness. Nor could the di.
appointment of Effie herself, whor
she was at last permitted to visit /
the strong-room of the prison, alte
: her resolution HE wanted that
sui be nansworn," she said. II tol
him that I daurna swear to an ul
truth"