IJHKAKV 
 
 University of California. 
 
 Girpr OK 
 
 Received JAM 1895 
 
 Accessions Xo+STftf I ■ 
 
 Class No. 
 
 ^S 
 
 :. 
 
 OoO-floflofl.Qofl.jjoQufloOoJ)' 
 

 /j± 
 
 'J ai/ct 
 
 n 
 
 
 WAVES 
 
 ON THE 
 
 OCEAN OF LIFE. 
 
WAVES 
 
 OCEAN OF LIFE 
 
 A DALRTADIAN TALE. 
 
 MRS WARD. 
 
 Poor wand'rers of a stormy day, 
 From wave to wave we 're driven ; 
 And fancy's flash, and reason's ray, 
 Serve but to light the troubled way. 
 The smiles of joy, the tears of woe, 
 Deceitful shine, deceitful flow ; 
 There's nothing true but heaven." 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO. 
 
 DUBLIN : MOFFAT & CO. 
 
 1869. 
 
 [A II rights reserved.'] 
 
 ft 
 
 ire 
 
 
SJ 
 
 Ballantyne and Company, Printers, Edinburgh. 
 
By permission, 
 to 
 
 The Right Honourable the Earl of Antrim, 
 
 Glenarm Castle, 
 County Antrim, Ireland. 
 
/■_. L. 
 
 pom 
 
 PREFATORY ADDRESS. 
 
 T EST the description of the scenes during the 
 -*— ' latter part of the eighteenth century which 
 have been introduced to elucidate the tale should 
 lead the reader to suppose that the writer has any 
 sympathy with the present Fenian movement, or 
 that she agrees with the sentiments of its advo- 
 cates, she quotes the words of an author on the 
 same subject, as they completely coincide with her 
 own views. " While Scotland preserves the me- 
 mory of those who fell in the Rebellion of 1745, 
 while their lives and actions are recorded by loyal 
 Scotchmen, and read by loyal Englishmen, there 
 can be no reason why the reminiscences of the 
 Irish Rebellion of 1798, and of those who were un- 
 fortunately engaged in it, should not be faithfully 
 recorded, without prejudice to the loyalty of the 
 
viii Prefatory Address. 
 
 writer or the reader of their history. We have out- 
 lived the wrongs which made rebels of these men. 
 In our times their descendants are possessed of rights 
 for the enjoyment of which they have reason to be 
 good and loyal subjects. It is not only their duty, 
 but their interest to be so." 
 
 Religious controversy is so frequently introduced 
 that life in Ulster would not be faithfully portrayed 
 were it omitted. Sectarianism and want of tolera- 
 tion towards different persuasions has been, and is, 
 the cause of much unhappiness in families, and has 
 engendered bitter feelings among the community. 
 It is fervently to be desired that members of Christian 
 churches who hope to meet in heaven would on earth 
 exercise mutual forbearance towards each other, and 
 unite in works of love and charity to their fellow- 
 travellers on their march to their home of peace, joy, 
 and love, instead of quarrelling on the way about 
 minor doctrinal points and church government. When 
 narrow-minded illiberal feelings, and the idea that 
 salvation is only within the limits of one particular 
 section of the Church, becomes prevalent, it proves 
 that religion is at a low standard. Dr Hamilton, in 
 his "Dew of Hermon," compares this state to "the 
 sands of the sea at ebb-tide, where there are many 
 little pools ; each has its little fish, to which the foot- 
 
Prefatory Address. ix 
 
 depth is all the ocean. He has no dealings with his 
 neighbour shrimp ; but when the rising ocean begins 
 to lip over the margin of his lurking-place, one pool 
 joins another, their various tenants meet, and by and 
 by they have the ocean's boundless range to roam in. 
 " Happy church, farthest down the strand, nearest 
 the rising ocean's bed, whose sectarianism shall first 
 be swept away in this inundation of love and joy, 
 whose communion shall first break into that purest 
 and holiest, and yet most comprehensive of all com- 
 munions, ' the communion of the Holy Ghost.' Would 
 to God that church was ours ! " 
 
WAVES ON THE OCEAN OF LIFE. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 WHEN "the Most High and Mighty Prince 
 James, by the grace of God King of Great 
 Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith," 
 &c, succeeded " that bright occidental star Queen 
 Elizabeth, of most happy memory," he found that 
 Ireland was a troublesome appendage to his other 
 dominions. James was only the third monarch of 
 Great Britain who bore the title of " King of Ire- 
 land," as previous to Henry VIII. 's reign the English 
 sovereigns were merely styled Lords of Ireland. 
 The ancient Irish dynasty of O'Nial were the last to 
 submit to the title of king being taken from them ; 
 and as they occupied such a prominent position, 
 were so intimately connected with Ulster, and in- 
 volved in the destinies of other parts of Ireland, it 
 is necessary we should here give a brief epitome of 
 their history, and that of the province where the 
 scenes of the tale in this volume are chiefly laid. 
 
 The family of O'Neill (as they are now called) are 
 of Gothic origin, and trace their descent from a very 
 
 A 
 
2 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 remote period. According to tradition, Nial and 
 Magnus, sons of Belus, king of the Orkneys, left their 
 native islands in search of other possessions ; previous 
 to leaving home it was arranged between them that 
 he who touched the soil first should be king of that 
 country. When they approached Ireland the vessel 
 of the younger was nearest the land. Nial perceiving 
 that his brother was about to step out, seized an axe, 
 chopped off his hand, and flung it ashore. " O'Nial," 
 exclaimed Magnus ; " Hy Nial ! " (king or chief,) was 
 shouted by all the party, who unanimously acknow- 
 ledged his supremacy. This incident is said to have 
 given the name to the family and dynasty, and caused 
 the bloody hand, with the motto " Lamh dearg Eirin," 
 (the red hand of Ulster,) to be the crest of the 
 O'Neills ; it also forms part of the armorial bear- 
 ings of the province. Some archaeologists account 
 for it in another way, saying it is the opinion of 
 ancient historians that when the believing Jews (in 
 accordance with the Saviour's command) fled from 
 the doomed city of Jerusalem, previous to its destruc- 
 tion by Titus, many of them found refuge in Spain, 
 and from hence came to Ireland. This belief is 
 strengthened when we know that Milesians (mean- 
 ing military or hereditary soldiers) is a name de- 
 signating the ancient Irish. It is evident from the 
 Scriptures, that the tribe of Benjamin were hereditary 
 men of war ; the name Benjamin signifying " son 
 of the right hand," a bloody or red right hand being 
 their banner or standard. 
 
 Do not we Irish, in many respects, resemble the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 3 
 
 people of the "weary breast and wandering feet?" 
 It is also a current belief that when the final storm 
 of God's wrath is poured forth on the earth, Ireland 
 will escape, because when other countries oppressed, 
 persecuted, and acted cruelly towards the Jews, she 
 never did. 
 
 We are certain from time immemorial the O'Nial's 
 bore the title of " Kings of Ulster," and claimed to 
 be heirs of the whole dominion of Ireland, declaring 
 that previous to the coming of St Patrick, in the 
 fourth century, one hundred and thirty of the 
 Hy Nial race had swayed the Hibernian sceptre ; 
 but their supremacy was, however, often disputed 
 by the kings of the other provinces. In the eleventh 
 century, Brian, born king of Munster, in consequence 
 of having repulsed the invasion of the Danes, was 
 acknowledged supreme sovereign of Ireland by all 
 the chiefs and kings, with the exception of the 
 O'Nials, who made every resistance in their power, 
 but finally they were obliged to submit. 
 
 Alalachy, King of Leinster, also distinguished him- 
 self in repelling the Danes. He has been immor- 
 talised by our poet Moore, as ■' wearing the collar of 
 gold which he took from the proud invader." Quietly 
 he took the place of a subordinate prince, and accom- 
 panied Brian on his progresses throughout the pro- 
 vinces to restore order, justice, equity, and religion 
 throughout the country ; and he succeeded in esta- 
 blishing a reign of peace, concord, and prosperity. 
 The people were inspired with such a spirit of hon- 
 our, virtue, and religion by the example of Brian* 
 
4 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 and by his excellent administration, that tradition 
 and romance have vied with each other in recording 
 the glories of this period of Irish history. The reply 
 of the beautiful maiden, adorned with gold and 
 jewels, who rambled alone over the whole island, 
 with no means of defence but a white wand, tipped 
 with gold, is an illustration of the morals of the 
 population then : — 
 
 " Sir knight, I feel not the least alarm, 
 No son of Erin will offer me harm, 
 For though they love women and golden store, 
 Sir knight, they love honour and virtue more." 
 
 After the death of Brian the chiefs again quarrelled 
 for supremacy ; his family acquired the ascendancy 
 over the Hy Nial race, but they did not submit, and 
 as their seat was Ulster, the two ends of the island 
 were kept in a constant warfare during many genera- 
 tions, and continued so till towards the end of the 
 twelfth century. 
 
 At this period a poor boy named Nicholas Break- 
 spear was dependent for his daily food on the charity 
 of the monks of St Albans, in Hertfordshire. His 
 father being only a servitor of the monastery, was 
 too poor to pay for his attendance at the schools, and 
 in consequence of the boy's deficiency in education, 
 his wish of becoming a monk was denied at this 
 Abbey. He then passed over to France ; his diligence, 
 talents, and handsome person so recommended him 
 to the monks of St Rufus, near Avignon, that he was 
 admitted into their fraternity, and on the death of 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 5 
 
 their abbot, was chosen to succeed him. Afterwards, 
 when the monks were dissatisfied with him, and 
 appealed to Pope Eugenius III. for redress, the abbot 
 was examined by him, acquitted, taken into his ser- 
 vice, and made a cardinal. Finally^ in 1 154 he became 
 Pope, and assumed the title of Adrian IV., being the 
 only Englishman who ever filled the Papal chair. 
 When the news of his promotion came to the know- 
 ledge of Henry II. of England, he sent the abbot of 
 St Albans, and three bishops to Rome, to congratu- 
 late him on his election ; the pontiff received them 
 graciously, granted the Abbey many privileges, and 
 also issued in favour of Henry the celebrated bull, or 
 " letter of license to conquer Ireland." 
 
 At this epoch Ireland was divided into five princi- 
 palities — viz., Leinster, Meath, Munster, Ulster, and 
 Connaught, each governed by a king. He who took a 
 lead in the wars was called monarch of all the king- 
 dom ; Roderick O'Connor, king of Connaught, had 
 then attained this dignity. 
 
 Dermod MacMurrough, king of Leinster, was a 
 weak, licentious tyrant ; he carried off forcibly the 
 daughter of the king of Meath ; her father being 
 exasperated by this conduct, invaded Dermod's domin- 
 ions, and, strengthened by the alliance of the king 
 of Connaught, expelled MacMurrough from his king- 
 dom of Leinster. Dermod had recourse to Henry II., 
 king of England, (who was at that time in Guienne,) 
 and offered to hold his possessions under the English 
 crown, if the king rendered him assistance to recover 
 them. Henry accepted the offer ; but being engaged 
 
6 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 with more important concerns, he only gave Dermod 
 letters patent, empowering his subjects to aid the 
 Irish prince. After some difficulty, Dermod formed 
 a treaty with Richard de Clare, (surnamed Strong- 
 bow,) Earl of Pembroke, who agreed to reinstate him 
 in his dominions, on condition of his being allowed 
 his daughter Eva in marriage, and declared heir to all 
 his territory. 
 
 Being assured of assistance, Dermod returned pri- 
 vately to Ireland, and concealed himself till the arrival 
 of Robert FitzStephen, who landed with one hundred 
 and thirty knights, sixty esquires, and three hundred 
 archers ; they were soon reinforced by another small 
 body of men, who besieged and reduced the town of 
 Wexford. When Dermod was reinstated in his 
 hereditary dominions, he soon began to conceive 
 hopes of making himself master of Ireland ; aided by 
 his allies, he took the city of Dublin from the Danes. 
 Strongbow, having been prohibited by Henry, had 
 not yet come over ; but his avarice and ambition 
 having been excited by the representations of Der- 
 mod, he applied and received permission from the 
 king, and shortly after landed in Ireland, accompanied 
 by two hundred horse and one hundred archers. 
 The whole number of English forces did not amount 
 to a thousand, but being disciplined, the greater part 
 of the country was obliged to surrender. Ireland 
 being thus partly subjugated, Henry became willing 
 to share in person those honours and benefits which 
 Strongbow and his adherents had secured, and also 
 to take possession of the country which (as has been 
 related) had been made over to him by Pope Adrian. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 7 
 
 He left England with a fleet of two hundred and 
 forty vessels, having on board five hundred knights 
 and four thousand men-at-arms, and arrived in Water- 
 ford harbour on St Luke's day 11 72, to take posses- 
 sion of the country as its rightful sovereign. He was 
 joyfully received by the English, and by the natives 
 of the country who were in alliance with them. The 
 four provinces acknowledged his supremacy, but the 
 province of Ulster refused to yield him obedience, 
 and the O'Nials, in their fastnesses in Ulster, bade 
 defiance to the English monarch. The chiefs who 
 submitted to Henry thought they would be permitted 
 to retain their lands and position, subject only to 
 taxes, which as vassals would be imposed on them \ 
 but before leaving, Henry appointed Hugh De Lacy 
 justiciary, or chief governor of Ireland, and consigned 
 him about 800,000 acres of the best land. To John 
 De Courcy he made over Ulster, although it never 
 had acknowledged allegiance to the king. On the 
 death of Henry II., Richard I. (who troubled himself 
 little about Ireland) left his brother John in possession 
 of the government. It had been called in former 
 reigns " The Land of Ireland ; " that part which had 
 been subjugated was now named " The English Pale." 
 The appointment of De Lacy to be governor so mor- 
 tified De Courcy, (who considered he had a claim to 
 the office,) that he asserted his right to Ulster, and 
 determined to conquer it. For this purpose he set 
 out with a chosen band of three hundred archers and 
 twenty-two knights. Few enterprises recorded in 
 history exhibit a more daring spirit, or a more 
 triumphant issue. De Courcy 's prodigious strength 
 
8 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 of body accorded with the unbending character of his 
 mind ; he had the policy to turn to account the pro- 
 phecies of Colu mbkille regarding the conqueror of 
 Ulster, who was to be a fair man, mounted on a white 
 horse. His complexion answered the prophecy, and 
 a horse of the right colour was easily procured. He 
 continued to overrun Ulster, and plunder the country, 
 fighting many battles with the inhabitants, who were 
 famous for their warlike character. In the greater 
 number of these engagements he was successful. 
 The daring independence of De Courcy gave offence 
 to King John, and De Lacy was ordered to seize him, 
 and send him prisoner to England. De Lacy was 
 then created Earl of Ulster, and at same time received 
 a grant of that province. The O'Nials still remained 
 unconquered, and retained possession, notwithstanding 
 the many attempts to dispossess them in this and 
 the following reigns. On some occasions they acknow- 
 ledged fealty to the British monarchs, but more fre- 
 quently they were found in open rebellion during the 
 period which intervened till Henry VIII/s reign. 
 
