Year: 1878

CHAPTERI


Minister of parish in a densely populated
manufacturing town in the south of Scotland
and having suffered severely from fever. /
gladly accepted an offer made me by a friend
to go for II few months in summer to take
charge of parish in ihe West Highlands, n
remote district ON the sea-coast


In order to appreciate thoroughly the beau
ty Of the scenery to which | went, and real
ize the SENSE Of exquisite freshness given by
the sea breezes, one must have suffered as |
had suffered from the constant smoke and
dirt which made open windows almost IA for
hidden pleasure How | had longed and
painted for fresh air. and here the very act
OF breathing was n pleasure As health re-
turned, | began TO wander far and wide, and
one day / found myself exploring a long
stretch of moor seemingly interminable
Heather not yet in full bloom, and countless
marsh flowers were mingled together piles
of peat were drying in the wind-all this lay
before me and around me. on the one hand
while on the other, far below my feet, the
sea lay sparkling as each wave caught the
sunlight on its crest. On the opposite coast
rose the beautiful hills Of Skye: the breeze
swept the clouds overhead fast and their
shifting lights and shadows made their forms
seem ever new myrads of sea-brds whirled
high above me, screaming to each other in
ceaseless uproar hrks sang joyously through
it all and all the time the grand monotony
of the rolling waters breaking upon the rocks
chRnted an accompaniment.


After walking some distance came to one
OF those sudden breaks i'll the land forming u
narrow glen. 1t was watered with Il burn
charged with the brown memory of peaty
soil through which it passed. and growing
purer and clearer as it filtered through the
stones. leaping over others as the descent
grew deeper, till it fell one lovely glttering
shower into the sea.


The ground rose abruptly on either side of
it, and on the banks all the way down prim-
roses grew in utmost profusion-late prim-
roses such rs can hardly be found elsewhere,
with such exquisite freshness, such long stems,
aud such luNurant leaves their very look
brought sudden sense of GOODNESS and
Spring tide. Beside them, in somewhat state
ly beauty. tall fOx-gloves raised their heads
just coming into bloom, and of every'inagin-
able hue-pure white, delicate pink. with
splashes of IA darker color in their hearts, and
beautiful crimson, with dainty brown pencil
ings. Ferns grew in their tenderest greens
club mosses showed every gradation OF tint,
from richest emerald to olive green few
silyer-stemmed birch trees dipped and moved
swayed 10y the wind, and forming IA lovely
contrast to some sturdy, stiff Scotch pines
that stood Mt the head of the glen as though
they were its sentinels.


Near these pines. and sheltered by rising
ground behind it, stood shieling or cottage,
humbly built, but with evidence of unusual
care in it's surroundings. Nothing of the un-
tidiness that speaks of n hurried life was
there paling. almost concealed by honey
suckle and the common Ayrshire rose, fenced
the little gardeni more honeysuckle was
trained against the wall and the windows
stood wide open. Ii was the only sign OF
man or his habitation had seen in my walk
and as | sat down on the bank to rest and eat
my luncheon, / wondered if the people living
in this solitude were in any way influenced
by the beauty which surrounded them, or
whether they lived unappreciative lives, not
knowing that their lines had fallen into
such pleasant places.


In a moment or two my thoughts were, in
measure answered the door of the cottage
! opened, and a girl came out with dish un-
der her arm piled with clothes she had been
| washing She paused for a moment, as
| though dAzzled by the sun, and looked round
as if she thoroughly enjoyed the beauty that
lay about her and then, with n swift, light
| step, she came down the bank till she stood
on fiat stone close to where the burn was
| imprisoned in n sort of pool Setting down
| the clothes, she began to rinse them in the
| CleAr WhltT anu wiring lnell OUT, lntn uOlulilB
| them up she shook them out, one by one, and
threw them on the bank 1t was the homel-
est possible occupation, and her dress differed
| in nothing from the dress Of most Highland
| girls-a short linsey petticoat, jacket of
| some washing material with the sleeves rolled
| high up above the elbow; but her gestures
were full of grace, and her hair was of rich
ruddy brown, that shed sort of light round
| her head, and reminded me of old pictures
| had seen.


| was unwilling to remain so near her with
| out letting her know of. my presence, so
rose and went down the bank to speak to her.
| She answered me with the utterabsenceo of self
consciousness and with the simple directness
possessed by all fine natures her manner was
| reserved but kindly, and her voice was low
| toned and musical. She was not beautiful, if
beauty depends upon feature and outline, but
| she had most interesting and pathetic ex-
preston in her dark eyes and when she
smiled, her face lighted up wonderfully. She
offered me refreshment, which l declined, but
accepted her invitation to rest for a little
while in the cottage


There is no use in trying to account for the
interest claimed by one stranger when many
pass by unheeded; but from the first, before
knew her, felt that this girl had history
and that in some way she had suffered, and
borne nobly


The cottage at first seemed dark after the
sunshine, but as my eyes became accustomed
to the subdued light, / saw the figure of an
| old woman lying ON bed Mt the furthest end
of the room. had never seen any one liv-
ing so utterly devoid of color as she was
hair and face were bleached-nothing but the
keen and restless look of her eyes, and the in
cessant movement of her long thin hands bus
lily knitting, spoke of life.


The girl went up to her, and told her in a
low voice who l was and then placed a chair
for me by the bedside and as l sat down,
felt conscious of peculiar feeling, as though
in the presence of some weird being, and
sat silent for little by the side of this mo-
tionless figure, under the gaze of those pierre
ing and questioning eyes, When she spoke,
the impression was increased as it was in a
clear shrill whisper that seemed to reverber-
ate through the room in a manner absolutely
startling


asked if she had been long lying there,