"a great thunder, 1651; while on the 23rd, "D. of Buckingham slain, 1628." September 3rd "The Scots routed by Gen. Cromwel, at Dunbar, 1650; on the 20th, 66 Newbery first Battel, 1643;" and 21st Scots Colours hung up in Westminster Hall, 1650." October records on the fifth (what a retrospect!) "K. Charles returned from Spain, 1623," and, 15th day, "Earl of Derby beheaded at Bolton, 1651;' on the 28th, "Newbery second fight, 1644;" while on the 30th "Col. Rainsborough slain, 1648." November's chief records are, the 3rd day, "The Parliament began, 1640," and 28th, "Book of Common Prayer voted down, 1644." December's 1st day saw "K. Ch. taken out of the Isle of Wight, and brought to Hurst Castle, 1648;" on the 8th, "Mr. Pym died;" and from the 22nd to the 24th, King Charles is recorded as going from Winchester, through Farnham, to Windsor, 1648. Christmas Day has this couplet: "Thy Christmas keep with joy of heart, And bless God for thy store: To pity the poor that come to door Is to increase it more." Of the monthly gardening, &c., directions, I will only give that for December, which runs thus: "In the old of the Moon this month and the next are the best to fell timber; let Fowlers minde their game; cover herbs from cold; look well to your Cattel; let a warm fire be thy Bath, the kitchen thy Apothecary's shop, and good hot Meats thy Diet, to which, according to thy ability, invite thy poor Neighbours, to whom I give this advice: "If thou be poor and canst not feast at all, Go feast with such as shall to feasting call." I will not trespass on your readers' space by copying all the horticultural directions with which "Merlin" studs his page; suffice it to say that those for April, namely, "This moneth replenish your gardens with Summer Herbs, with Artichokes, Melons, Citrions, and Cowcumbers; pole your Hops, bark Trees for Tanners, and "In all your acts have this in your eye To set wet and sow dry;" and for July, namely, "At the full gather Flowers and Seeds, and dry them moderately in the Sun, to avoid corruption; stir your land for Wheat; pull up Hemp that is ripe; get Rue and Worinwood to expel Moths and Fleas; beware of sudden cold, for nothing sooner breedeth the Plague, therefore forbear drinking hot," are the most quaint among those contained in this curious little old book, W. READE, jun. COTTAGE LIFE IN SCOTLAND. CHAP. XII. "With daily prayer and daily toil, COLERIDGE. And now we will return to the Drover's cottage home. "To the shore where the bright sea green Where healthful winds are blowing; Chiding the stranger wand'ring by." A week had elapsed since Andrew Lindsay might have been expected home, and he had not come. People had begun to shake their heads and whisper when they spoke of him. Mrs. Lindsay kept up a brave heart, but she could not silence her neighbour, Jenny Black, who would make her listen to the hideous tales afloat about her missing husband. The poor woman keenly experienced the misery of hope deferred, and the weary, weary listening for the step that never came. their mother. "Blessed be His name-He only can comfort the broken heart." Nannie began again to read, and gradually peace stole into their sad hearts, but tears continued to trickle over the mother's toil-worn hands which were clasped over her face. After a little, they went in to take their "four hours," a meal equivalent to the "tea" of the present day. It was composed of "sowens," a preparation from the seeds of oats, which they were about to take with heated milk, when the door opened, and a quaint little old woman entered. This was 66 Old Mary," Andrew Lindsay's mother. In appearance old Mary seemed, to my young imagination, to look exactly as Cinderella's godmother must have done. She might be considered the good genius, as Jenny Black was the evil genius of the neighbourhood, fo this good old woman "Harboured no suspicious thoughts, Was patient with the bad, Grieved when she heard of sins and crimes, Old Mary was always primly dressed in the same style, though the material might vary. Her present dress was a very old blue black silk, and a pure white muslin kerchief pinned On a bright day in the beginning of May, over it; on her head was a white, round-eared Mrs. Lindsay sat at her cottage door busily bobinet cap, nicely quilled, and a stick was in spinning on the little wheel. Katie and Nan- her hand, for rheumatism had lamed her sadly. nie were seated on stools beside her: the for- Having been formerly a favourite servant with mer was unravelling an old stocking of her the great people of the neighbourhood, they, father's to re-foot it, while Nannie read in a slow when in the country, paid her much attention, monotonous tone a chapter from the Bible. In and kept her well supplied with tea, a small front of them lay the broad expanse of ocean parcel of which she had brought with her. shining like molten silver, and heaving placidly The girls joyfully rushed to welcome Granny, under the noon-day sun, and the short curling but the mother looked wistfully in her face, for waves with foamy crests rippled and splashed old Mary was often chosen as the bearer of bad over the hot dry sand. Nearer them was their news. The old woman saw traces of weeping little garden, where bees were humming among in their faces, and said as she sat downthe few flowers, and white butterflies fluttering over the gooseberry bushes. Nannie had chosen to read in the