 As has already been stated, the O'Nial race of 
 kings terminated with their subjugation by that king, 
 who pardoned Con O'Nial on condition of his taking 
 the oath of allegiance, and covenanting to adopt the 
 English language and habits ; for this submission, he 
 was created Earl of Tyr-owen. In Elizabeth's reign, 
 his son Shane was a constant source of annoyance 
 and trouble to the English government, from his fre- 
 quent rebellious inroads on the English Pale, but 
 finally he was assassinated by the leader of the Scots 
 in Ulster. Elizabeth confiscated his lands, took the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 9 
 
 title from his son, and bestowed it on his nephew, 
 Hugh O'Neill or O'Neal ; but in a few years he too 
 fomented fresh disturbances, incited the chieftains to 
 revolt, united them, and placing himself at their head, 
 set the government openly at defiance. An army 
 was again despatched from England, and after many 
 losses and disasters, the Earl of Essex arrived with 
 further reinforcements ; but finding his army reduced 
 by sickness and desertion, concluded a treaty of peace 
 with O'Neill, and returned to England. Before long 
 O'Neill broke the truce, and with his confederates 
 overran the whole country, being aided by two 
 thousand Spaniards ; but under the able administra- 
 tion of Sir Henry Mountjoy, they were defeated and 
 obliged to leave Ireland. O'Neill fled to the Con- 
 tinent ; his possessions, with those of the chiefs who 
 were implicated in this rebellion, became confiscated 
 to the British crown. 
 
 The constant state of turmoil in which Ulster had 
 so long been kept caused much of the land to be un- 
 cultivated ; and the wars having depopulated it, the 
 greater part of the province was a barren wilderness. 
 
 King James I., shortly after his accession, turned 
 his attention to colonise this province of his domin- 
 ions ; he had it divided into portions, part he gave 
 as Church lands, part he bestowed on his followers, 
 and some he let out, under certain conditions and 
 restrictions. These " undertakers," as they were 
 called, were composed of English, Scotch, and a few 
 of the native Irish. This mixture of nations has 
 caused Ulster to be so different from the rest of the 
 island, that the most casual observer will notice it in 
 
io Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 the appearance, manners, customs, and habits of the 
 people. 
 
 Among the first settlers were many ministers who 
 had fled to escape from persecution in Great Britain ; 
 they were either accompanied or followed by mem- 
 bers of their persuasion who were influenced to emi- 
 grate from religious motives. 
 
 The habits of these colonists were generally 
 prudent, and their demeanour grave. These charac- 
 teristics have descended to the generations who have 
 succeeded their Covenanter and Puritan ancestors, 
 cautiousness being apparent, and a love of religious 
 controversy and discussion of politics prevalent. 
 These peculiarities have stamped themselves on the 
 deportment and features of the inhabitants, who gene- 
 rally have a solemn impassive manner, and a shrewd 
 look, often accompanied by a dogmatic or a com- 
 bative expression. Piety and gravity are strikingly 
 manifested on Sunday, (or the Sabbath, as it is gene- 
 rally designated in Ulster.) Seriousness of character 
 is also shown by the prevailing indifference to public 
 amusements ; unfortunately it often proves a barrier 
 to progress in literature, music, and the fine arts. 
 
 One county especially has peculiar claims on Eng- 
 land, being the property of London, the name show- 
 ing its origin and dependence on that city. Not 
 being able to induce as many families to accept of his 
 terms so as to populate the country, James requested 
 the Lord Mayor of London to influence the corpora- 
 tion to become colonists. A court of common coun- 
 cil was convened, and it was arranged that a deputa- 
 tion should proceed to Ireland to look into the matter, 
 
A Dalriadian Talc. 1 1 
 
 and report accordingly. After their return it was 
 agreed that the speculation should be entered into, 
 and that a company should be formed in the city of 
 London to determine and direct all matters connected 
 with it. Alderman Cockayne was appointed gover- 
 nor, (from whose name it is said the soubriquet of 
 Cockney had its origin.) The portion of Ulster 
 which was assigned to them by the crown consisted of 
 the County of Coleraine, with the towns of Coleraine 
 and Deny, and the extensive lands attached, except- 
 ing sixty acres out of every thousand for Church 
 lands, and certain portions to be made over to three 
 'native Irish gentlemen. On the part of the citizens, 
 it was stipulated that they should expend £20,000 
 on the plantation. In order to meet the expenses of 
 the colony, a tax was levied on the tradesmen of 
 the city of London, which was considered by many 
 as a great grievance ; and as it was compulsory, seve- 
 ral poor men were sent to prison in default of pay- 
 ment. When three years had elapsed, the king was 
 informed the plantation of Ulster was not in a pros- 
 perous state ; he then summoned the governor and 
 assistants to attend a Privy Council at Whitehall to 
 discuss the affairs of the colony. 
 
 Forty thousand pounds having been expended on 
 the plantation, it was arranged that the land should 
 be divided into twelve portions, which were to be 
 appropriated by lot to each of the chief companies of 
 the City, and so many of the smaller companies joined, 
 as made their total contributions a twelfth of the 
 entire sum. The chief companies were the mercers, 
 grocers, drapers, fishmongers, goldsmiths, skinners, 
 
12 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 merchant tailors, haberdashers, salters, ironmongers, 
 vintners, and cloth-workers ; these were to act as 
 trustees for the smaller companies which were incor- 
 porated with them. The allotment was managed by 
 lottery in the following manner: the twelve propor- 
 tions of land were entered on twelve sheets of paper, 
 numbered from one to twelve, the lots with the figures 
 on them being emptied into a hat ; the lots with the 
 companies' names and sums disbursed by them put 
 into another ; the sword-bearer of the City stood be- 
 tween the two hats ; with his right hand he drew the 
 figures, and with his left the name of the company to 
 which the number belonged ; he delivered them to the 
 governor, who handed them over to the warders of 
 each guild. 
 
 This company was incorporated by letters-patent 
 from the king, and was styled " The Society of the 
 Governor and Assistants of London of the New Planta- 
 tion of Ulster, within the realm of Ireland." (It is now 
 called "The Honourable the Irish Society.") By royal 
 charter the territory was made over to the City, and 
 the name changed from " county Colrane" to county 
 Londonderry. Directions were issued to the com- 
 panies, requiring each to send a certain number of 
 artisans to Ulster, who were prohibited from taking 
 Irish apprentices — boys from Christ's Hospital and 
 other London institutions being sent over for that 
 purpose. The companies were also ordered to have 
 the churches repaired, and to supply the ministers 
 with a Bible, prayer-book, and communion cup. 
 
 The trades recommended to be sent were weavers 
 of common cloth, fustians, &c, felt-makers, and trim- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 13 
 
 mers of hats, and hat-band makers, locksmiths, far- 
 riers, &c, also coast fishermen. " Paternes to make 
 the townes by " were drawn out, and were almost 
 all similar in plan, having a centre square (called a 
 diamond) from which the streets diverged. Frame 
 houses were made in Spitalfields, London, and sent 
 over ; when erected in Ireland, the interstices between 
 the wood were filled with wicker-work and clay ; the 
 ground floor having a pent-way projecting into the 
 street. Some of these houses remain to this day, 
 but the fronts have been modernised, so that they are 
 not discernible. The London tradespeople were 
 roused into indignation by further taxes being levied 
 on them, which they warmly opposed ; the coopers 
 and bakers broke into rebellion, and declared a deter- 
 mined hostility against " the wretched colony forced 
 on them by the king." Peace was made with the mal- 
 contents by the corporation agreeing to accept their 
 proportion, and to sustain hereafter all calamities 
 which might arise from its possession. The sum they 
 had paid in taxes did not amount to ^"400 ; the pro- 
 perty they then resigned is now worth ^"iooo per 
 annum. The prices of provisions in Ulster at this 
 time were, a cow or bullock, 15s. ; a sheep, is. 46. to 
 2s. ; a hog, 2s.; barley, 1 id., and oats 46. per bushel ; 
 and large salmon from 46. to 8d. each. 
 
 A survey of the plantation, made 1622, is still pre- 
 served among the archives in his Grace the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury's palace at Lambeth. As a 
 means of raising money to maintain the English 
 power in Ulster, James, at the suggestion of Sir 
 Robert Cotton, (the celebrated antiquary,) instituted 
 
14 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 the order of English baronets, an hereditary dignity 
 next in rank to the peerage. The number was at 
 that time limited to two hundred gentlemen of good 
 birth, possessed of a clear estate of £ iooo per annum, 
 (their number has since been enlarged at the pleasure 
 of the crown ;) the conditions on which the title was 
 bestowed being the payment into the exchequer, in 
 three instalments, of money sufficient to support thirty 
 soldiers for three years at 8d. per day. The coat of 
 arms borne by English baronets shows plainly the 
 origin of the institution, as it corresponds with the 
 armorial bearings of Ulster. 
 
 Not only are the English indebted to Ulster for 
 this addition to their nobility, but by the instrumen- 
 tality of one who dwelt there centuries before, a right 
 to claim the more exalted title of Christian was be- 
 stowed on them. It is well authenticated that St 
 Patrick was taken prisoner by " Nial of the nine 
 hostages/' who sent him as a slave to a subordinate 
 prince, who resided in the district called Dalriada. 
 While young Succat was a captive occupied herding 
 swine at the foot of Slemish mountain, his mind was 
 enlightened to embrace the truths of religion, which 
 had been inculcated on him by his pious mother. 
 After being released, he was impelled by holy zeal to 
 return and announce to the Irish the gospel of peace, 
 which they gladly embraced. Columbkille, Aidan, 
 Finian, and other holy men who succeeded St Patrick, 
 became energetic missionaries. By their efforts Great 
 Britain was evangelised, and Christianity spread 
 rapidly over the land. 
 
Ruins on Devenish Island, Lough Erne. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 NEVER did Lough Erne and the landscape 
 around appear more beautiful than on a lovely 
 spring evening in 17 — . In the morning lowering 
 clouds had cast their dark shadows on the placid 
 waters, so that a gloom overspread both earth and 
 sky, but all this had now vanished ; copious showers 
 had refreshed the parched ground, the face of nature 
 was renewed, and everything looked bright, and 
 seemed to rejoice in the glorious sunshine. The deep 
 blue of the firmament, varied by a few thin vapour- 
 like clouds, was reflected in the calm waters of the 
 
 S^ 
 
 Off THB 
 
 tff r 
 
 rT~' ' -J MB 
 
 £df.ri 
 
 
1 6 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 lake ; while the numerous islets, ivied ruins, and tall 
 round tower on Devenish island repeated themselves 
 in the silver mirror beneath. Swallows flitted grace- 
 fully over its surface, and thrushes, blackbirds, and 
 other feathered songsters warbled most sweetly amid 
 its wooded banks. The fresh tints of the foliage glis- 
 tening with rain-drops, the bursting buds, of the trees, 
 and the beauty and fragrance of the hawthorn blos- 
 soms, all combined to form a most exquisite scene. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, the roads leading from the 
 then small but rising town o'f Enniskillen (in the west 
 of Ulster) were crowded by persons returning from 
 the half-yearly fair, and by herds of cattle which had 
 been purchased and were being driven towards their 
 new homes. But now the roads were clear of all ob- 
 structions, save a few old cronies, who had remained 
 behind in the town to descant on the affairs of Church 
 and State. Some of these were jogging home lei- 
 surely in the direction leading towards the county 
 Tyrone, when they were passed by a young lady 
 mounted on a spirited steed. Her cheeks glowed 
 with health and happiness as she rode along at a brisk 
 pace, evidently proving that she was accustomed to 
 equestrian exercise. Her horse also stepped out as 
 if familiar with the way. At a turn of the road the 
 fair horsewoman came unexpectedly into the midst 
 of a drove of cattle, which rushed before and around 
 her horse, causing him to become restive; and al- 
 though she maintained a firm seat, and reined him in 
 with a practised hand, still her efforts were thwarted 
 by the half-frantic motions of the cattle, who, not- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 17 
 
 withstanding the exertions of the drovers, continued 
 to press around the infuriated animal. Every mo- 
 ment the lady's position was becoming more perilous, 
 when a young man, who accompanied the drove, 
 mounted on a powerful horse, dashed in among the 
 wild cattle, and with the butt-end of his strong whip 
 dealt heavy blows on the beasts that surrounded her ; 
 then seizing her horse by the bridle he led the lady 
 out of danger. 
 
 After galloping some distance along the road till 
 fairly out of danger, the lady addressed her deliverer, 
 and, in a few stammering words, thanked him for his 
 timely aid. 
 
 To this the young man replied, that " he felt he 
 deserved blame instead of thanks, as the cattle which 
 had caused her so much alarm belonged to him." 
 He then expressed surprise at her venturing out on 
 horseback alone. 
 
 " Oh," said she, " I often ride unaccompanied, but 
 have never done so before on a fair day. My father, 
 who came with me in the morning, left me at a 
 friend's house in town. After the market he was 
 obliged to return home on urgent business, and the 
 rain coming on detained me until now." 
 
 " Permit me, then," said the youth, " although a 
 stranger, to escort you to your journey's end." This 
 the lady declined, saying, " As the way I am about 
 to take is a by-path, which branches off the public 
 thoroughfare, and free from cattle, I shall be quite 
 safe ; therefore I thankfully and gratefully bid you 
 good-bye." Scarcely had she uttered the last syllable 
 
 B 
 
1 8 Waves on the Ocean of Life •, 
 
 when, reining her steed to the left, she darted off at a 
 brisk rate up the narrow road she had just described, 
 and was presently hidden from his view by an inter- 
 vening clump of trees. The departure of the lady 
 was so sudden, her companion was quite taken by sur- 
 prise. For a moment he was spell-bound, and felt 
 bewildered. His first impulse was to follow her, but 
 being little accustomed to female society, and natu- 
 rally of a retiring nature, he was deterred from doing 
 so, and in a mechanical manner pursued his journey. 
 Very frequently afterwards did his mind revert to the 
 events of that day ; and as both parties will hereafter 
 make their appearance in these pages our readers 
 must learn more about them. 
 
