The Yale expositor., 1920-08-26
CHAPTER ~.
Cousin Edie Of Eyemouth

cousin Eole OF Eyemoutn.
Some years before, when was still
but lad, there had come over to us
upon a five weeks visit the only
daughter of my fathers brother. Will
lie Calder had settled at Eyemouth
as a maker of fishing nets, and he had
made more out of Irvine than ever we
were like 10 do out of the whin bushes
and sand links OF West Inch. So his
daughter, Edie Calder. came over with
Draw red frock and n five-shilling
bonnet and kist full OF things that
brought my dear mothers eyes out
like parten's.
took no great stock of girls at
that time, for It was hard for me to
see what they had been made for.
There were none of us at Birtwhistle's
that thought very much Of them; but
the smallest laddies seemed to have
the most sense. for, after they began
to grow bigger they were not so sure
about II. We little ones were all of
one mind that a creature that couldn't
fight and was carrying tales, and
couldn't so much as shy a stone with
out Tapping its arm like rag In the
wind was no use for anything.
So when this one came to the stead
ing at West Inch I was not best
pleased to see her. I was twelve at
the time Ut was in the holidays) and
she eleven, thin, tallish girl. with
black eyes and the queerest ways. She
was forever staring out in front OF
her, with her lips parted as If she saw
something wonderful; but when /
came behind her and looked the same
way could see nothing but the
sleeps trough or the hidden or ia
theirs breaches hanging on a clothes
line. And then II she saw a lump Of
heather or bracken, or any common
stuff Of that sort, she would NOPE
over II as If II had struck her sick, and
cry, "How sweet how perfect" just
as though it had been a painted pic
ture. When 1 used to tell her that
she was good for nothing, and that her
father was a fool TO bring her up like
that, she would begin to cry, and say
that / was a rude boy. and that she
would go home that very night, and
never forgive me as long as she lived.
But in five minutes she had forgotten
all about IL. What was strange was
that she liked me deal better than
/ did her, and she would never leave
me alone, but she was always watch
ing me and running after me, and
then saying, "Oh, here you are!" as
II It were a surprise.
Jim Horscroft was away when
Cousin Edie was with u.s. but he came
back the very week she went, and l
mind how surprised l was that he
should ask any questions or take any
interest In mere lassge. He asked
me If she were pretty; and when 1
said that hadn't noticed he laughed
and called me a mole. and said my
eyes would be opened some day. But
very soon he came TO be interested In
something else, and never gave Edie
another thought until one day she just
took my life in her hands and twisted
it as l could twist this quill.
That was I'm 1913, after l had left
school, when / was already eighteen
years OF age, with a good forty hairs
on my upper lip and every hope of
more. I had changed since / left
school, and was not so keen on games
as I had been, but found myself in
stead lying about on the sunny side
Of the braes, with my own lips parted
and my eyes staring just the same as
Cousin Edie's used to do. 1t had sat
isfied me, and filed my whole life, that
1 could run faster and jump higher
than my neighbor, but now all that
seemed such little thing, and
yearned and looked up at the big arch
ing sky and down at the fiat blue sea,
and felt that there was something
wanting, but could never lay my
tongue to what that something was.
And I became quick of temper, too,
for my nerves seemed all Of a fret;
and when my mother would ask me
what allied me, or my father would
speak OF my turning my hand to work.
/ would break into such sharp, bitter
answers as / have often grieved over
since. All, man may have more than
one wife, and more than one child.
and more than one friend, but he can
never have but one mother, so let him
cherish her while he may.