twentieth chapter of Revelation, where it is written, "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose face the Heaven and the earth fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened.' A deep sigh burst from Mrs. Lindsay, and she wrung her hands, crying "Is it before the great white throne he is? Oh, Andrew! I canna, canna stand it." The two girls hung about their mother, imploring her to be comforted. "What made ye read that chapter, Nannie?" cried Katie." And see, ye have blistered a' the gude Bible wi' your greetin.' "Oh read, read the Bible, Nannie," entreated "There's nae need to greet, bairns. There's naething wrang wi' yer faither that the maister can hear of. We mauna meet troubles halfway, but wait the Lord's pleasure wi' patience." "But Granny," said Katie, "Jenny Black says that a beggar woman telled her that she saw twa men set upon a man wi' a plaid on, and rob and murder him, while the beggar woman was lying quaking behind a hedge." "And she says," cried Nannie, "that a man with a plaid on was found drowned at Carlisle.” "These stories of Jenny Black's have just upset me," sighed the poor wife," and oh ! it's eerie to just wait on day after day, day after day, and him never come; but God's will be done. I have needed the affliction, or it would never have been sent." Granny, yere ill," cried Katie, running to her. The old woman was shivering and pale from suppressed emotion, but no tears came. The two girls and their mother quickly got the table spread, and a pot of warm tea prepared, which comforted the hearts of all. They were sitting round the table talking quietly, but hopefully, when the door opened, and Jenny Black stalked in. She walked solemnly and silently forward, and then with a long deep-drawn sigh flounced down on a chair, remarking with a melancholy whine-" I'm glad to see ye taking a cordial to keep up your strength, Jean Lindsay; for sair, sair, ye'll need it. Poor Andrew's body-" "Jenny," interrupted old Mary, rising pale and shaking; "ye must have a bad heart to bring evil tidings that have no truth in them to an afflicted house." "My certy! but yere no blate, Mary Lindsay, to say there's nae truth in what I tell. The resurrection men have been ta'en up, and lodged in Dumfries jail, and they have confessed that they-" "For mercy's sake, say no more," cried the poor women at once, while the young girls sobbed and cried as if their hearts would break. "Tell me I was leeing!" again cried Jenny; "mair by token the men that telled me saw puir daft Violet chained up in ane o' the jail cells. Na, na, ye'll never again see Andrew Lindsay in the flesh." At that moment a hum of many voices was heard in the distance. Nearer and nearer came the sounds of joy and laughter, till at length at his cottage door there stood Andrew Lindsay, pale, dusty, and way-worn it is true, but the happy centre of a group of friends and acquaintances, who had gathered around him as he drew near his home. pening to be empty at the time, Jenny removed there, much to old Mary's annoyance. She was, however, in a measure reconciled to the arrangement, as by that means her son and family were able to remove into the more roomy and convenient cottage vacated by Jenny Black. CHAP. XIII. "Where junipers and thorny brambles grow, Her The Whitsunday term happened a few days after the drover's return home, and his daughters then, as had been already arranged, went to service at their first places. Katie entered the farmhouse of Braehead as midwoman" or assistant to dairymaid and cook, while Nannie went to a Mrs. Aitkens as little maid-of-allwork. Katie had always been a sickly girl, and had from that cause been longer in going to service than girls of her class usually are. neighbour servants, besides the young dairymaid, were old Ann, the cook, who might be considered a fixture at Braehead, having served there two generations; also Tom Black the shepherd, and George Hunter. George, who has already been mentioned, was a stalwart fine-looking lad, the glass of fashion, and the mould of form among the rural swains; he was also a decided male-coquette among the girls. Katie's gentle manners and delicate beauty attracted him from the first, and he soon distinguished her from other girls by a peculiar tenderness of manner which found its way to Katie's young guileless heart. Farm work soon proved too heavy for the fragile girl, and she was permitted to go home for a few days to recruit her strength; the days became weeks, and at last, her health not improving, she was obliged to find a girl to supply her place; and Bet Black, who had just quitted service at a distance in the middle of the term, from some unexplained reason, was very glad to take the proffered situation. She soon ingratiated herself so much with her mistress that she was engaged to remain at Braehead, even though Katie returned to her place, there being work Old Neddy, Jenny's husband, had lately been enough for both. Bet was no less successful appointed to the office of sexton, and the fes- in winning favour with the inconstant George, tivities that followed every exercise of his sad who seemed to feel "how happy he could be vocation so disturbed the feelings of the good with either, were t'other dear charmer away;" people around them, that some of the bright and Katie, hearing of his faithlessness, pined spirits among the boys thought it a duty prac- and fretted to return to her place, but her patically to express their disapproval of the ill-rents would not hear of it till after harvest. omened feasts, by tumbling down the wide The harvest was early and scanty, and chimney into their frying-pan all sorts of ob- through it all, the Lindsays, father and mother, jectionable ingredients. The neighbourhood bore the burden and heat of the day, while was clearly getting too hot for them, and two Katie stayed at home looking after domestic rooms in old Mary's house at Crofthead hap-matters, If Katie escaped the hard toil of the "Weel Jenny, what think ye of the drowned man?" laughed the blacksmith. 