 Although Irish by birth, they were of Scotch 
 descent ; their ancestors had left the land of their 
 nativity under peculiar circumstances. 
 
 We have narrated in the introductory chapter some 
 of the plans which King James took to induce per- 
 sons to emigrate to his favourite colony in Ulster. 
 Notwithstanding the persistency of his efforts to 
 populate the country, there still remained vast tracts 
 of waste lands. As a greater inducement to emigra- 
 tion from England and Scotland, he offered sixty 
 acres of land, at the yearly rent of six and eightpence, 
 to any who would go thither, erect houses, cultivate 
 the land, and maintain Protestant principles. The 
 unsettled state of the country, and the exaggerated 
 accounts of the savage character of " the wild Irish," 
 deterred many from purchasing land during the early 
 part of James's reign. After a time the king's pro- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 19 
 
 ject of peopling Ulster with English and Scotch 
 settlers was partially accomplished, though not by 
 the means he anticipated. Having attempted to co- 
 erce the people to adopt the liturgy and practices of 
 the Established Church of England, he found that 
 the Scotch, who had obliged him, when only king of 
 Scotland, to submit to be sermonised, would not now 
 allow themselves to be dictated to, nor would they or 
 the English use the forms prescribed for their wor- 
 ship. As these restrictions were not extended to 
 Ireland, many persons emigrated there to enjoy the 
 liberty of worshipping God according to the dictates 
 of conscience, without their lives being endangered. 
 Towards the middle of the seventeenth century, more 
 compulsory measures were taken against the Non- 
 conformists in England and Scotland. This caused 
 many to emigrate to Ulster, which was then in a more 
 settled social condition, and exempt from the storms 
 of persecution which swept over the sister kingdom. 
 
 Amongst those who left Scotland from religious 
 scruples was James Hunter, (grandfather to the fair 
 horsewoman who was mentioned at the commence- 
 ment of our tale ;) he was accompanied by his wife 
 and daughter Maggie. They were industrious, thrifty, 
 and frugal ; they belonged to the sect termed Cove- 
 nanters. Hunter purchased a tract of country situated 
 near Enniskillen, erected a house, and settled down 
 to cultivate the land, living in the way that emigrants 
 to a new colony are compelled to rough it, tilling, en- 
 closing, and redeeming the waste around acre by 
 acre. Soon after the Hunters' arrival an incident 
 
20 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 occurred which preserved Mrs Hunter's name from 
 oblivion, or from only having the obituary of many 
 of the patriarchs and centenarians in the Scriptures, 
 merely the record of name, age, and death. Ireland 
 was then densely wooded, but every year the trees 
 were being thinned, as they were freely used for fuel, 
 making fences, and in the erection of houses and 
 cattle sheds. Wolves infested these woods, and a tra- 
 dition has been handed down from father to son in 
 the Hunter family, that Mrs Hunter slew one of these 
 animals ; in corroboration of which, a wolf-skin was 
 preserved as a trophy for several generations, and 
 often pointed out as " the skin of the wolf my great- 
 grandmother killed." 
 
 It was then told how one day, when going to the 
 "kail garden" with a large knife (or gully, as it was 
 then called) in her hand, to cut vegetables for dinner, 
 perceiving a wolf coming towards her, she stretched 
 out the hand in which she held the knife, just as the 
 animal sprung at her ; it entered his throat, and he 
 fell prostrate. She then ran off screaming in the 
 direction of the fields where her husband and his 
 labourers were at work ; they soon appeared, and 
 hastening towards the spot, found the animal with 
 the knife still sticking in his throat, so disabled 
 by Mrs Hunter's homethrust that he was easily 
 despatched. 
 
 When the Hunters came to Ireland, they found the 
 tract of land adjoining theirs occupied by a young 
 fellow-countryman from Scotland, whose name was 
 Macpherson. He and Hunter were glad to accom- 
 
A Dalriadicm Tale. 21 
 
 modate each other with the loan of farm implements, 
 and various other articles. 
 
 Macpherson being unmarried, young females scarce, 
 Maggie, a good-looking, loveable lass, and the young 
 folk often together, it was but natural they should 
 become attached to each other. Mr and Mrs Hunter 
 approved of their union, and it was settled that the 
 young people should be married, and all live to- 
 gether ; so that the two properties, as well as the 
 two families, were henceforth to be united. 
 
 Their land was fertile, carefully and judiciously 
 cultivated ; their cattle of good breeds, and well at- 
 tended to. Farm produce rose in price, so that 
 Hunter and Macpherson were soon in a most pros- 
 perous condition. 
 
 In the course of nature the old couple died in a 
 ripe old age, having lived to see several grandsons 
 and grand-daughters, who by their infantile prattle 
 and endearing ways cheered and enlivened their de- 
 clining years. We have been told by the poet, and 
 often realised the fact from observation, that " the 
 course of true love never yet did run smooth ;" but 
 we find there are few rules without exceptions : in 
 this case true love did run smoothly, and lasted dur- 
 ing a long, happy, and peaceful life. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE extent and fertility of the pasture lands of 
 the county Fermanagh induced the landowners 
 to keep large herds of black cattle. 
 
 The long-horned cattle which, from a very remote 
 period, had existed in Ireland, were slow feeders, in- 
 ferior milkers, and took a long time to arrive at matur- 
 ity. The landed proprietors became aware of this, and 
 imported cattle from Scotland. Galloway had long 
 been noted for the superior qualities of the polled or 
 hornless cattle. A writer of the sixteenth century 
 describes this region as " having mony fair kye and 
 oxen, of quhilk the flesh is right delicious and tender." 
 These animals throve well when put on Irish soil, 
 the quantity of their milk was increased by feeding 
 on the fioren or butter grass, which was indigenous 
 to the country. Under these favourable circum- 
 stances, the farmers of Fermanagh, who had herds of 
 cattle to dispose of, found a good market for them at 
 the town of Enniskillen — the periodical fairs being 
 frequented by farmers and graziers from the surround- 
 ing districts and neighbouring counties, to be supplied 
 with an improved stock. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 23 
 
 Mr Macpherson paid particular attention to the 
 breeds and management of his cattle, and had large 
 numbers to dispose of ; his beasts commanded a ready- 
 sale, were greatly extolled, and much sought after. 
 
 James Rutherford, a young farmer from Tyrone, 
 having been sent by his father to the spring fair to 
 buy cattle, had purchased a drove from Macpherson. 
 
 Riding out of Enniskillen, on his way homeward, 
 his attention was attracted to a young lady on horse- 
 back, surrounded by a drove of wild cattle, the parti- 
 culars of which we have already described. 
 
 Young Rutherford's purchases pleased his father 
 greatly, so that when the next fair came round, he 
 was again commissioned to buy more cattle. This 
 he readily undertook to do, especially as he had often 
 thought of the young lady whom he had rescued, and 
 whose appearance had impressed him so favourably 
 as to make him desirous of becoming better acquainted 
 with her, wished that he knew what was her name, 
 where she lived, and hoped that he might see her 
 again, &c. &c. 
 
 On his way to Enniskillen, she returned more 
 vividly to his memory, he recalled her every word 
 and look, and when he came near the spot where they 
 had parted, he gazed anxiously about, but she was 
 not in sight, nor did he get a glimpse of any lady at 
 all resembling her at the fair that day. 
 
 Business, however, must be attended to ; he sought 
 out Mr Macpherson in the fair ; told him how well 
 his former purchases had been liked by his father, said 
 he had been sent to buy more cattle, described the 
 
24 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 uses for which they were intended, the kind of pasture 
 they were to be put on, &c., requesting Mr Macpherson 
 to assist him with his judgment in making the selec- 
 tion. This was complied with, the drove collected, 
 and given in charge to the men who were to take 
 them home. 
 
 " How long does it take the cattle to reach your 
 place ?" asked Mr Macpherson, when business was 
 concluded, and they were seated together in the inn, 
 over a glass of wine. 
 
 " That depends on the state of the roads, and the 
 weather," replied Rutherford. " Sometimes it takes 
 three, and at other times four days/' 
 
 " But you do not accompany them ?" said Mr 
 Macpherson. 
 
 " Oh, no, I only take two days to reach home." 
 
 " Then you need not be in any hurry leaving ; my 
 house is on your way, a few miles distant from this ; 
 will you accompany me there and remain over night ? 
 You will then be fresh for your journey next day." 
 
 To this proposal the young man acceded, and 
 shortly afterwards they rode out of Enniskillen, in 
 the direction by which Rutherford had reached the 
 town in the morning. 
 
 As the pair proceeded along the road, Rutherford's 
 eyes wandered to the spot where he had first seen the 
 lady who had since that time occupied so much of his 
 thoughts, and when, leaving the highroad, they entered 
 the same byway she had taken, the young man's 
 mind was so occupied thinking about her, that for 
 some time he was quite abstracted in his manner, and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 25 
 
 replied incoherently and at random to Mr Macpher- 
 son's various questions and observations. 
 
 After riding several miles into the country, a large 
 substantially-built house came in view, picturesquely 
 situated on a rising ground, overlooking Lough Erne, 
 with its islet for every day in the year. 
 
 " This/'said Macpherson, entering a straight avenue 
 which led towards the end of the house, " is where I 
 live." 
 
 " How beautifully situated it is," responded Ruther- 
 ford. 
 
 Just then they came to the end of the avenue, 
 opposite to which was a large gate. 
 
 " The way to the stables," said Mr Macpherson, 
 pointing with his whip in that direction. At this 
 moment the hall door opened, and a young lady 
 appeared ; a single glance convinced Rutherford that 
 she was the person who had occupied so much of his 
 thoughts during the day. She seemed to recognise 
 him also, as her face and neck were suffused with 
 blushes. 
 
 " Here I am, Meg, and a friend with me — tell your 
 mother we are hungry as troopers ; and see, girl, that 
 supper be quickly ready." 
 
 It was fortunate that dismounting, unstrapping the 
 valise, and taking off his spatterdashes, required 
 Rutherford's attention, thereby affording him time to 
 regain composure before entering the house. 
 
 The youthful stranger was then shown by Mr 
 Macpherson to the bedroom he was to occupy. 
 James Rutherford had never till then thought of his 
 
26 Waves on the Ocean of Life ', 
 
 personal appearance, nor had his toilet ever occupied 
 longer than was absolutely necessary for cleanliness 
 and comfort ; but this evening he spent more time 
 than ever he had before done opposite the looking- 
 glass, and made extra attempts at adornment, tying 
 and untying his cravat several times, until the knot 
 was made to please, brushing his hair first one way, 
 then another, trying to make himself look to the best 
 advantage. 
 
 Miss Macpherson had hastened to her mother to 
 tell of her father's arrival, and that he had brought 
 the young man home with him who had rescued her 
 when in danger, returning from Enniskillen on last 
 fair day. 
 
 When James came into the parlour he was heartily 
 greeted by Mrs Macpherson, who said, " We owe you 
 a debt of gratitude for preserving our child from 
 being killed, and I am glad to have it in my power 
 to thank you/' 
 
 " But why," interposed Mr Macpherson, turning to 
 his guest, " why did you not tell me you were the 
 preserver of my daughter?" 
 
 " How could I," stammered James ; " I did not 
 know the lady's name." 
 
 " Well, Meg Macpherson is her name ; come here, 
 girl, and shake hands with Mr Rutherford." 
 
 A very awkward salutation was gone through by 
 both, the lady blushing, and James attempting to say 
 something complimentary, but in a most confused and 
 hesitating manner. 
 
 During supper Mrs Macpherson elicited from him 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 27 
 
 that his father was an immigrant from Scotland, his 
 mother was dead, he had a brother and sister, that 
 the family were Covenanters, and Peden was the name 
 of the clergyman under whose ministry they sat. 
 
 " Pray," said the hostess, " is not Mr Peden a de- 
 scendant of that man of God, Alexander Peden, who 
 suffered for maintaining the truth, and upholding the 
 faith during the times of persecution ?" 
 
 " Yes," replied James. 
 
 " Then it is the same Mr Peden we know," said she, 
 turning to her husband ; " he assisted our minister on 
 the special day of humiliation last year." 
 
 These and other topics which James could join in 
 Mrs Macpherson introduced, so that his shyness gra- 
 dually wore off, and he found himself entering quite 
 freely into conversation with his host and hostess ; 
 but with the young lady he could not find any sub- 
 ject of discourse. 
 
 Next morning James was invited to remain an- 
 other day, Mr Macpherson wishing to show him over 
 the farm ; he was reluctantly obliged to refuse, as his 
 father would be uneasy at his absence ; but he pro- 
 mised at some future period to do himself the pleasure 
 of remaining longer. 
 
 When next fair day came round, it rejoiced James 
 to go again to Enniskillen. 
 
 Mr Macpherson was glad to see his young friend, 
 and reminded him of his promised visit to Lakeview, 
 " where," said he, " you are expected ; Mrs Macpher- 
 son will have the friend's bed-room ready for you." 
 James was but too glad to have the invitation re- 
 
28 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 newed, and accordingly rode home with Mr Mac- 
 pherson, but this time Miss Macpherson did not ap- 
 pear at the hall door, nor was she in the parlour when 
 James arrived. When she did come she was quite 
 constrained and flurried. James's shake-hands was 
 also given in a nervous, tremulous manner. A little 
 boy and two girls then entered, and were introduced 
 as " the children." 
 
 All were soon seated at a plentifully spread table, 
 cheerful conversation enlivened the meal, causing it 
 to pass pleasantly, and be enjoyed by the whole 
 party. 
 
 The farm was gone over next day, and Mr Mac- 
 pherson found his young friend shrewd, sensible, and 
 well versed in the rotation of crops, management of 
 stock, and farming operations generally. 
 
 When Mrs Macpherson was bidding him good-bye, 
 she said, " Perhaps when you next visit us my sons 
 will be at home; as our minister, who is now educating 
 them, is talking of going to see his friends in Scot- 
 land, and the boys are to have their vacation then. " 
 
 James from this concluded that he had permission 
 to renew his visit without waiting till fair day came 
 round. 
 
 Again and again did James return to Lakeview, 
 and although reserved and reticent, gained favour 
 with Mr and Mrs Macpherson ; Meg also welcomed 
 him, if not with words, in a manner that proved she 
 was glad to see him. 
 
