Year: 1871

ham, the sister of the Lord of Middleheld
having married beneath her rank, was
abandoned by her brother and family. and
her name was never mentioned in Middle
field House. An old servant, however, Of
the family had made the young heir master
Of the fact of the marriage, and of the death
of bus old aunt but be could not tell what
had become Of the father or the child be
supposed that they had died or gone to the
plantations abroad and there the matter
rested till this sudden and unexpected dis
covery. Peter Palmer, the father of Hell
en-, was altogether unacquainted with VIII
liam Graham, as Ae was a mere child when
Peter left Cumberland and his father had
used blm SO cruelty as TO make him avoid
bis residence and presence as carefully as
possible.


Would TO heaven we could stop here,
and crafty the reader with wedding, and
as much matrimonial happiness as poor NOR
tally can possibly inherit! But it may
not be. AS Lockbart says beautifully Of
SIR Walter. we hear "the sound of the muf-
fled drum"


Sir Roger and all the friends Of Mr.. VIII
liam Graham were opposed to bis union
with Miss Palmer, as Graham always call
ed her. Her own father, too, was opposed
to her forming a connection with the son Of
one who hal treated him so cruelty, and,
as be thought. unjustly--and it became
manifest to William, as he was in every
sense of the word his own master, that had
he his fair betrothed in the leas of Middle
field, be might set them all at defiance, and
effect their union peaceably, according to
the rules of the church. In an evil hour,
Helen consented to leave her fathers house
by night, along with her William, and on
horseback, to take their way across the
Border 10 Cumberland. They had reached
the parish Of Kirkconne about two o'clock
in the morning, and were giving their horses
a mouthful of water in the little stream
called Kirtle, when shot was heard in the
immediate neighborhood it was heard,
alas by two only, for the third was dying,
and IN the act of falling from her seat In
the saddle. She was caught by servant,
and by her lover bnt she could only say
II am gOne-I am gone" before breathing
her last. Oh, cure upon the hand that
nred the shot 1t was, indeed, an accursed
band, but fatal mistake. 1t was one Of
the bloody prosecutors Of Lag's troops, who,
having been appointed to watch at this spot
for some Covenanters who were expected
to be passing on horseback into England,
in order to escape from the savage cruelty
Of their prosecutors, had Immediately, and
in drunken blindness, fred upon this inof-
fensive group. The ball, alas took too
fatal effect in the heart OF Helen Palmer !;
and it was on her, and not as Allan Gun
nnghsm represents it, ION Helen Irving,
the daughter Of the laird of kirkconnel," +"
that the following most pathetic verses were
written:


| wish were where Helen lies


Night an day on me she cries;


Oh, that | were where Helen lies,


o. fair kirkconnel lea


oh, Helen fair beyond compare,


I'll make a garland Of thy hair;


SEs.i hizd ny h-srt for ever m=ir,


Until the day dee.


Curst be the heart that thought the thought,
And curst the hand that fred the shot,


When in my arms burd Helen dropped


On air Kirkconnel lea !"