Playing With Fire

with doctrine and wit

are too often steeped in wet, gray mist, or wrapped in yellowish vapor. But there are no loungers in them. The crowd is a busy, hard-working crowd, whose civic motto is Enterprise and Perseverance

ace with one. I am writing of the midway years of the nineteenth century, when there was one church among the many that all strangers were advised to visit. It was not the Cathedral, nor the old Ram's Horn Kirk; it was a large, plain building, called the Ch

t twenty-three years of age he stepped from the halls of St. Andrew's into the pulpit of the Church of the Disciples, elders, deacons, and the whole congregation succu

e doubly attractive by a shadowy Celtic pathos. His eyes were piercing but sad, his voice grand and resonant, suiting well the wrathful, impassioned

ght opposition he had been compelled to silence. With a slow, stately step he walked up the wide spaces of Bath Street until he came to the handsome residence in which he dwelt. He had

ed her in one word

rio

black horse-hair cloth. There were crimson damask curtains at the windows, a crimson cloth on the large center table, and a soft large rug before the bright steel grate, which held a handful of fire, though it was a fine day in the early part of June. The chimneypiece was of dark

her affectionate service. An American father would have drawn the girl to his side, given her sweet words and tender kisses, and doubtless Dr. Macrae felt all the affection necessary for this result, but he had never seen fathers pet their daughters, never been told to do so, had no precedents to go by, and, on the contrary, had been constantly ins

e soon laid it down, and asked impat

ippet, and a small white lace cap, set with pink bows, entered. She was rather pretty, and sweet and homely as honey

l, I

nd cheese were spread upon the table. But as soon as the minister had hi

me to-night, Ian. I wa

kind of session-much

hey are in session for that purpo

, rather unusually

the Book? They were hearing it,

id he had been noticing for a long time that the pulpit Bible was frizzled and worn, and the cu

ords did yo

where a large Bible could be got at a very cheap figure, likewise the cush

el

ave no cheap Bible in my pulpit. You are grudging nothing of the best for all you

ut what for did Deacon Laird raise that question, when the congregation, in

do something that none of the other deacons had thought

wardness. The others will see to it tha

will be unoccupied this summer. Some unforeseen circumstances preventing Lady Kitty Baird's family visiting her, she offers it to me for four or five months. If you co

t Marion and I a

d

very delightful

I was last at Cramer. Also, it is nea

ge. But, Ian, you will have to consider that, if we are going-in a manner-as Lady Cramer's friends or guests, Ma

rt and McDonald's and

's eyes, and she smiled and nodded; and, thoug

o my study to read. You will have plenty t

You cannot shut up this house. Donald-poor lad-must

e. Lady Cramer said you would require to bring n

wn servant girls,

You might take Aileen, and leave Janet

es you, I'll m

r. You will know your wish bett

n a way he understood and approved. Then Mistress Caird disappeared for half an

paper, "I have made out my list. I want so man

for your father to pay it. It is very seldom he has a fit of the liberalit

never curtailed me in any way. It is mean to

enerous. You must keep your father

ne silk dress, and what about gloves and satin slippers and silk stockings to wear with them? And you will require a spangled fan, and satin sashes, and bits of lac

ore disturbed. "It does seem too much, Aunt," she sa

father's promise to give you the interest of it for your private spending, as soon as your school days were over. She knew you would then be wanting this and that, and

ifferent. My mother!

you. From her breast I took you to my heart, a

ou with all my heart. Why did you ne

your heart and sense to the Priceless Present. You have not

my mo

ce how unconcerned your father was regarding the ho

and leave the other here. You sa

ners are bought ready cooked. He knew enough, however, to choose the best of the two girls to stay here. I am going to take both of them with me. I wi

ald could g

not let him. He is very angry wi

hy

mself and told his father-his father, mind you!-that he would 'not preach Calvinism' if he got 'the city of Glasgow for doing it.' And th

did he

e fatherhood of God, and God called Dives 'son.' He said Religion was not a creed, it was a Life, and moreover

such things in his presence. No, he shou

ngry. He could not, he did not dare to, open his mouth. He just s

d! That was

Macraes

to the

e to the

s young heart out. But my heart was, and is, with Donald. H

ld not throw his opinions li

'll do the s

ever!

d to hea

go to Reed and McBry

keeper will be necessary here, for I will not eat my bread like a dumb beast a day longer.' Then the mail brought the news of the break-up in your school, and your fat

e Father's th

in his face and asked, 'What are you going to do about Donald's future?' He said, 'I do not know'; and I answered, 'You must f

r even think, of leaving us? Wh

e middle of the dessert, and said, 'Donald, you will go in the morning to Reed and McBryne's shipping office. I have go

er did Don

pping clerk. No, sir! I will take the Queen's shilling and go to the army. Macraes have ever been fighter

r Do

your aged uncle and myself. Its continuation rests with you. It is a duty you would be a kind of traitor to ignore. After me, you are the Macrae. I know the world thinks little of the dead Highland clans, but we think none the less of ourselves because of the world's indifferenc

ther was ri

the Macrae,' I saw the light that flashed into Donald's eyes, and the way in which he straightened himself to his full height. Then, bowing, he left the room without a yea

ld he go b

s a fr

w Balla

e thing-a violin. He went to Matthew, and Matthew told him to humor his

please y

le we are at Cramer Brae. That night you were at the Lindseys' and your father at Stirling, I had them to supper. There was three of them, one being a violinist in

he idea of you standing for Donald behind Father's back in t

ble, and when I love I like to show it-to do foolish th

espectable, making a feast for three young men, wh

er than Matthew or the orchestra lad. How it comes I cannot

ns dear th

t ask his father for money to buy a violin.