 After some time James came to Lakeview accom- 
 panied by his father, whose object was to ask Mr and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 29 
 
 Mrs Macpherson's consent for their daughter Maggie 
 to be married to his son, and to state his prospects, 
 &c. He frankly told them his farm was not large 
 enough to divide, but if whatever sum of money Mr 
 Macpherson would give his daughter was expended 
 in the purchase of land, he would stock and crop it, 
 furnish the house, and supply the young couple with 
 the means of going on until after the first harvest. 
 
 As Mr Peden had given a favourable account of 
 the Rutherford family, the union was approved of by 
 the parents. Mr Macpherson acceded to the plan of 
 purchasing a farm, and as shortly afterwards " a deed" 
 (freehold property) was to be sold in the county 
 Tyrone, some miles distant from Lough Neagh, and 
 near the rising town of Slievedhu, Mr Macpherson 
 bought it on advantageous terms. 
 
 Meg and James were married, and removed to their 
 new home, which was called Thornbrae. 
 
 They lived happily and comfortably together, with 
 hopeful prospects for the future ; but who can calcu- 
 late what is in store for us, — " man proposeth, but God 
 disposeth." Before twelve months had elapsed poor 
 Mrs Rutherford's health became very delicate ; how- 
 ever, it was hoped that after her confinement she 
 would get stronger. 
 
 Mrs Macpherson sent a trusty Highland woman to 
 her daughter, who had lived with herself many years ; 
 she had great experience in the management of chil- 
 dren and tending invalids, so that Mrs Rutherford 
 had every care and attention. 
 
 After the birth of " wee Maggie," Mrs Rutherford 
 
30 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 improved so much in health, it was confidently ex- 
 pected she would soon be quite well again ; but these 
 hopes were doomed to be blighted. She who so 
 lately had been blooming with health, surrounded 
 with every comfort, radiant with hope, and with the 
 prospect of living many years, was taken away before 
 her ear was greeted, and her heart rejoiced, by hearing 
 that sweetest of all sounds, " Mamma," lisped by her 
 infant's lips. 
 
 " And thus how oft do life and death 
 Twine hand in hand together ; 
 And the funeral shroud and bridal wreath 
 How small a space may sever ! " 
 
 Within two years James Rutherford had been a 
 bachelor, a husband, a father, and was now a widower. 
 
CHAPTER III, 
 
 HIGHLAND KATE, who had superintended 
 and assisted in the household duties during 
 Mrs Rutherford's life, was now sole manager of the 
 establishment at Thornbrae, so that all went on much 
 as formerly. She had also the entire charge of the 
 child, who did not experience any change by her 
 mother's death, and, as she knew no other, called her 
 nurse "Mammy Kate." 
 
 Rutherford felt his wife's death keenly, as he had 
 been devotedly attached to her ; but, among his sect, 
 to betray any feelings of emotion, or express sorrow 
 in words, was considered sinful. He rarely spoke of 
 his bereavement, and seldom paid the slightest atten- 
 tion to the child. His nearest approach to any de- 
 monstration of affection was gazing for a few minutes 
 on the sleeping babe, and ejaculating, " Poor mother- 
 less bairn ! may the Lord cause His face to shine on 
 thee, and be very gracious unto thee." 
 
 Three years passed over ; the child was healthy 
 and happy. Sometimes her childish prattle and art- 
 less ways elicited a caress from her undemonstrative 
 father. 
 
 ■" • 
 
32 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 One Sunday Kate was drenched with rain coming 
 from meeting, caught fever, and became dangerously 
 ill. Mr Peden, the minister, came and took the child, 
 for safety, to his residence, about four miles off. 
 His wife, never having had any family, was at a 
 loss what to do with her, particularly as the poor 
 child continued weeping and begging to be taken 
 home to her " Mammy Kate." 
 
 Mrs Peden, who was a bustling housewife, felt re- 
 lieved when the minister's sister, a maiden of mature 
 years, who resided in the house, offered to try what 
 she could do with " the puir bit lassie. " Her 
 woman's instinct suggested that the only way to 
 relieve the grief of the child was to turn her affec- 
 tions on other objects ; so, taking her to the farm- 
 yard, she showed her a brood of young chickens, then 
 gave her some corn in her pinafore to throw to them, 
 telling her if she was a good obedient girl she would 
 be allowed to feed the chickens, but if she cried she 
 would not. 
 
 To this Maggie abruptly said, " Won't I be taken 
 home to Mammy Kate then ? " 
 
 "Well, child, that cannot be now." 
 
 Poor Maggie's lip trembled ; her eyes filled with 
 tears ; she was just about to burst into a fresh pa- 
 roxysm of grief, when the hen and chickens clucked 
 past her ; then, rushing abruptly forward, she buried 
 her agitated face in Miss Peden's apron for some 
 minutes, and, looking up, exclaimed, "Will you be 
 another mammy, then ? " 
 
 The lady, though unaccustomed to sentimentality, 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 33 
 
 was touched by this appeal, and, stooping down, 
 demurely kissed her forehead ; but Maggie insisted 
 on "a mouth kiss, like what she got from Mammy 
 Kate." 
 
 Days wore on. Kate's fever came to a crisis. The 
 case was pronounced hopeless ; she could not live 
 many days longer. When her death took place, 
 Rutherford rode over to inform the minister. Maggie 
 saw her father coming, and ran to meet him with the 
 usual question, " Where 's Mammy Kate ? " 
 
 She was gravely told, " You will never see her again 
 in this world, child ; she's gone to heaven." 
 
 " Oh, then take me to heaven, to my Mammy Kate; 
 oh, do take me ! " 
 
 Rutherford was shocked at such a manifestation of 
 the power of the old Adam in his daughter, and at- 
 tempted to reason with her ; but she was so young, 
 her feelings strong, and too much excited to be con- 
 trolled immediately. She was carried away to her 
 room by Miss Peden, who laid the sobbing child on 
 the bed, and commenced singing the 23d Psalm. 
 This was the last task Maggie had committed to 
 memory. It now turned her thoughts off her grief. 
 Her sobs became less frequent, and ere the last verse 
 was sung, she had dropped over into the happy sleep 
 of childhood. 
 
 Miss Peden left the room, and after some time re- 
 turned to look at her charge. There she lay, with 
 smiles wreathing the mouth which had been so lately 
 twitching with sobs. Doubtless in her dreams she 
 was feeding the chicks, chasing butterflies, or en- 
 
 c 
 
34 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 gaged in some infantile pursuit which afforded en- 
 joyment. 
 
 Weeks passed over, and Maggie had forgotten her 
 grief and bereavement. She was a great favourite 
 with the whole household. Even the minister, 
 though " cast in humanity's sternest mould," re- 
 laxed from his gravity on seeing the gambols, or 
 hearing the joyous sounds of " wee Maggie's " voice ; 
 and rough old Robin the ploughman lifted her with 
 such gentleness before him on the horse he was riding 
 home from the field. It seemed as if each member 
 of the family felt a favour had been bestowed when 
 they were permitted to do anything for " the bairn." 
 
 Whenever her father spoke of the child's return 
 he was put off by being told " she is better cared 
 for here than she would be at home." For some 
 weeks James passively submitted to his child's 
 absence, being convinced of the truth of the re- 
 mark that she could not, under existing circum- 
 stances, be attended to at Thornbrae in the same 
 manner as she was at the manse. Kate's death 
 was a great trial and loss, as she had not only 
 filled the place of mother and nurse to Maggie, but 
 had also carefully managed and attended to all the 
 household duties at the cottage. As home was so 
 cheerless, James, as might be expected, was a fre- 
 quent visitor at the manse, where he was sure of a 
 hearty welcome from the minister and his wife. His 
 grief was lessened by the caresses and prattle of his 
 child, and his troubles and cares soothed by the quiet 
 sympathy of Miss Peden, and the solicitude and tender 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 35 
 
 care which she bestowed on his daughter. He began 
 to realise that it is not good that man should be alone. 
 It is not therefore to be wondered at that Miss Peden 
 now took possession of his thoughts, as being a suit- 
 able companion for himself, and a helpmeet in his 
 daily pursuits. If she would become his wife, his 
 child still could have almost maternal care, and he 
 would again have Maggie at home with him. Pon- 
 dering on all these matters, he came to the conclusion 
 that "it was a providence which took the bairn to 
 the minister's, and a special providence that put it 
 into Miss Peden's heart to take to the bairn, and the 
 bairn to love her in return." 
 
 Accordingly he rode over one afternoon to ask the 
 minister if he thought his sister would marry him, 
 and if he approved of the union. The minister, 
 worthy man, had foreseen such a denouement, and 
 cordially gave his assent, agreeing with Rutherford 
 in pronouncing that " altogether it was plainly a 
 special providence." 
 
 Miss Peden was duly informed by her brother of 
 the state of affairs ; and as she never had an offer 
 before, and never might again, all was arranged for 
 the marriage, which took place shortly afterwards in 
 a manner becoming the ages and situation of the 
 parties. 
 
 Rutherford took his bride home on horseback, 
 seated on a pillion behind him ; the minister's wife 
 and Maggie followed in a cart. 
 
 After the lapse of a year Mrs Rutherford presented 
 her husband with a son, whose birth had nearly a 
 
36 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 second time made James a widower, but this time 
 both mother and child were spared. 
 
 "Wee Maggie" looked upon the doctor with affec- 
 tionate regard for bringing such a treasure, which she 
 considered as her own exclusive property. Poor 
 child ! her woman's nature could not be suppressed ; 
 she must have an object for her affections to centre 
 in, and brother became her chief care ; she never 
 wearied looking at him, and sitting beside his cradle 
 became her especial duty, rocking and hushing him 
 to sleep by singing Sternhold's version of the twenty- 
 third Psalm, then in use : — 
 
 1. " My Shipheard is the liwing Lord, nothing therefore I need ; 
 in pastures faire, with waters calme, He sets me for to feed. 
 
 2. He did conwert and glad my soule, and brought my mind to frame, 
 to walke in pathes of righteousnesse, for His most holy name. 
 
 3. " Yea though I walke in vale of death, yet will I feare none ill, 
 thy rod, thy staffe dothe comfort me, and Thou art with me still. 
 
 4. And in the presence of my foes, my table Thou shalt spread ; 
 Thou shalt (O Lord) fill full my cup, and eke annoint my head. 
 
 5. " Through all my life Thy fawour is so frankly showed to me, 
 that in Thy house for ewermore my dwelling-place shall be." 
 
 The little nurse then took her knitting and sat guard- 
 ing his slumbers, roused by his slightest movements ; 
 and when during his infantile ailments he cried, 
 Maggie wept too, and would willingly have endured 
 the pain rather than see him suffer. 
 
 James looked on the child as a gift sent by the 
 Lord, and determined to devote him from his birth 
 to His service, intending to bring him up to be a 
 minister of the Covenanter persuasion. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 37 
 
 In accordance with James's plans for his son's 
 future prospects, he resolved to name him for his 
 maternal relative, Alexander Peden, who is mentioned 
 in the "Scottish Book of Martyrs" as " Peden the 
 Prophet." 
 
 " But a man cannot tell what shall be, and what 
 shall be after him who can tell ?" 
 
 When the minister was informed of his brother-in- 
 law's intention he was greatly gratified ; shook James 
 warmly by the hand, prayed that the babe might be 
 rt a babe of grace " and that he might follow in the 
 footsteps of his sainted ancestors, Peden and Ruther- 
 ford ; requesting that he might be permitted to give 
 his assistance in furthering the good work by educat- 
 ing the boy till he was ready to be sent to Glasgow 
 College. 
 
 Years rolled over ; all went on prosperously at 
 Thornbrae ; crops were abundant, cattle and sheep 
 increased exceedingly ; all the in-door duties were 
 thriftily managed ; and Rutherford's house became 
 a scene of bustling activity. 
 
 As the household was arranged according to the 
 general style of the period, and as it belongs to the 
 things which have passed away, we shall describe it 
 in the following chapter. 
 
Some readers may not feel interested in this chapter, and as it is not 
 connected with the narrative, it can be skipped. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THORNBRAE FARM contained one hundred 
 and fifty-seven acres, arable and pasture land, 
 besides the privilege of cutting turf (peat) in unli- 
 mited quantities out of a bog a few miles distant, 
 and the range of a hill-side for grazing cattle. The 
 house was a stone-built, whitewashed, thatched cot- 
 tage, and behind it were stable, cowhouses, pig- 
 styes, &c. Narrow windows, one pane wide and four 
 high, were on either side of the strong front -door. 
 These were recessed inside, and in each stood a red 
 earthenware flower-pot, one of which contained a 
 horse-shoe geranium, the other a gooseberry ger- 
 anium. These were the only flowers about the place, 
 with the exception of sweetbriar and honeysuckle, 
 which had been planted outside the door by Maggie's 
 mother. 
 
 The interior of the house was divided by a wall at 
 either end, the centre being the kitchen, and the ends 
 the apartments, over which were lofts (approached 
 by a ladder) for sleeping-places, for " the boys " on 
 one side of the house, and for the lasses on the other. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 39 
 
 The outside door opened into the kitchen, which 
 was, however, partially hidden from view by a slight 
 wall about six feet high and eight long. This made 
 a hall or passage to " The Room" par excellence, 
 which was only used on Sunday afternoons, or when 
 the minister, his wife, or any other great personages 
 came to Thornbrae. The floor of this apartment was 
 of spotlessly clean wood uncovered, carpets at that 
 time being too expensive a luxury. In centre of the 
 room stood an oval table of dark wood and strong 
 massive proportions ; another larger table, with falling 
 leaves, was behind the door; on it, placed upright against 
 the whitewashed wall, the tea-tray, and in front the 
 big Bible covered with calf-skin, with the hair on, and 
 at either side a pair of tall brass candlesticks. Two 
 arm-chairs, and several other chairs of hard -wood 
 corresponding with the tables, the seats of chairs 
 being also of solid wood, w r ere little adapted from 
 their luxurious ease to encourage laziness, and the 
 upright unornamented straight backs indicated that 
 they had been designed, made, and were to be used 
 by a plain matter-of-fact set of men. Over each 
 window was a valence of blue and white linen 
 checquer, and on either side a curtain of the same 
 homespun material. 
 
 Opposite the door was the fireplace : it was filled 
 with a bunch of hawthorn or sycamore in summer; 
 and in winter, when the room was occupied, the grate 
 contained a peat fire. 
 
