A Daughter of Fife

ak the last Fare

ill Farewell a

in the dumb p

*

r is

ses, jealousie

asy and so

cordant, wave

lay u

pressibly dreary. Everything also in the little boat was clammy and uncomfortable. There was a long day before Allan; for his business scarcely occupied him an hour, and then he went out into the black, chill street, and felt thoroughly miserable. His father's fa

ddressed there, it lay in Dysart until the Dysart postmistress happened to see some one from Pittenloch. Under such circumstances, there was no telling into whose hands his letters might fall. And a le

at nothing should be said to her brother. "He'll be aye questioning me. He'll be aye watching me. He'll maybe tell folks, and I'll feel everybody's eye is on me. Forbye, he willna be as happy in what you hae done for him. He thinks now, it was just for your admiration o' his abilit

. "Things will go tapsalteerie, Allan, but let them; we will have a bite and a cup of kindness together." It was a very pleasant bite and cup, seasoned with much love, and many cheerful confidences; and when Allan, at length, left the dreary precincts of the old Caledon

n the course of these preparations, it was necessary to inspect the condition of Allan's apartments. How desolate and forsaken they looked! No other rooms in the house had the same sense of loss, even though they had bee

before some, she took one or two in her hand. She did not like the girl, but she would not be unfair in her criticisms. "Whatever she is doing, she is like a poem. I could not bake oat cakes, and look as if I had stepped out of Gessner's Idyls. But she does. What limpid eyes! And yet they have a look of sorrow in them-as if they had been washed clear in tears-she is not laughing anywhere. I like that! If she were gay and jocund in that picture how vulgar it would be.-If her splendid hair were unbound, and her

e is such a fine lad, too. We had a few happy hours together at the last. I am very glad of that! When he comes h

l marry that fisher-girl! He has

nest and candid

her nam

not tell me, and I ne

does sh

that either. I don't think it

thinking we could take a trip to the village, and see

n Allan, I should prefer to know he was dead. The girl may become my daughter. I should be ashamed to meet h

at light, uncle. There mig

awing the plan of the new wing. When will you go back to Glasgow? I

e minister and the kirk refuse my services as organist. And when I had a very kind idea in my head about Theodora, you make me feel as if I had

s that the g

e I have given her. I suppose she will

little ill-te

more good from Dr. MacDonald. When ministers want to snub women, they always quote St. Paul. Now, I do not b

his own word

I think if a woman had translated that particular passage,

to-night, dearie. Sing

l heart that could not g

ikeness of him yesterda

a

says all the women in Egypt loved Joseph. I am sure everyb

notation

lad was bo

day, o' wh

hardly wor

e nice w

obin

ntin', rovin',

' boy, O ran-tin'

's hindmost

nd twenty

a blast o'

sel in o

bin wa

keekit in

lives will s

boy will b

e'll ca'

bin wa

sfortunes gr

heart aboo

a credit

be proud

bin wa

said, "Now, uncle, we must stop, because I want to take the f

l score

the morning'

e mornin

ang supper-l

in the mor

morning's

e mornin

ang supperle

in the mor

d with the apropos quotation,

r at home, and made many extensive changes in view of the company which the young people would probably desire. When Mary entered the house, she turned a face of astonishment and delight upon her uncle. Everywhere the utmost richness and luxury of appointment were manifest, and over her piano hung the painting of the

most miraculously small feet, and costumes just as wonderful. Or it will be some large-eyed, slow-moving, long, lithe Southern girl who will look like a great white lily t

you say so; but I woul

all the winter! How the wind will howl around the big, desolate place! And think of the real Theodora waiting among all kinds of rude surroundings on that bleak Fife coast. There must have been a mist

, dearie. I dare say the girl is very happy. She will be a kind of heroine a

e will have many more friends among the fisher-lads. They will look upon her as a renegade to her order. The old women will suspect her, and the old men look askance at her

eligious people; and g

e with a mantle large enough to cover a defenceless wo

want to go and see her. This talk is a

nt to go and see

ld have to write to Allan on that matter; he might decline to tell me; if he did tell me, his answer will come with the snow and the wi