ave some mon

own road, and that will not be out of your purse. There's the clock striking t

ation to Lady Cramer's. I have heard that I am, in a small way, an heiress. I have learned all about the trouble between Father a

y for Cramer Brae. You must stay here until your new frocks are fitted, and that

se, which was more than a mile inland. It stood on the Brae at the foot of the hills, and was shielded on the east and west by large beech trees. The

y sill. Gardens and lawns, with a little paddock for the ponies to run in, covered the six acres of land surrounding it. Marion was delighted. "Here we

f pansies in the center of the table, which was set with cream Wedgwood and silver of the date of Queen An

and thick cream, and delicate bread and fresh butter. They are just a part of the whole blessing. I have heard of a great English writer who thought that among many higher pleasures we should not miss the homely deli

er and Donald wil

s-queer and otherwise. He would want a bit of broiled fish, or th

cer than this col

on't feel as if they were fed, wanting the taste and

would keep straight wit

ut he made me the same promise, and he'

t at all quar

r? I'm very gl

, Aunt; you have l

nd I am not settled in my

right for him to be angry. Donald ough

or I've been trying to do it ever since you were bor

s you try

ason as stir

vini

Calv

are a C

d Jessy Caird never to bring that subject to dispute. I knew, if I did, I would have t

d do you l

ou far better-and her that's gone-and, if the Syrian was to be forgiven for worshiping out of his own temple for h

wn prayers? They are very fine prayers. I have heard them, for when I was at sc

would be passing disagreeable words in ten minutes. For your sakes, I go cheerfully to the Calvinistic kirk every Sabbath, and

s an Ar

teaching. I am not ashamed of my faith. I am going to heaven in the best of good company. But what for are we ta

it, Aunt. I want to

they never would grow old, and winds streaming out of the hills cool as living waters, and wafting into us scen

unpack the trunk

respect their feelings. Aileen is very strict in her religion. I am tired, and am going to lie down for an hour, and

re could do for size and coloring. Sweet old-fashioned flowers and flowering shrubs like lad's love were everywhere, and a little green carpet of camomile was spread in the center of the place for the fairies. Not far from it was a great bed of lavender and thyme, a special gift to the honeybees, who lived in the pretty antique straw skeps near it. Heavily laden

vivid to her during the past week. She felt as if she had never lived before, and it was not until all was shadowy and indi

der a large silver-leafed birch tree, and not visible from the sidewalk, yet, by stepping a little further into its shadow, she thought she could satisfy her curiosity. However, she could see nothing but a tall figure, hastening through the gathering gloom and looking neither to the right nor to the left. But

er that singular sense

use. Mrs. Caird was coming to meet her. "Marion," she said, "I have slept past my intentions. W

the garden. You

and sit down. I will

ainst the wall, saying to herself as she did so: "Miss Lamont told me to commit to memory as much good poetry as I could, because there came hours in every life when a ve

of milk in her hand. "Drink it, Marion," she said, "and then go to

want to tell you something. When it was nearly dar

ldn't w

first it mig

or Donald. I have to

er, and passed through the mist like a da

way did

lost his footsteps. I saw him but a moment or two. He pas

owy and dreamlike. From what I have heard of the young Lord, he is not proper company for any nice girl. The old Lord-God rest his soul-was a very saint in his religion and

ould not infer

g man has been six or seven years in a regiment, but now that he has come to the estate and title I dare say he will resign.

n't good company

et him, which I'm thinking is particularly likely, you must act according to my r

st," and Marion smiled, and

him, and don't have any queer feelings about him. Your father will not have things go

Aunt, but he is

you talk

enever he can get a chance. And, if I go down town, I'm meeting him round

why were you keeping s

to keep my own counsel and

luding myself

either Donald's or m

happiness and welfar

me to marry Allan Reid, with his long neck and weak eyes, because I co

of the biggest shipping business in Glasgow. He is a religious young man, always in kirk when kirktime comes, and I

marry for money

u, it is a far better way of marrying, in general, than

I will marry my

comes, yo

hink he will not be

re just dreaming with your e

true love,'" and, with the lilt on h

love did I give Andrew Caird until he said in so many words, 'Jessy, will you be my wife?' Time enough then to begin the worshiping. Well, Ian is going to have his hands and heart full with these two children, and I'll be getting the blame of it. And, of course, I shall stand by both of them. I kissed that promise on my dying sister's lips, and I wouldn't break it for Lords, nor Commons, nor the General Assembly