 On the mantel -shelf was arranged the family 
 library, consisting of the following volumes bound in 
 
40 Waves on the Ocean of Lzje, 
 
 strong dark leather : " The Confession of Faith," 
 " Fox's Book of Martyrs," " Baxter's Saint's Ever- 
 lasting Rest," " Willison's Afflicted Man's Com- 
 panion," " The Pilgrim's Progress," " Fleming on the 
 Papacy," " Keith on the Prophecies," " Venn's Whole 
 Duty of Man," " Boston's Crook in the Lot," " Bun- 
 yan's Come and Welcome," &c. &c. Above these 
 hung the former Mrs Rutherford's sampler. The 
 ponderous size of frame, and the quantity of hard 
 wood employed in it would in the present day be 
 valuable for mechanical purposes. Poor Maggie 
 often looked at and admired this marvel of female 
 achievement in art. Samplers of late have been hid- 
 den out of sight by old ladies, as in addition to the 
 date when worked, the age of worker was also stated, 
 but as the fingers are now powerless, and the tongue 
 is also silent of the worker of the sampler which hung 
 in " The Room " at Thornbrae, we can describe it 
 without giving offence. 
 
 Unbleached canvas was the ground-work ; length, 
 twenty-two inches ; breadth, eighteen. Round this 
 was wrought in cross stitch, with green silk, the pat- 
 tern we term Grecian, but then called " Walls of 
 Troy ;" and at each corner, birds which, from colour 
 of plumage, shape, and attitudes, must have be- 
 longed to some species now extinct. Certainly, if 
 such ornithological specimens could be procured alive 
 now, the Regent's Park Zoological Society would 
 gladly give a large sum for them, as they would be 
 sure to attract crowds when once they had been seen 
 poising themselves upright, and standing on their 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 41 
 
 tails in the attitude of a dog begging. Then came 
 the alphabet in Roman letters worked in red, then 
 Italics in blue ; various patterns and colours of lines 
 dividing each row of letters ; next followed large 
 capital letters formed of eylet holes, (each alternate 
 letter a different colour.) This was the stitch used 
 in marking blankets, towels, bed and table linen ; 
 then followed the texts of scripture, " Favour is de- 
 ceitful, and beauty is vain ; but a woman that feareth 
 the Lord, she shall be praised." " Give her of the 
 fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her 
 in the gates." — Pro v. xxxi. chap. 30th and 31st verses. 
 " Wrought by the hands of Margaret Macpherson, 
 April 23rd, 1735, aged nine years and eight months." 
 But the " chef d' oeuvre" of art was reserved for the 
 last. The bow-pot of flowers in centre was pro- 
 nounced most beautiful, and the bunch of cherries on 
 one side, and strawberries on the other, so natural, it 
 would be useless for us to do otherwise than agree 
 with the testimony of so many admirers. 
 
 Between the fireplace and windows facing the door 
 (( solemnly ticked the brass-dialled clock," in its black- 
 oak case. On opposite side of fireplace was the chief 
 ornament of the room, the beaufet ; this was a maho- 
 gany corner cupboard, with panes of glass in the doors ; 
 it contained the china tea-service, arranged so as 
 to show each article to the best advantage ; also a 
 pair of crystal decanters, and a dozen wine-glasses 
 mounted on high stalks, which showed a white spiral 
 pattern in centre of stem ; the sugar-bowl to match 
 decanters was placed in a prominent position, so as 
 
42 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 to display the silver sugar-tongs and dozen tea- 
 spoons, on which were engraved j^, it being the 
 fashion of the day to have the initials of husband 
 and wife combined together. 
 
 A door opened out of the room to a sleeping 
 apartment ; this was the strangers or friend's cham- 
 ber. The walls were whitewashed ; the curtains of 
 bed, and drapery of window, were blue and white 
 chequer. The bedstead was of equally substantial 
 proportions with the other furniture ; it was called a 
 tester-bed. In these days of French and Albert beds 
 such a piece of furniture would be a rare curiosity ; 
 the four posts were large, and strong enough to form 
 pillars to support the gallery of a church ; on them 
 rested a square canopy, round which was a projecting 
 cornice of highly-polished dark wood, and under this 
 was a valance, with curtains of checquer. The feather- 
 bed, of the best white-goose feathers, was part of 
 the " plenishin " brought by Meg Macpherson to 
 Thornbrae ; the tick of strong linen had been spun 
 by herself; also the sheets, towels, and curtains. The 
 patchwork quilt had been her handiwork ; it was 
 made of hexagon scraps of coloured print, alternating 
 with white linen. This patchwork was called the 
 " Causeway Pattern." A table, a couple of chairs, 
 and white bedroom ware completed the furniture. 
 Alongside the bed was a width of carpet, made 
 of strips of different coloured cloth sewed together, 
 and woven with coarse thread, the cloth forming 
 the warp, the thread the woof. A bedroom corre- 
 sponding in size with the stranger's bedroom opened 
 
A Dalnadian Tale. 43 
 
 off the kitchen ; it does not require particular descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 The other end of the house was similarly divided, 
 the large apartment being the " gudeman's and gude- 
 wife's " bedroom ; there was a tester-bed in it, also a 
 large oak chest, to hold the blankets, &c, and a 
 strong oak-press, containing the " go-to-meeting " 
 clothes, and underneath it large drawers to hold the 
 " napery." * Opening off this apartment was the 
 store-room, containing webs of linen, chequer, tick-- 
 ing, spangles (bunches) of linen yarn and wool, the 
 saddle, bridle, pillion, &c, &c. 
 
 The other small apartment on this side, leading 
 out of kitchen, was used as pantry, and held barrels 
 of salt provisions, oat, barley, and wheaten meal, 
 groats, and seeds ; also cheese, bannocks of bread, 
 crocks of butter, and a wooden pail containing butter- 
 milk, on which floated a small wooden bowl or basin, 
 called a " caap ;" this beverage was pro bono publico, 
 and was often resorted to by both male and female 
 servants when they felt inclined to slake their 
 thirst, t 
 
 The kitchen must now be described. It was large, 
 being forty feet long and thirty wide ; the floor, formed 
 of clay and lime, so incorporated, smoothed, and 
 
 * Bed and table linen. 
 
 f The milk that remains after the butter has been taken off the churn 
 is called "butter-milk;" this in Ireland is delicious when fresh, not 
 at all like what is called by that name in England. In Ireland, milk 
 as well as cream is churned ; in England, only the cream is used, so 
 that what remains, after taking off the butter, is thin whey, only fit to 
 be used by pigs, and not a favourite drink with them either. 
 
44 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 kneaded down as to form a hard, even surface, like 
 the asphaltic pavement of the present day. 
 
 The chimney, built on the " butt" end of house, 
 (in distinction to the " room" end, it being "ben the 
 house;") towards roof this chimney was about four 
 feet broad, two wide, and gradually enlarged its pro- 
 portions till, at the distance of five feet from the floor, 
 its breadth was nearly seven feet, and it projected 
 fully four feet out on the floor ; this projecting part 
 •was designated the "brace." Inside this ample chim- 
 ney were hung up hams, sides of bacon, tongues, 
 "hung beef," and black puddings; outside was sus- 
 pended an old blunderbuss, used for shooting birds 
 for scarecrows ; also scythes, bill-hooks, reaping- 
 hooks, &c, and any other articles requiring to be kept 
 dry. On the ground, in centre of chimney, was a 
 large, round, hard stone, (such as those used in mills 
 for grinding grain ;) it formed the hearth, and on each 
 side, and in front, it was paved with oval flint stones ; 
 it should have been mentioned that on either side of 
 hearth were stone seats, called " the chimley corner." 
 Built in across the chimney was a strong bar of iron, 
 about four feet above the hearth ; this was " the 
 crane," and on it were iron chains or " links," to fasten 
 the " crooks " in — namely, iron hooks of various 
 lengths, to hang the pots, kettle, pan, or girdle on 
 over the fire, when required for cooking. 
 
 It may be asked how roasting, or any other kind of 
 cookery, could be done at this fireplace ; but let me 
 assure my readers that, notwithstanding the many 
 kinds of roasters, hasteners, bottle-jacks, ovens, close 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 45 
 
 ranges, kitcheners," and American stoves in present 
 use, I have never yet tasted a goose so well cooked 
 by any of them, or which had such a delicious flavour, 
 as one cooked in a farm-house at a similar fireplace. 
 Many, many years have passed over, but the savoury 
 remembrance of that goose still causes me to " smack 
 my lips." 
 
 The goose having previously been stuffed with 
 mashed potatoes and onions, was put into a large pot, 
 with a little water about it, and allowed to stew slowly 
 over the fire ; after some time the gravy was taken 
 out, the pot placed on hearth, some butter put in 
 along with goose ; turf embers were then placed under 
 the three-legged pot, also on top of iron lid ; in this 
 way it was nicely browned, and tasted tender and 
 juicy. 
 
 All kinds of meat and fowls were cooked in this 
 manner ; also apple and other pies. Peat was the only 
 fuel used, the lighted embers being placed on hearth ; 
 pieces of trees, dug out of the bogs and well dried, were 
 added ; this is bog-wood, (not bog-oak, but fir, white and 
 reedy ;) turf, shaped like long bricks, were piled round 
 this, and over it were suspended the potato-pot, the 
 stirabout-pot, the broth-pot, or the yarn-pot, as occa- 
 sion required. 
 
 In centre of partition opposite fireplace was the 
 " dresser," of ample proportions, made of white deal, 
 clean, and well " scoured;" it was well " plenished " 
 with pewter plates and dishes on upper shelves ; then 
 followed delf "bowls,"* trenchers,")" "caaps," (before 
 
 * Basins. t Wooden platters. 
 
46 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 described,) u noggins," and " piggins." These were 
 vessels made of staves of wood, fastened together 
 with bands of " sally," (willow,) round a circular piece 
 of wood. One of the staves was a few inches longer 
 than the others, and narrowed in, for the fingers to 
 catch by, forming a handle ; the noggin was the 
 smaller vessel ; piggins were used for milking into. 
 On hooks in front of shelves were suspended jugs, 
 porringers, mugs, &c. Two drawers in dresser con- 
 tained knives, forks, and horn and iron spoons ; under 
 it were pots of various sizes. These were all three- 
 legged, and had " ears" (loops) on either side to hook 
 the pot-hooks into ; the frying-pan and griddle* were 
 also to be found there. The bakeboard, rolling- 
 pin, potato-bruiser, beetle, *f* pot-stick, J and a large 
 wooden ladle for lifting broth hung upon wall beside 
 the callender and sowen-sieve ; the use of latter shall 
 again be described. 
 
 The ceiling of the kitchen was lofty, as it was not 
 covered over between the partitions, but left open 
 the height of the roof. On a level with the floors of 
 servants' apartments were strong beams across the 
 kitchen. On one of these was fixed the " glaiks," 
 (used for churning with ;) this was a transverse piece 
 of wood, to which a handle was attached to form a 
 
 * A circular plate of iron to suspend over the fire. On it the oat- 
 cakes were firmed, previous to being placed to " har'en " opposite the 
 fire, supported in an upright position by a turf. 
 
 t A round wooden mallet, used to beat clothes with, as a substitute 
 for mangling, also for pounding (mashing) potatoes. 
 
 X Used for stirring the meal in porridge, (in Scotland it is called a 
 spurtle.) 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 47 
 
 lever ; the churn-staff was fastened to the " glaiks," 
 and was moved up and down by the motion of the 
 handle working it like a pump. The churn used in 
 this way was in shape like the present toy churns. 
 Along the window, in a line with the door, was a 
 settle-bed ; this was made of white deal wood, formed 
 like a sofa ; the closed up seat contained a bed, 
 blankets, and quilt, and, when folded down, formed 
 a bedstead, for use on extra occasions ; beside this, 
 when not in use, stood the mistress' spinning-wheel, 
 and on the wall hung the reel for winding the yarn ; 
 and, at the time we write of, the strong wood cradle 
 stood between the settle-bed and fire. On the oppo- 
 site side of the kitchen were two windows ; under 
 both were tables, and between them the back-door, 
 beside which was a pair of water-cans, (water-pails 
 or stoups,) for carrying water from the well or burn 
 (rivulet.) 
 
 Deal stools, and chairs with seats formed of straw 
 ropes crossed, and the lasses' spinning-wheels, com- 
 pleted the furniture of kitchen. 
 
 Close to the back-door, outside, was the milk-house, 
 and near to this the "byre" (cow-house) and pig-styes. 
 
 Having now described the house, its furniture and 
 belongings, we shall reserve the management of the 
 household for another chapter. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ALL went on in the usual routine at Thornbrae 
 for years. The children were healthy, and had 
 got over their infantile ailments. 
 
 As Maggie grew older, she was able to assist in all 
 the household work. Her "mammy" taught her to 
 read, knit, and sew ; the minister set her writing 
 copies ; from him also she gained a knowledge of 
 geography, and learned the simple rules of arithmetic. 
 During this time, Alexander was acquiring the ele- 
 mentary branches of education. When he was older, 
 he rode over to his uncle's every morning to be in- 
 structed by him, and as the boy had a good capacity 
 and capital memory, he made rapid progress in his 
 studies. 
 
 Matters went on in this manner for years, only 
 varied by going to " the meeting " on Sabbaths and 
 fast-days, and occasional tea-parties amongst the 
 neighbours. 
 
 "Ouiltings" were the occasion of many a party 
 being assembled. They were almost the only places 
 where the boys and girls had an opportunity of seeing 
 each other, except at u the meeting." When a patch- 
 work quilt had been sewed together ready to be lined, 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 49 
 
 a number of girls were invited to come to put it into 
 the frame and quilt it. When finished, they baked 
 u fadge," (potato cake) and " slim cake," — namely, 
 puff paste cut into squares with a knife, or made 
 round by being cut out with an inverted tea-cup. 
 These cakes were cooked on the " griddle," some 
 eaten hot and buttered, others used cold. 
 
 The minister, his wife, and the fathers, mothers, 
 and brothers of the girls came to spend the evening. 
 When all were assembled in " the room," the males 
 generally ranged on one side, the females on the 
 other. Tea was then " masked," (infused.) After a 
 long " grace," said by the minister, tea was poured 
 out by " the mistress," and handed round by the 
 young men in a sheepish, awkward manner ; but this 
 did not seem to be observed by the fair young girls, 
 who, in return for a cup of tea, bestowed many a 
 sweet smile and bright glance on their respective 
 favourites. Then laughter and jest gradually over- 
 came the silence which previously had reigned, and 
 fun and merriment prevailed. 
 
