A Daughter of Fife

this my lady

to praise her

inner self a

ks her beauty's

t that the swee

ve of the sweet

and sea-lin

arlor was full of art treasures gathered from the various cities which Allan had visited. The fire in this room had

, Allan, so I have com

l the servant with a low "good night, sir," glided away. As soon as they were alone the effort to conceal emotion was mutually abandoned. John Campbell sat on one side of the hearth, with his head dropped to

k-me-down blow to-

me for it; that is wh

when you came home this summer; to-night I am sure she loves you. Y

ery certain would have been impossible to me, had it not blundered out in a very miserable way. We were speaking o

worth having would take you after you had let her understand you preferred a

er, unsay the words if I coul

or Russia; or, better still, to America. I have friends in every large sea-port. You shall have all that my name and money can do to make your absence happy-and women forgive! Yes, they forget also; wipe the fault quite out, and believe again and again.

ight John Campbell's heart had failed him. He realized fully that the absence and interval necessary to heal Mary's sense of wrong and insult might also be full of o

must make the best of the chances left us. Had you not b

d, "You are too good a father to deceive, sir. I will not do you that wrong, however angry you ma

Allan. How long have yo

eft home l

ve only a few months old. W

n left palm, and she was looking at it, with that faint melancholy smile Allan always chose for her face! He asked for no criticism, and John Campbell made none. Silently the two men passed from picture to picture. Maggie always. Maggie baking the oat cakes. Maggie at the wheel. Maggie mending the nets. Maggie peering through misty gloom for the

stood long before the one on the easel. He sat down again, st

, fat

man. No one can deny that.

woman; the daughter

would ever kick her heels in a 'foursome reel,' or pass coarse jo

palms; for the Bible has blended itself with all her life. Sarah, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, and David, are far more real people to her than Peel or Wellington, or Jenny Lind, or even Victoria. She has been fed upon faith, subjected to duty, and made

lowed to exagg

he long stormy days and evenings, I read aloud to her and to her brother. But Scott and

tle, faithful, pure, ideal. I remember my mother, Allan; she came from the same school. Her soul lived so much in the Book, that I am sure if an angel had suddenly appeared to her, she would scarcely have been surprised. What

ll

, fa

is girl? Have you in any way

y a thought. There was in my heart a real intention to marry Mary Campbel

she lo

ll-sometimes

between us. Go away for two years. Let absence test the love you have conceived for this strange girl. At the end of it you will either love her better, or your heart will have turned back to the friend and hope of your childhood and youth. If so, Mary will forgive you, and I may

ped and kissed it. "No man could have a wiser or a

uire to go to Fif

It would be cruel to drop out of so dear a life, and

ri

mised

Russell. She was my first love. I nearly broke my heart about her. The old affection came back to both of us. I could have married her then, but she was a widow with four children. I would not divide y

d at the easel and looked again at the pictured woman

y that my name

passed out of the room, in which he had not only bravely buried his own desires, but also, wisely and kindly accepted others materially altering the few years of life left him. But oh, how selfish is youth!

d suffered, the songs of his native land had sweet echoes in his heart, he could appreciate beauty, he delighted in color, he had learned the blessedness of giving and forgiving, he had found

be long aw

days,

ou return?

cided to g

ns! Why the very names are epics of enterprise! Old as I am, if I co

aggie a long farewell, he was light-hearted, for it was not a hopeless one. If she loved him, and could have pati

disciplined, so correct, and yet all the more ardent and passionate for its very restraint. It typified to him the love he had for Maggie Promoter. Its honorable limitations,

illie!" he cried, laughing outright in his pleasured surprise;

nd turned wrang, and my feesh all spoiled, and I hae had a handfu' o bad luck. Sae I was waiting for the luck tide to

d well a da

d omens sha

houghts off to the Aegean sea and the Greek fishermen, and

romoters were you asking for? Ay they are well, and doing well, and like to do better still. They say that Davi

Promoter has not a pennyworth of personal p

vera kindly taken, his using a boat for kirk busi

lishness,

kirk into the boats. There's naething so unlucky around them

hair, and the cradling motion of the wide swell of the waves. Early in the morning they arrived at Pittenloch. There was the brown pier, and the blue water, and the spaces of yellow sand, and the se

open, and a sense of unkindness was chilling his heart, when he heard a swift, light step behind him. He turned, and there stood Maggie. She had the dew of the sea on her face

come from her lips. But in spite of her evident gladness, something in her manner restrained him; also, there was Christie Buchan, and half a d

d right h

Dav

hours for study, and I aye try to tak' a walk and

ggie, if you give in to them, they will stop the clock

and said, "Step inside, sir

n Fife! Maggie, let us hae some tea, and a kippered herring, and toast the oat cake crisp. I'll

nice it is, Maggie! I will just wash the salt off my face and then come and breakfast with you; and toast me a coup

as there a gayer meal. After it was over, David was eager to show Allan what he had accomp

ible for him to feel. In a little while, some one began to sing and the voice was singularly clear

eath. What for is she singing the noo? It's no kind o' her, and me wi' yoursel' and the bo

ot lose a syllable for

vi

nd air by Alexande

: Musical not

yearning to

t of i

e sunshine gla

sea spa

e dust of my

old gra

notation

e golden gree

the lo

he mavis in t

ith fra

reath of the g

g the m

mell of the b

ock and

at palm-leave

the gree

raggy bluff, pi

s are sc

round that f

warm

re there, as i

an of m

and faces ar

the br

black cott

ith pea

in the soft

blue

music of psa

to h

he voices I

uch a f

mother tongue

the hea

tales of wo

ntive s

dwellings have

s are sti

r darkness on S

g pure

linen, the s

that w

with ye, both

man cre

e love no g

ime w

ee and thy chi

t of I

e of your fishe

r mither was a Skye woman; sae Maggie learned

words with her own patois, the beauty and simplicity of the song was by no means injured. "Put by the books, David," said Al

e is. It is her ain hame, an

will not l

net Caird is coming to be company for her. She is fayther's sister, and no quite

ere

the nor'ward, to a bi

in

s she, David? I hope sh

it. Aunt Janet had a bad name wi' us, when we wer

fear about Aunt Janet being good

r thing to do. All o' oor kin but Aunt Janet hae big families o' their ain to look after. Maggie willna hear

not coming here at all; but it is inconvenient for me to remove my books, and the many sea-treasures I gathered during my stay with you.

here is naething to prevent you taking it, if Aunt Janet is here. She is a vera strict p

; especially when you will be so happy with your books,

for a fear so brotherly and natural; he was, however, dissatisfied with the arrangements made for Maggie's comfort, and he asked, "Can she not go to Gla

e. I'll count nae honor or pleasure worth the having she doesna share. Forbye, sir, when you hae a hame, and the plenishing o' it, folk should think lang ere they scatter it to the four winds. It is easy to get rid o' household things; w

ou are rig

ry thing; her gude name, and her happiness is my first

seven shillings weekly, that is ￡36. I wish you would give this sum entire to Maggie. I should like her to feel in some

er; and I shall tell Maggie to keep the knowledge o' it from

er own. It would be folly for me to keep it rocking at anchor, and rusting away. I can

indness. It's mair than thochtfu' o' you; and I'll hae nae need

a together at Maggie's fire-side, and Allan watched her once more stoop to the glowing turf, and light the little iron cruisie, and rise with the light from it on her beautiful face. The simple household act was always one of meaning and interest to him. He renewed in it that moment of st