66 Jenny was determined to make a "subject of ye," cried another. "Ye see murder will out," said the next. "He, he! Jenny's running frae the ghost," laughed the miller. "Aye, but miller, he'll be made a ghost yet, in spite of either you or me," sighed Jenny as she stepped out; "just like a knotless thread," as Mrs. Lindsay afterwards said. harvest, she also missed the merry "kirns" or harvest homes, at which no one danced with more glee than Jamie Brown, who had just returned from a foreign voyage, and it was remarked, that his favourite partner on those occasions was young Nannie Lindsay. One sunny Sabbath about this time, the church goers were returning home after "the preaching" in detached groups, all walking with quiet decorum. Jenny Black and her daughter Bet preceded the rest, while Mrs. Lindsay and her two daughters followed at some distance behind. The two girls expressed a wish to go and see their grandmother, who they feared was ill, as she had not been at church, and they were about to separate at a turn of the road by a footpath that led to Crofthead, when Jamie Brown and his mother joined them. As they stood talking, the girls quietly quitted their mother's side, and proceeded on their way, while Jamie Brown walked back to meet and shake hands with George Hunter. So the two matrons pursued their homeward way alone-not unobservant, however, for they saw, on looking back over the grey stone dyke, that the young men and maidens were walking together along the woodland path. "Eh how! Jean, does that no mind ye of your ain young days?" sighed Mrs. Brown. "Deed, aye, but I hope the silly things will mind that it's the Sabbath day," answered her friend. Meantime Nannie went alone to see her grandmother, being only accompanied part of the way by Jamie Brown, while Katie and George seated themselves on the gnarled roots of a large tree which grew at the bottom of the glen beside a mountain stream. Through its leafy honours, flickering sunbeams ever and anon darted over the quiet waters of a deep pool at their feet. The sweet perfume of the woods was around them, and the joyous warbling of the birds was above them, and their hearts were full of the poetry and joy of love's young dreams. George looked fondly on the fair innocent face of the gentle girl beside him as she shyly whispered, "Oh George, do ye really like me?" The handsome young ploughman's bold, black eyes flashed triumphantly, and then with soft tenderness he caught her to him as, shamefaced at her temerity, she was shrinking away. "Like ye, Katie," he exclaimed, "how can I help it? Ye are sae bonny and gude. If ye were only my wife, I am sure I would be baith a better and happier man. But Katie, my dawtie, I can never get a word spoken to ye at yer faither's. Could ye no try to come to the miller's barn on Tuesday night? Jenny Black is going to have a raffle there, and there is to be a dance after it. It wasna Bet that told me about it, for we have quarrelled, and I did'na mean to go to it, but if ye will promise to be there, I would go, though it were through fire and water." "What did you and Bet quarrel about?" enquired Katie, evading an answer to his request. "Weel, I canna say," said George, rather posed by the question. "The fact is, I canna help the lasses taking a notion of me," and he put on a look of comical distress. He would have talked a little of the coarse badinage he had hitherto found acceptable with his admirers, but a look into Katie's calm pure eyes which seemed gazing into a hidden future deterred him, and he felt that her greatest shield was her innocence. Tears filled her beautiful eyes as Katie clasped his brown toil-worn hand in both hers, and whispered, "George dear, dinna rely on me making ye gude, for oh! I am na gude mysel." "Union is strength, my dawtie. We'll help ane anither, but I would like to tell ye about Bet Black.' " He paused, and looked up thoughtfully. A dark frown passed over his brow as he hesitated, for there on the height before him he observed a woman wearing flaunting red ribbons, standing among the trees and tall shrubs that crowned the precipice, intently observing them. In her he instantly recognized Bet Black, who seeing herself observed, waved her hand to George to come to her. George obeyed reluctantly, alleging as an excuse to Katie for leaving her, that "he heard voices coming down the middle of the glen, and knew she did not like their meeting to be observed by strangers; so he would bid her "good-bye, and return at once to Braehead." "Dear Geordie, ye needna gang for that-it's only Nannie and Jamie Brown," said Katie looking up the glen. But George did not listen: He had already strode over the stepping stones, and was climbing the sloping sides of the precipice, leaving poor Katie a