 During the repast the men talked little, the minis- 
 ter generally taking the lead in conversation, inquir- 
 ing of each matron about the welfare of her children, 
 &c. ; and informing the company in general the latest 
 news of the war, the state of the Church in Scotland, 
 reforms about to be introduced into the kirk-session, 
 enlarging and explaining the nature of the abuses 
 about to be rectified, deploring the influence that 
 Popery and Prelacy were gaining over the length 
 and breadth of the land, &c. &c. Occasionally the 
 
 D 
 
50 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 matrons, during a pause in the conversation, praise the 
 tea, descant on the merits of black or green tea, dis- 
 cuss whether they are better separate or mixed, each 
 telling who they thought sold the best tea in Slievedhu. 
 
 After returning thanks the tea-things were removed ; 
 the table, which had been most plentifully supplied 
 with bannocks, cakes, and cheese, was lessened con- 
 siderably of its load ; what remained was left on the 
 table, and glasses, whisky, sugar, and hot water im- 
 mediately placed on it. The elder portion of the 
 males drew their chairs round the table, and com- 
 menced to make their tumblers of punch, of which, 
 however, they partook in moderation. They talked 
 of the weather, discussed the proper rotation of crops, 
 the best methods of scutching flax, the failure of the 
 hay crop, the prices of grain compared with former 
 years ; mingled with news of the war, the probable 
 effect it would have on the price of pigs, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 Meantime their better-halves gathered into a corner, 
 and between the sips of their whisky-punch, (which 
 had been made and handed to them by their lords 
 and masters, with the remark, " Hot, sweet, and 
 strong, the kind of punch ladies like ; hope it may 
 please,") they commenced to "shannagh" (gossip) 
 about who was going to be married ; the price yarn 
 brought at the last fair ; whether it was likely to rise 
 or fall in price; how many "cutts" (skeins) they 
 could spin to a " spangle," (bunch ;) the best reme- 
 dies for chin-cough ; what they did when Johnny had 
 measles, and baby the chicken-pox ; calculated how 
 many spangles of yarn it took to buy Mrs Brown's 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 
 
 5i 
 
 poplin dress, or Miss Adams's Dunstable bonnet, 
 trimmed with " bloom "-coloured ribbons, (of course 
 neither of these ladies were present ;) what herbs were 
 the best to put in rennet ; the surest method of keep- 
 ing moths out of clothes ; who was going to have an 
 addition to her family, et cetera. 
 
 Immediately after tea the young folks had retired 
 to the kitchen, and began to play round games, such 
 as " Hunt the slipper," " Blind-man's buff/' " Twirl 
 the trencher," "Whistle the key." The two latter 
 were great favourites, as they entailed forfeits, to 
 release which kissing was principally the penalty. 
 Dancing would have been considered highly immoral; 
 but releasing pledges, which were forfeited by the 
 " long kiss in the corner," or being sentenced to 
 
 " Wink at the wittiest, 
 Bow to the prettiest, 
 And kiss the girl you love best ;" 
 
 or condemned to stand in the corner and repeat the 
 poetical and highly sentimental distich, appealing to 
 the sympathies of the fair sex — 
 
 " Here I stand as stiff as a stake, 
 Begging a kiss for charity's sake." 
 
 All these, of course, were innocent compared to danc- 
 ing. A penalty often imposed was " the monk and 
 the nun," which was a prime favourite. The monk 
 or nun, whose pledge was to be redeemed, went out- 
 side of closed door and knocked. The question was 
 then asked, Who are you ? Reply, A monk. What 
 do you want ? A nun, was the answer. Name her. 
 Then the girl who was called went to be kissed out- 
 
52 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 side the door ; she called a monk, and he in return a 
 nun, till the whole party had been gone over. 
 
 These amusements were varied with the puzzling 
 demand before a forfeit was redeemed ; namely, 
 " bite an inch off the poker," or repeat six times with- 
 out making a mistake, 
 
 " Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. 
 Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers ? 
 If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, 
 Where is now the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?" 
 
 Or sit on the floor on the " beetle," (the round mallet 
 already described,) with legs crossed, and right arm 
 tied across breast, then take three sips of water out 
 of a " noggin," brimful of water, without spilling a 
 drop, (the latter was only a gentleman's forfeit,) and 
 from the difficulty in performing this feat, and the 
 mishaps it led to, elicited peals of laughter. 
 
 About nine o'clock the young people came into 
 i( the room," a jug of whisky-punch was made, and a 
 wine-glass of it handed by a young man to each 
 damsel, accompanied by " slim-cake," or " bannocks " 
 and cheese; sometimes the punch was refused, and 
 the gallant request was made, " Just taste it then to 
 sweeten it for me." The minister then gave out a 
 psalm, all voices joining in singing it to the air of 
 " Martyrdom," " Dundee," " Montrose," or the " Old 
 Hundred ; " the slow-measured, long-drawn, doleful 
 strains, contrasting strongly with the mirthful sounds 
 which had previously resounded from the kitchen, 
 made it seem like martyrdom indeed. A chapter 
 was then read, followed by a long extemporary prayer 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 53 
 
 by the minister, and the party broke up ; the females 
 who lived at a distance going home in the usual way, 
 riding double — viz., mounted on a pillion behind their 
 father, husband, or brother, the rest walking. 
 
 As might be expected, " courting " made up a 
 large share of the enjoyment of the evening, and 
 most of the love-making commenced at " quiltings " 
 terminated in weddings. 
 
 At one of these festive meetings Maggie Rutherford 
 (now grown into maidenhood) met a young man 
 named Wilson, who, after a few other interviews, sent 
 his father to propose to Rutherford for his daughter ; 
 and as Wilson had been pronounced by the minister 
 to be "a well-to-do, God-fearing boy/' the fathers 
 entered into preliminary arrangements, settled the 
 " tocher " (marriage portion) to be paid with the 
 lass ; the number of acres of land, the cattle, sheep, 
 carts, ploughs, &c, to be given by the other father. 
 
 The marriage shortly afterwards took place, and 
 Maggie removed to her new home about twelve miles 
 distant, taking with her the sampler and all the other 
 articles previously described which had belonged to 
 her mother. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 WE shall now redeem our promise of giving 
 an account of the domestic arrangements at 
 Thornbrae ; they may prove interesting, as almost 
 everything was managed differently from what it is 
 in the present day in the north of Ireland farm-houses. 
 The habits of both farmer and labourer are changed, 
 their social position and relation to each other, as 
 master and servant, altered ; they seem quite like a 
 different race of them. Servants, both male and 
 female, were engaged by the half-year, at one of the 
 statute fairs ; they were fed and lodged in the house, 
 wages for boys being from £2 to £2, 10s. ; girls, 20s. 
 to 25s., with the proviso that the girls were to spin so 
 many spangles of yarn in the week. 
 
 Farm labourers were paid iod. to is. per day, 
 " cost anent," (this term means that the men were to 
 provide their own food ;) women got 46.. to 6^d. for 
 weeding, but in "har'st" (harvest) 8d. to iod. 
 
 A description of how one day was spent will suffice 
 for each, with little variation. At five in the summer 
 mornings, or later as the days shortened, Mr Ruther- 
 ford took the ladder from the lasses' bedroom door, 
 
A Dalriadian Tale, 55 
 
 and placed it at " the boys',"* calling on them to 
 <e get up ;" the last down carried the ladder back to 
 the girls' door. Bannocks, cheese, and milk were 
 then given to " the boys." 
 
 By this time the girls had dressed in their coloured 
 bed-gowns and black petticoats ; their toilet did not 
 occupy long, as they had neither stays, crinolines, 
 shoes, nor stockings to put on. They came to the 
 kitchen, kindled the fire, brought in " a go" of water 
 from the well, in the water stoups, and put it into a 
 large pot which was hung over the fire, set forward 
 the churn, fastened the churn-staff to the " glaiks," 
 and when the water was sufficiently warm to add to 
 the milk, commenced to churn ; the girls working the 
 " glaiks" by turns. Meantime, stirabout (oatmeal 
 porridge) or potatoes were boiling, and the mistress 
 had laid the cloth on the table for breakfast, placing 
 on it butter, bannocks, and cheese. 
 
 When the butter was ready to be taken off the 
 churn, the lid was rinsed down with water, also the 
 churn-staff, to remove any particles of butter sticking 
 to them. The mistress having previously well washed 
 and " scalded" her hands, and rubbed them with salt, 
 lifted the butter with her right hand into a large 
 wooden bowl, which she held in her left ; a " gather- 
 ing brush" was then given to collect the remaining 
 butter ; all was then well clapped to take the milk out, 
 and salt added ; a blunt knife passed through it, to 
 catch any stray hairs which might have fallen off the 
 
 * In the same way as negroes are designated in the United States, an 
 Irish boy may be of any age from childhood to sixty, if unmarried. 
 
 — t 
 
56 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 cows while milking, and escaped through the strainer. 
 The butter being well washed, the milk and water 
 pressed out of it, then put into crocks or wooden butts, 
 except what was required for immediate use, which 
 was made up in " miskins " (namely, rolls containing 
 about a pound each) made in a triangular shape, and 
 a few " prints" (pats) made to " mense the table," 
 when the doctor, minister, or any town friends called. 
 Previous to removing the churn, a " brash" was given 
 to make "pedlar's cream;" this was frothy milk, 
 containing a few particles of butter ; it was skimmed 
 off with a "caap," and was considered an especial 
 " bon bouche." 
 
 Meantime the lasses milked the " kye." Stirabout 
 being then dished into large " caaps," was placed on 
 the table to cool ; one of the girls went either to back 
 or front door, or either gable, in whichever direction 
 the labourers were at work, and shouted, " H-o-o-y, 
 H-o-o-y, come in." Presently the horses were heard 
 entering the yard. Mr Rutherford then came in, 
 washed his hands, and after a lengthy blessing was 
 invoked, his wife and he partook of the stirabout and 
 milk, or potatoes, finishing with bannock, butter, and 
 cheese ; he then went out to send in the boys, and 
 see if the cattle had been properly foddered. 
 
 After the servants had got their breakfast over, (of 
 the same fare,) the big family Bible was brought out 
 of " the room," and placed before "the master," who 
 read a few verses of the Scottish version of a psalm, 
 he then " raised the tune," (commenced singing,) 
 joined by all the household, every two lines being 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 57 
 
 repeated previous to being sung ; a chapter was then 
 read, followed by an extempore prayer. " Morning 
 exercise" concluded, the men went to their out of 
 doors employments; while the lasses "redd" (tidied) 
 up the house, the mistress attended to the baby, 
 arranged what was to be for dinner, and then sat 
 down to her spinning-wheel : — 
 
 " With hand ever stirring, 
 And heart ever light, 
 The spinning-wheel burring 
 From morning to night." 
 
 " H-o-o-y, h-o-o-y," resounded at two o'clock, an- 
 nouncing dinner, which was served in much the same 
 manner as breakfast had been ; it consisted of potatoes, 
 and broth made of salt beef, bacon, or " hung beef," 
 thickened with barley or groats ; occasionally it was 
 varied by having leeks, cabbage, or marigolds, instead 
 of barley or groats, to which was added a quantity of 
 oaten meal. 
 
 When dinner was over, and the house again " redd 
 up," the "stirabout" or " sowens," were prepared for 
 supper. The latter was made of the outer covering 
 or husks which came off oats, in making groats ; they 
 were put in water to " steep," (soak ;) the mealy 
 particles that had adhered to the " seeds" sank to 
 the bottom, the seeds were then lifted out by the hand 
 into the " sowen sieve ;"* what strained through being 
 of a thickish consistency, was allowed to remain some 
 
 * This was a square wooden frame, about eighteen inches long, and 
 twelve wide, the bottom of which was made of perforated tin, forming 
 a strainer. 
 
58 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 days to ferment ; when boiled, it formed a kind of 
 acid jelly ; this was a favourite dish, and partaken of 
 either hot or cold, with the addition of sweet milk. 
 Beastins was the rarest treat of all ; this was the 
 second milk taken from a cow after calving ; it was 
 put into a pot over a fire, the heat caused it to thicken 
 like rennet milk, only being stronger in taste, and a 
 deep yellow, as if coloured with saffron. The girls 
 then sat down to their wheels. Spinning linen yarn 
 was a productive source of revenue to the farmer's 
 wife, and every servant had her appointed task to per- 
 form weekly ; many girls prided themselves on the 
 number of " spangles " they could spin in a month. 
 
 The declining shadows indicated the time for com- 
 ing in from the fields, without having to be summoned 
 by " H-o-o-y, h-o-o-y," as before. 
 
 Supper over, horses and cattle attended, cows 
 milked, and all tidied up, spinning was resumed, 
 some of the boys winding on the reel what the girls 
 had already on their pirns, (reels attached to the 
 wheel,) or chopped fir for firewood, repaired the cart 
 harness, mended sacks, &c. In winter all this was 
 done by light produced by pieces of bogwood, thrown 
 from time to time into the fire, causing a most cheer- 
 ful light to gleam over all the kitchen. 
 
 Evening devotions over, which were conducted in 
 the same manner as in the morning, the boys went to 
 bed, the girls raked the fire ; this was done by lifting 
 the peat embers aside with the tongs, then with a turf 
 making an opening in the ashes, the embers were 
 placed on them, covering them over with ashes so as 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 59 
 
 to preserve them for kindling the fire next morning. 
 Of course there were occasional jobs, such as the 
 May and November cleanings, when every article was 
 taken out of each room, brushed, dusted, washed, 
 rubbed, scrubbed, and subjected to every possible 
 form of purification. Then there were the washing 
 days, the bleaching, drying, and ironing days, and the 
 extra big washings, when blankets, quilts, curtains, 
 &c, were done. 
 
 While the out of door work and domestic duties 
 were progressing, love scenes occasionally occurred 
 between the servant lads and lasses. Jamie M'Gwig- 
 gan (who had been many years living with the 
 family) was so blindly in love with Nelly Donnelly, 
 that he forgot his shamefacedness, and was caught 
 on several occasions kissing her. When reproved 
 by the mistress, he declared he " thought Nelly 
 had bewitched him, as he couldn't get her out 
 of his head day nor night." " God forgive me, she 
 goes atween me an' my prayers/' " Och mistress, 
 dear, don't be angry wi' me, maybe you were in the 
 same way yoursel' afore you were married, an' troth 
 I 'm all through-other just now." 
 
 This so amused Mrs Rutherford, she said, " Well, 
 Jamie, do you really love Nelly ?" 
 