. I wonder you did not 'speer her name and ha

s sea-trusty; her name is of small account. Now, if I were you, I would no

it. And I have an idea that Allan would e

ut of sight. For a few minutes Janet Caird let her stand and watch the departing boat; then she said with an air of business, "Weel, weel, Maggie, t

hand, Aunt Janet. I hae keepit the house since I was sev

eather roof? It will ill set you to put your fayther's au

I'll be thankfu' for your company, and your word o' advisement, and if you'll bide under my roof, I'll bide under the shelter o' your gude heart, and gude wo

nvenience o'. I lookit to do my day'

romise you s

e wasna any promise fully

y my gude name, and say for me the right word when you hear the

llings weekly

r ain stocking, and go and come as it likes you; and I'll mind

e near the Sawbath day. We'll hae t

llna differ about

. A box bed isna quite the thi

in the house place wall, had been David's sleeping place. It was warm and thoroughly comfortable; it was the usual, and favorite bed of all people of Janet Caird's class.

Aunt Janet; but it is a gey cold one in the wi

ant your bit room, when there i

oom, this is; a gude fire-place and an open bed, and you can pack awa a' those books and pictur's-they dinna

to put oor foot inside it. It is rented, and the rent paid doon; and the boo

l bear the blame o' it. He took quite a liking to me, that was easy seen

are worth mair siller than you ever counted; and I wouldna le

u are no to be bided! I'll hae this room for

pabilities of a place. Maggie left her sitting there, and began to tidy up the house. In half an hour Janet re-appeared, and went to her kist-a great wooden

She stood up, and cried out in a passion,

'll no see you break into ony one's

u'll daur to call m

Davie comes hame at the New Year, I'll gie you the key. But I'l

wi' a person auld enough to be your mither!

akness; she felt degraded by her outburst of temper, and was just going to say some words of apology, when a number of women entered the cottage. There was Jenny and

esent. So both women put it aside to welcome their visitors. There was much hand-shaking, and loud talking, and then Janet Caird said with a bustling a

, and entertained all her kimmers. When the tea was brewed, the old woman went to her blue kist, and brought out a bottle of Glenlivet, "just to tak' off the wersh taste o' the tea;" and

Janet Caird put down her tea cup, looked mournfully after her, sighed, and shook her head. Upon whic

o wi' that self-willed l

ir

'er much o' her ain way, and she is

ise-like lad; he did r

ane to

' them. Naething gude enough for Dave and Maggie Promoter. The best

, Mistress Buchan. Dr. Balmuto gied him

l thocht that. Angus just hated the sight o' him,

an connectit wi' the nobility, and just rollin' in gowd and siller," sai

avior. And though Janet Caird knew nothing of Maggie, and could say nothing definitely about her, she yet contrived in some manner to give the impression, that David Promoter had been af

n for disfavor. Society loves types, and resents the individual whom it cannot classify; and this feeling is so common and natural that it runs through all our lives and influences our opinion of things inanimate and irresponsible: -the book of such inconvenient size or sha

ith her, she never joined the young lassies, who in pleasant weather sat upon the beach, mending the nets. In the days when Maggie had nets to mend, she mended them at home. It was true that her mother was a confirmed inv

to Maggie from her seventeenth year onward. Knew that it was Maggie that made all the meals, and kept the house place clean, and took care of the men's clothing, and helped to mend the nets, and who frequ

fe, and his influence in the Promoter household had been to intensify the quiet and order, which David and Maggie both distinctly approved. The habit of being quiet became a second nature to the girl, every cir

ere were women in the village who considered her rare and unmistakable beauty a kind of effrontery, at least they resented it with the same angry disapproval. A girl with no "man"

sie Raith and Kitty Cupar. Kitty looked queerly at her and laughed, and instead of ignoring the pet

" promptly re

le at naething. Tak' tent, or you'll

ead of his grave. David had told her not to go near it, but she was in a perverse temper "and ill-luck, or waur ill-luck, I'm going;" she said to herself. It sh

to the bottom o' the sea; and there's nane to care for me as they did. Davie is bound up in his diction'ries, and thinks little of Maggie noo; and he is

loved step into their places! It made Maggie bitterly sorrowful to see Janet Caird in her father's chair. What a mista

Na, na," said Janet, with an expression of self-approbation, "I dinna approve o' women reading the Word aloud. It is nae house without a man at the head o' it, and

s they two sat together to listen to its comfort and its counsel; and she said, "I'll put the Book out o' sight, and I'll hae it opened nae mair, till I sit wi' Dav