prey to anxious doubts and fears. She was soon joined by her blooming sister Nannie, and the young sailor Jamie Brown. "See how wet I am," cried Nannie. "When I was up at the Crofts seeing granny, Bet Black was there, and she would come down the glen wi' me; so just as we were going to cross the burn at the "bottomless pool," I began to tell her (for fun ye ken) that George Hunter and you were going to be married, when Bet gied me a great push into the pool, and I'm sure I would have been drowned but for Jamie Brown. He was standing there, seeing if the nuts were ripe, and heard my skirl." The young sailor was notching a stick, and though he did not speak, his face flushed with pleasure as he whittled away with greater energy. "Jamie, man, ye shouldna nick a stick on the Sabbath day," continued Nannie, "but gude us! Katie, what's the matter with ye? Ye are as white as a clout. What is't yere looking at?" Katie was gazing sadly at the retreating figures of George Hunter and Bet Black. Her heart beat painfully, but controlling her feelings, she turned to accompany her sister homeward through the wood. Bet, as she stood on the brow of the hill awaiting George Hunter's approach, was in no gentle mood. Rage and despair had taken possession of her wild, passionate heart; and it was only by an unusual exercise of self-control that she feigned the smile she could not feel as she called out to him “Aye, Geordie, man! I hae a craw to pick wi' you." George laughed. "Hae ye, Bet, my woman? and where's the pock to pit the feathers in?" Bet smiled moodily as she answered, "Eh man, but ye are like the rest o' yer kind. Ye can laugh and take yer fun off puir women, when they are wishing the grave would open and cover them up. Is it true that ye are gaun to marry Katie Lindsay?" "Tuts, Bet! ye are havering. Can a lad no speak a word to a lassie when he meets her, without the hail country side fancying he is gaun to marry her?" "Geordie, are ye speaking the truth? Eh man, muckle her bonny face would do for a working man! Would she ever think of knitting the like o' these for ye?" continued Bet, pulling from her capacious pocket a pair of stockings, which, if Mrs. Roberts had seen, she would have thought suspiciously like her own yarn. George received her gift graciously and consented to let her mend his clothes, but fell into rather a brown study as they walked homewards. He had been much in the habit of receiving substantial marks of the respect he was held in from the girls of the neighbourhood, and therefore did not seem to value Bet's gift so much as she expected. His own words, too, to Katie, were still running in his mind-"I would be a better and happier man if I was married to you, Katie." There was a longing in his nature for help in the path of duty-a craving after good, from which his strong passions were perpetually dragging him. He greatly desired to be gently pushed along the right road, all the big stones to be put aside, and temptations' flowers veiled from his sight; and Katie was the guardian angel whom he desired to perform this duty for him. He did not reflect that there would be a counter-attraction in him to pull her down to his level, and that it must be his own "agonizing and resisting unto blood, striving against sin," that would avail. Bet, meantime, wearied of his silence, began poking among the long grass, stones, and withered leaves, as if seeking for something. "What on earth do ye expect to find there?" he exclaimed, at last. "Oh, it was your tongue that I thought ye had lost. Are ye gaun to the raffle on Friday night? ___ My mother expects the whole country side. Tam is to raffle his watch, and my mother has been making a lot of braw new counterpanes for it." "I dinna ken," answered George; "ye never telled me of it before." "Of course we maun keep it quiet, or the lads and lasses wadna get leave to gang; but I have been wanting to tell ye a' the last week, but could never get a word wi' ye, and can ye tell me what that was for?" George did not answer the question, but enquired what was to pay. "Oh, it's just a shilling," answered Bet, and then laughingly told him that he would require to bring a bottle of whiskey with him also, for they would be having a dance afterwards in the miller's barn. George smiled with pleasure at the prospect of the dance, and as he looked into Bet's flashing black eyes and noted her graceful figure, Katie Lindsay and his good resolutions were forgotten. "I am going to ask Jamie Brown, too," continued Bet, " and I hope he'll come, if it was only to vex Nance Lindsay and her set. I hate them." "Ye needna bother yersel'," replied George; "he'll no gang: he is as stubborn as a mule in his notions. He'll no gang into mischief with his een open, like some folk I ken of," and the young man sighed. The sigh was echoed in Bet's wayward heart. She for the moment felt the necessity there was for a good influence, strong and commandinga superior, strong, determined will, to check and control her evil tendencies, and in her heart she despised the weak nature of the man she yet loved in despite of it. Indeed, at this time, what was aught in the world to her, compared with his love? CHAP. XV. "Here let us stop. This glorious scene Demands our more minute observance." PATERSON, Meantime, the manly. roguish-looking Jamie Brown, whose bright eyes and merry tricks made him a general favourite, accompanied the |