 " Och, love's not the word at all, mistress, dear; 
 sure I love her very shadow on the wall, and I 'm 
 nearly wrong in my head about her, or I wouldn't be 
 making the freedom I 'm doin' wi' ye, mem, dear ; so 
 don't scowld me, and get the master not to be angry 
 wi' me." 
 
60 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " But," interrupted Mrs Rutherford, " how could 
 you support a wife, Jamie ?" 
 
 " Och bravely, if ye lets us be married, sure, 
 we '11 be your servants all the while, and if ye gives 
 us the wee cabin down bye, and lave to set a rig or 
 two o' praties, me an' Nelly can pay the rent out of 
 our work, and we '11 be as happy as the king on the 
 throne, and far happier, and we'll pray for you and 
 the master, not forgetting Master Alick ; and shure 
 we 'd go on our bended knees to sarve ye-es, or rise 
 at the hour of midnight to do yer biddin'." 
 
 Mrs Rutherford pleaded Jamie's suit so well with 
 " the master," that he acceded to Jamie's wishes, and 
 Nelly and he were married, and went to live in the 
 cabin, their places being filled up by another " boy" 
 and " lass." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SHORTLY after Maggie Rutherford's marriage, 
 her father was informed by the minister (his 
 brother-in-law) that Alexander "was fit for College." 
 
 Preparations were then commenced to get ready 
 his outfit for going to Glasgow. They were on a 
 sufficiently ample scale to supply a traveller in these 
 days with more than would be necessary to take with 
 him on a voyage to Australia, with a prospect of 
 not getting a further supply for many years. A 
 journey had to be taken to the neighbouring market 
 town of Slievedhu'for the express purpose of buying 
 cloth, leather, and other necessaries for the occasion. 
 
 A tailor was brought to the house to make up 
 several suits of clothes, also a shoemaker to manu- 
 facture as many shoes and leggings for use during 
 the winter as might have sufficed for three or four 
 years' wear in an active occupation. 
 
 When the making and bleaching of shirts and 
 towels, the knitting of socks and comforters, and the 
 baking of " bannocks" was completed, the crock of 
 butter, the cheese, bacon, and hung beef were packed 
 in a capacious wooden chest made expressly for the 
 purpose. 
 
62 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 All was then pronounced ready for departure. 
 Alexander and his father rode off to Londonderry, 
 the port of embarkation for Glasgow, followed by 
 Jamie M'Gwiggan bringing the chests in a cart, who 
 was also to bring back the horse Alexander had ridden. 
 
 Alexander had never been so far from home before, 
 and Londonderry being associated in his mind with 
 historical recollections, was regarded by him with the 
 greatest possible interest. 
 
 Being obliged to remain some days awaiting the 
 sailing of the vessel, he had frequent opportunities of 
 walking about and gaining information concerning 
 this ancient fortified city. 
 
 Here we may realise (said he to his father one day 
 when standing on the wall looking towards the sea) 
 the situation of the besieged in the autumn of 1688, 
 when they assembled on this spot to witness the pro- 
 gress of the ships up the river, containing the sup- 
 plies, not only of men, arms, and ammunition, but 
 of food to relieve them from perishing by hunger. 
 With what high-strung feelings, and with what breath- 
 less suspense must they have beheld the ships ap- 
 proach the boom placed across the river ! and 
 when the "Mountjoy" snapped the barrier, how 
 must they have been relieved ! and when Browning's 
 vessel was fired on by the enemy and went aground, 
 oh what a revulsion of feeling they must have expe- 
 rienced, and what anguish must have wrung their 
 hearts ! and what must have been the agony endured 
 by Mrs Browning on witnessing her husband's perilous 
 situation ! We may imagine how that heroic and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 63 
 
 venerable man, Governor Walker, spoke soothing- 
 words to the mourner, reminding her that they had 
 been sustained so long by the mighty hand of God, 
 and for her faith not to droop now ; that His arm 
 was still mighty to save, and that the prayer of faith 
 would be answered, and a way of deliverance opened 
 up for all who trusted implicitly in His power. Me- 
 thinks while he speaks a cheer is raised ; " Thank God, 
 we are saved ! the vessels are free !" is uttered by qui- 
 vering, pallid lips, while many are suffused in tears, 
 and others are so weak, they can only lift their feeble 
 hands, and look up to heaven, murmuring thanks to 
 God for their deliverance ; the soldier-clergyman was 
 
 . But here the enthusiasm of the youth was checked 
 
 by his father saying in a stern voice, " Enough about 
 the man of Prelacy ; he was only the instrument 
 raised up, and he never would have been able to sus- 
 tain the place, had it not been for that godly minister 
 John Mackenzie, who urged on the apprentice boys, 
 and the lad Robert Morrison, who was the first to 
 close the gates of the city against the traitor Lundy. 
 Were they not of the true faith ? I tell thee, boy, 
 had it not been for Mackenzie's assistance, notwith- 
 standing that Walker is so lauded for it by the pre- 
 latical party, Derry would not have held out against 
 James and his Popish adherents." 
 
 Alexander was obliged to keep silence, but never- 
 theless retained his own opinion. 
 
 Rutherford saw his son on board the vessel, and 
 with many a solemn caution against getting among 
 bad companions, begged him to remember the high 
 
64 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 position he was to occupy, reminding him he was 
 descended from those men of God, the sainted Peden 
 and Rutherford. And with a husky voice the fond 
 father implored the Almighty to protect his son from 
 danger during his perilous voyage on the deep ; he 
 then bade him farewell. 
 
 Rutherford was surprised and overpowered with 
 the enthusiasm which his son had manifested while 
 talking of the defence and deliverance of Deny, pon- 
 dering deeply over it on his way home, foreboding 
 evils which he feared Alexander's impulsive nature 
 would lead him into, and praying fervently that he 
 might be kept from being led away from the faith of 
 his fathers. 
 
 On the fourth day after leaving Londonderry Alex- 
 ander arrived in Glasgow, and here for the first time 
 his self-importance was prostrated ; at home he was 
 known to almost every one he met, had all his wants 
 supplied, and he considered himself a personage of 
 some importance. But now, among the many faces 
 with which he was surrounded, he knew none ; every 
 one seemed intent on his own affairs, and he felt soli- 
 tary and depressed ; but he must rely on self ; and 
 engaging a " hurley " (cart) to convey his luggage, he 
 started off to deliver his letter of introduction from 
 the minister, his uncle, to Mrs M'Farlan, who " lodged 
 students." 
 
 After a hearty breakfast, his spirits returned ; he 
 wrote to his mother announcing his safe arrival, then 
 walked out to look about the city, and we shall allow 
 him to go along the " Trongate," through the " Salt- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 65 
 
 market," the " Candleriggs," the " Cowcaddens," &c, 
 without detailing his peregrinations and reflections ; 
 but when he saw the Cathedral, he could not refrain 
 from exclaiming, " Truly it proved an independent, 
 liberal spirit influenced the trades-folk who interfered 
 to prevent such a noble pile being pulled down by a 
 set of bigoted fanatics ; what sacrilege would it have 
 been to have destroyed such an edifice !" 
 
 When Alexander underwent an examination pre- 
 paratory to commencing his College course, his self- 
 esteem was mortified by finding that, although 
 pronounced by his uncle to be "very forward in all 
 his studies," he was in many respects deficient ; but 
 he determined to apply himself closely, and attend 
 regularly the lectures and classes, so that at the close 
 of the session the professors declared he "had made 
 the most of his time, and had progressed rapidly in 
 his studies." During his stay in Scotland, Alexander 
 had associated with persons of various religious de- 
 nominations, and had gone to different places of 
 worship. He began to think that there were more 
 people right than merely those of his own sect ; and 
 thought that although there were differences of 
 opinion on minor points, if they agreed on the funda- 
 mental doctrines of religion, it showed bigotry and 
 narrow-mindedness to quarrel about trifling doctrinal 
 points, or church government, or outward forms and 
 ceremonies. He also considered that it was a proof 
 of the want of a spirit of Christian charity to dwell so 
 much on the persecutions which in years gone by had 
 been inflicted by the party who were in power against 
 
 E 
 
66 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 the other ; and felt that, instead of cherishing such 
 remembrances, it would be well to encourage a spirit 
 of love and unity amongst the members of all Chris- 
 tian churches, and to bear in mind that there had 
 been faults on both sides, and blame attached to all 
 parties. He also saw that, had a little more tolera- 
 tion and forbearance been practised, such angry and 
 vindictive passions would not have been called forth, 
 nor so many lives sacrificed. 
 
 With these enlarged views, he left Scotland to re- 
 turn home. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AT this period, going up or dov/n the Clyde was 
 quite a journey of magnitude, owing to the 
 circuitous route of the river. Its navigation occu- 
 pied, according to the state of wind and tide, never 
 less than a day ; frequently two or three days were 
 required to accomplish it. Being considered highly 
 dangerous to sail " after dark," vessels were brought 
 to anchor during the night. 
 
 The picturesque scenery of this noble river, with its 
 fertile and wooded banks, its rocks, towers, ruins, and 
 mountains, fraught with so many recollections to the 
 historian, can now be seen daily at a very trifling ex- 
 pense, and in a few hours, by going on board one of 
 the numerous steamboats which leave the Broomie- 
 law every hour. True, the Greenock lad, Watt, had 
 at this time, by experimenting with his grandmother's 
 tea-kettle, found out the power of steam, which after- 
 wards was developed in the invention of the steam- 
 engine, but it had not been applied to navigation, as 
 Bell, whose first vessel propelled by steam in this 
 country, had not yet commenced to run " The Comet " 
 on the Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock. It 
 was not till the summer of 1812 his first trips were 
 
68 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 made, the journey occupying a day to Greenock, and 
 the same period for return. 
 
 When Alexander came to Glasgow it was in the 
 beginning of winter. The weather was inclement, 
 and the scenery on the river bleak and unattractive. 
 He was also suffering from the effects of sea and 
 home sickness, so that even if the landscape had 
 " spread o'er each scene its brightest of crystal and 
 fairest of green," it would have had no charms for 
 him. 
 
 But now the summer had set in. The weather was 
 fine, the landscape verdant, and his own health and 
 spirits good ; so that the voyage was contemplated by 
 him with pleasure. 
 
 The localities he passed brought before his fervid 
 imagination, and called forth from his well-stored 
 memory, scenes of bygone days. 
 
 The first place pointed out to him was suggestive 
 of many ideas. This was the site of the ancient 
 Bonavern, where it is said St Patrick was born, in 
 the latter end of the fourth century. It is now an 
 insignificant village called Kilpatrick. Here, thought 
 Alexander, young Succat received from his pious 
 mother, Conchessa, the first lessons of love to God 
 and his fellow-creatures, which in after years caused 
 him to devote himself to the service of his Creator. 
 How wonderful to think, when he had been sent to 
 be educated at Tours by his uncle Martin, who was 
 archbishop there, that he should be seized by pirates, 
 carried off, and sold as a slave to one of the Irish 
 chieftains, who employed him to herd swine in the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 69 
 
 fields at the foot of Sleimish Mountain ; but his ener- 
 getic mind, upheld by his heavenly Father, did not 
 sink under this degrading occupation, but, like all 
 truly great minds, rose above adverse circumstances, 
 so that young Patrick in his loneliness had time for 
 reflection and prayer, his constant supplication being 
 a reiteration of what had been his mother's early 
 lessons, that God would increase love in his heart 
 more towards Him. Being rescued and again made 
 captive, at last the lad was restored to his parents ; 
 but even the love and endearments of his mother 
 could not prevent him from wishing to return to the 
 country where he had, though a captive, felt so happy 
 in communion with his God. Even in his dreams his 
 mind was occupied with this idea, and he fancied he 
 heard voices issuing from the dark woods of Dalriada 
 inviting him to come back again to Erin. Being now 
 near manhood, Patrick determined to go and proclaim 
 to the Irish the glad tidings of the gospel in their own 
 language, which he had acquired during his captivity. 
 And now the holy youth has accomplished his heart's 
 desire. He collects the people together in the fields 
 by beat of drum, to tell them in simple language the 
 story of grace and the doctrines of the Christian reli- 
 gion, preaching and teaching. He caused many to 
 become converts. St Patrick explained the doctrine 
 of the Trinity in Unity by showing to his pagan 
 auditors the trefoil called shamrock, which is known 
 as the emblem of my native Erin. 
 
 Here we come to Dumbarton Rock and Castle. 
 Poor unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots! what a host of 
 
70 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 recollections this place calls up ! Here she was sent off 
 by her mother secretly to France ; here again she re- 
 turned, a lovely young widow, and was enthusiastically 
 received by the stern barons, who in after years 
 turned against her, insulted her, and made her miser- 
 able, and at last imprisoned her in Lochleven Castle ; 
 but being chivalrously assisted to escape by young 
 George Douglas, she unfortunately fled to England 
 for protection from the power of her turbulent barons, 
 where she was detained as prisoner for eighteen 
 years, and finally beheaded, with the sanction of the 
 Virgin Queen, whose cognomen of Good Queen Bess 
 I never can subscribe to. Certainly the times were 
 troublous, and the people in a barbarous state ; but 
 preserve us from again having a repetition of those 
 acts which entitled this queen to be called good ! 
 But while my imagination is accompanying Mary 
 Queen of Scots through her trials, and villifying the 
 virgin monarch, Ave come in sight of Bruce's Castle. I 
 wonder, was it after or before his sixth defeat that 
 this monarch lived here, and did he ever permit a 
 housemaid to destroy a spider's web in this castle, 
 after the lesson of perseverance given to him in the 
 cottage where he was hid from his enemies, by the 
 spider uniting its broken thread the seventh time, 
 after having made six futile attempts, exactly the 
 number of battles Robert Bruce had been defeated 
 in ? But here we are at the mouth of the river ; 
 islands in sight, the Argyle mountains in the distance, 
 lowering clouds overhanging them ; " a stormy night 
 may be expected," the captain says. The water is 
 
A Dalriadian Talc. 71 
 
 also getting very rough ; even now the demon sea- 
 sickness has seized on me. I must retire, and thus end 
 all my romancing. True to the prognostications, the 
 passage to Londonderry was boisterous ; but as the 
 wind was most favourable, the vessel arrived at her 
 destination in an unusually short time, having only 
 been thirty-four and a half hours coming from Glas- 
 gow. Shortly after reaching Derry, Alexander heard 
 the bells of the cathedral ring for evening service, and 
 determined to go there. Had his father come for him, 
 he would as soon have permitted his son to go into a 
 theatre, gambling-house, or ball-room, as to have gone 
 into the "apostate building;" but Alexander went, 
 and was greatly struck with the manner of the wor- 
 ship ;* he thought that the mode of the congregation 
 responding to and joining in the prayers which they 
 knew, was better than one man praying for the whole, 
 in language in which the congregation did not join 
 by responses, or follow him with their thoughts all the 
 time he was speaking. This being the first time he 
 had heard an organ, it astonished and overpowered 
 him ; nothing could exceed the rapture with which 
 he listened to its strains. " Surely," thought he, " if 
 music is mentioned in the Scriptures as being one of 
 the enjoyments of heaven, it cannot be wrong to use 
 it in the house of God in His service on earth, and 
 when our Maker has put it into the mind of man to 
 invent, and enabled his hands to construct, an instru- 
 
 * The service was then plain, not choral or intoned, and continued 
 to be so till i860, this being the last cathedral in the three kingdoms 
 which adopted the regular cathedral service. 
 
72 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 ment which produces such sweet sounds, and calls 
 forth such rapturous devotional and elevating feelings, 
 it must be right to employ it to assist us to offer praise 
 to our Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, the great 
 Jehovah. 
 
 Jamie M'Gwiggan was sent with a horse and cart 
 to take Alexander'^, luggage home, and a saddle- 
 horse for him to ride on. 
 
 " Well, Jamie, how are you ?" said Alexander. 
 
 " All the better for seeing yer honour agen, Master 
 Alick ; but, och, but yer whitely by what ye were 
 when ye went away." 
 
 Alexander smiled and said, " I '11 get rosy enough 
 to please you when I am home a little. But "how are 
 my father and mother, and all at Thornbrae ?" 
 
 " Bravely, bravely ! They 11 all be so glad to see 
 you, Master Alick ; and the mistress has been getting 
 the world and all done for yer home-coming ; an' 
 she 's got the 'room' and strangers' chamber white- 
 washed yellow, an' a carpet to cover the whole places; 
 and dimity curtains, as white as the driven snow ; 
 an' it's all so gran' now/' 
 
 " Well, Jamie, tell me about Nelly and the young- 
 ster — how are they ?" 
 
 " Och, Master Alick, shure they 're hearty and well, 
 and Nelly 's only too rich now, wi' both a pig an' a 
 wean." 
 
 " Indeed," said Alexander, (smiling at the account 
 of Nelly's riches,) " how has she got to be so rich as to 
 get a pig?" 
 
 " Well, Master Alick, I'll just tell ye. Ye see Nelly 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 73 
 
 had always a spurit, an' she said she had always been 
 fore-hook on the har'st rig, an' she just said : Jamie, 
 says she, I '11 not be bate this time neither; so she kept 
 her word, and when the ' churn ' was won, the mistress 
 gives Nelly a whang aff a cheese ; and Nelly, says she, 
 take that home, you '11 require to have something to 
 give the women when they 're wi' ye about the New 
 Year ; an', says she, the master bid me tell ye that 
 Jamie 's to take you home a little pig, an' we hope 
 it'll thrive wi' ye. God bless both the master an' 
 mistress ; shure enough I got the purtiest slip of a pig 
 ever I clapped my two eyes on, and isn't it a darlin' ! 
 But ye'll see both it an' wee Betty when we get to 
 Thornbrae." 
 
 "Fore-hook," and " winning the churn," must now be 
 explained. " Fore-hook " was the person who reaped 
 on the first ridge, and led the rest of the band ; it 
 was considered a post of honour, as the position was 
 given to whoever was thought to be the best and 
 quickest reaper. There was also a rivalry to be " fore- 
 hook," as whoever retained it for several years was 
 entitled to a present. " Winning the churn " was 
 cutting the last handful of grain left standing after all 
 the rest had been reaped. It was plaited, to make it 
 stand upright on the ridge, and called " the hare." 
 The reapers then threw their reaping-hooks at it, 
 and the person whose hook cut it through was said 
 to have " won the churn." 
 
 The girls, in turn, hung it over the house door, and 
 the first male who entered was to be their future hus- 
 band, or else one bearing the same Christian name. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ALEXANDER was gladly welcomed home by his 
 father and mother. His uncle, aunt, and all 
 his friends vied with each other in showing him they 
 were glad to see him back again ; indeed all the 
 people in and about Thornbrae regarded him with 
 respect and reverence ; their intercourse with him, 
 however, was often constrained, being intermingled 
 with feelings of awe, in entering into conversation 
 with "the minister that was to be, who had just re- 
 turned from getting so much ' larnin ' at the college." 
 All this flattered his self-esteem, and made him again 
 feel he was an important personage, which was in- 
 creased by seeing the many alterations and improve- 
 ments which had been made for his reception in and 
 about the house. 
 
 His mother agreed with Jamie in thinking he did 
 not look as strong as before he went away, but her 
 anxiety was relieved when her brother said it was 
 to be expected after studying so closely during the 
 winter ; but a few weeks' relaxation, the country air, 
 and nourishing substantial food would soon restore 
 him to his former robust health. 
 
 The first Sunday services he attended at the meet- 
 
A Dalriadian Tate. 75 
 
 ing after his return seemed very tiresome, and he 
 could not help being wearied with the long-winded, 
 roundabout prayer, the prosy sermon, with its seven 
 heads, and, hydra-like, each head dividing itself into 
 innumerable branches, divisions, digressions, and rami- 
 fications, followed by an application, then a summary 
 of what had previously been enlarged on, lastly, re- 
 flections, and finally the conclusion practically consid- 
 ered ; this discourse having been preceded by the 
 first forty verses of the 1 19th psalm, read, expounded, 
 and commented on, and as this lasted longer than 
 an hour, Alexander thought it was more than suffi- 
 cient for any memory to retain, and ample subject for 
 reflections without the addition of the sermon. Dur- 
 ing the singing of the psalms the version seemed so 
 unpoetical, and the strains so harsh, they put to flight 
 all his devotional feelings, causing him by the con- 
 trast to recall vividly the service in Derry cathedral, 
 and the glorious, never-to-be-forgotten organ accom- 
 paniment to Tate and Brady's version of the Psalms. 
 
 On returning home from the meeting they retired 
 to " the room," and, previous to partaking of a frugal 
 meal, consisting of eggs, cheese, bannocks, and milk, 
 a long discursive grace was said by Mr Rutherford. 
 
 During the repast there was very little conversation, 
 but near its conclusion Alexander said to his father, 
 " I wish my uncle would give over using Sternhold 
 and Hopkin's version of the Psalms, they are so un- 
 poetical, and the tunes to them so discordant ; no 
 wonder they were called in derision ' Geneva jigs.' 
 Rowse's version is bad enough, but they are not so 
 
76 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 rough as what you use here ; they are now almost 
 universally used in Scotland, and the tunes adapted 
 to them are scarcely so doleful and uncouth." Ruther- 
 ford was dumbfoundered, and looked horror-stricken 
 at his son ; at last he energetically exclaimed, " Alter 
 the Psalms of David, and put new tunes to them — 
 not content with the tunes the sweet singer of Israel 
 played on his harp, and sung to the psalms of his own 
 composition ! O Scotland ! land of saints and mar- 
 tyrs, art thou indeed become such a backsliding 
 generation ? Where will thy profanity end ? After a 
 time, no doubt, they '11 be for introducing ' the kist 
 fu' o' whistles, the squealing abominations,' which 
 were destroyed by the men of God, who with a strong 
 arm silenced this vile remnant of Popery."* 
 
 Alexander was about to launch forth in a panegyric 
 on the organ, and a defence of its use, but Mrs Ruther- 
 ford looked pleadingly at her son, and motioned him 
 to keep silence. 
 
 It was now the time for the girls and boys to come 
 to be catechised. She summoned them to "the 
 room," and this put an end to the subject for the pre- 
 sent. 
 
 During the week the minister and Alexander had 
 a long discussion on the same topic, neither being 
 convinced or swayed by the other's reasoning, the 
 minister maintaining that innovations were dangerous, 
 
 * Rutherford's speech seems to have been prophetic, as an organ has 
 lately been introduced into several churches in Scotland ; and it is now 
 a matter of debate among the Scotch whether the use of them will be 
 permitted generally in their Presbyterian churches. Hymns are also 
 now used in some of the Scotch churches. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. yy 
 
 and that " the use of the old Scottish version of the 
 Psalms had been purchased so dearly by their fore- 
 fathers, it would be wrong to use any other." 
 
 Alexander insisted u that as progression was the 
 order of nature, we should keep pace with the times ; 
 and as arts and sciences advanced, bring them forward 
 to raise the mind, and elevate all its powers for the 
 worship of the Creator." 
 
 " Alexander," said the minister, " you have partaken 
 of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, may you 
 be preserved from the effects of partaking of the for- 
 bidden fruit, and may grace be given you to discern 
 between good and evil before it is too late ; but I fear 
 you are temporising in your present course." 
 
 On the following Sunday Alexander walked across 
 the fields to meeting ; his father followed by the 
 road, mounted on horseback, his mother seated be- 
 hind on a pillion. At this period there were stables 
 adjoining the country meeting-houses for the accom- 
 modation of the horses of the worshippers during the 
 service, and in the enclosed green space which sur- 
 rounded the meeting-houses there were one or two 
 sets of stone steps for the facility of riders dismount- 
 ing. (In Scotland this was called the "louping-on 
 stane;" in Ireland, the "getting-on stone." 
 
 The day being sultry, the meeting-house close, the 
 sermon long and prosy, and the minister's voice 
 monotonous, Alexander became drowsy. In vain he 
 tried to keep up his attention, opened and shut his 
 Bible, turned over the leaves, shifted his position, 
 fixed his eyes on his uncle the preacher; at last drowsi- 
 
yS Waves on the Ocean of Life } 
 
 ness so overcame him that he fell into a doze, his 
 Bible dropped out of his hand, which caused him to 
 wake up with a start, and he saw his father gazing 
 on him, with displeasure strongly depicted in his stern 
 countenance. 
 
 After service Alexander hastened home, in time to 
 assist his mother to dismount off the pillion ; while 
 doing so, she pressed his hand, and motioned him to 
 follow her into the house. When out of her husband's 
 hearing, she said, " O Alick, what have you done 
 this day! what can you say for yourself?" 
 
 " Mother, indeed, indeed, I tried all I could to keep 
 awake, and keep up my attention, but the service is 
 so long, it is utterly impossible for any one's thoughts 
 to be concentrated for such a lengthened time on one 
 subject; besides, my uncle's voice is so monotonous, 
 and having often before heard all he brought forward, 
 and the house was so overpoweringly warm, I felt the 
 truth of Matthew Henry's saying, ' When weariness 
 commences, devotion ends;' and as for what I said 
 about the Psalms it was truth. Look," said he, 
 pointing to the sky, " you see that lark singing as it 
 rises in the air, you hear how its notes mingle with 
 the song of your favourite thrush which is singing on 
 the tree at the foot of the garden, are they not both 
 praising the God who gave them being ? and do not 
 their notes blend together in unison ? If I, like the 
 lark, wish to soar aloft, and my father, like the thrush, 
 chooses to sit and sing on the tree, provided only our 
 hearts accompany our melody, and our praises ascend 
 to God, surely it will make no difference to our hea- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 79 
 
 venly Father, who has endowed us with various feel- 
 ings and capacities for praising Him." 
 
 " O Alick, Alick, my son, your reasoning might 
 convince me, but your father is so rooted and 
 grounded in his own faith and opinions that he 
 could not be influenced by any of your arguments, 
 so pray try and avoid provoking him to anger." 
 
 Rutherford now entered and proceeded to " the 
 room," followed by his wife and son ; the frugal re- 
 past was partaken of in silence. At the conclusion 
 of the meal, Rutherford said, in a stern voice, "Alex- 
 ander, are you not ashamed of your conduct in the 
 house of God this day ? " 
 
 * Well, father, I really tried to keep up my atten- 
 tion," and was about to excuse himself as he had 
 before done to his mother ; but a deprecating look 
 from her changed his intention, and wishing to in- 
 gratiate himself with his father, said, " I am truly 
 sorry I was so overcome, but hope next Sunday I '11 
 behave better." 
 
 " Who dares in my house to name the Sabbath in 
 the profane manner of heathens and idolaters ; this is 
 another newfangled device of the present generation 
 to call the Lord's day after the creature, instead of 
 the name the Creator himself bestowed on it." 
 
 " But, father," interrupted Alexander, " we live in 
 different times from those in which the law was given, 
 even the very day has been changed from the seventh 
 to the first day of the week. Our language was un- 
 known when the commandments were instituted, and 
 surely it cannot signify our calling it Sunday any 
 
80 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 more than our calling the other days that God made, 
 Monday, and so forth." 
 
 Rutherford, who was by this time fairly exasper- 
 ated, exclaimed loudly, " I say, boy, in my presence 
 never again dare to desecrate the name of the Sab- 
 bath, by calling it in your idolatrous fashion by that 
 profane name." 
 
 Poor Mrs Rutherford looked imploringly at her 
 son, who rose and left the room. 
 
 The catechising commenced, and Alexander's ab- 
 sence seemed unnoticed by his father. 
 
 Scarcely a day passed that there was not some 
 difference of opinion between father and son ; the 
 latter had imbibed more of a liberal spirit by inter- 
 course with his fellow-students of various creeds, and 
 endeavoured to prove to his father that narrow- 
 minded sectarian views did not glorify God, and were 
 not calculated to advance the cause of religion ; but 
 instead of being convinced, Rutherford daily grew 
 more dogmatical, and got more confirmed in his 
 belief that all sects and denominations, except the 
 one of which he was a member, were erroneous in 
 their doctrines, church government, and practices. 
 
 Alexander was equally firm in maintaining his 
 antagonistic opinions, so that discussions only tended 
 to make each more determined and dogged in adher- 
 ing to his own peculiar views. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford was to be pitied ; she had a hard 
 task to mediate between her husband and son. 
 Alexander was devotedly attached to his mother, 
 and to avoid giving her pain, endeavoured to restrain 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 81 
 
 his tongue from giving utterance to the sentiments 
 which called forth his father's anger. To her husband 
 she still held out the hope that their son would come 
 round after a time to acknowledge the rectitude of 
 his father, and to coincide with his wishes ; and as 
 she had implicit faith in her brother's power of re- 
 futing Alexander's arguments, she begged her hus- 
 band to desist from controversy with him till the 
 minister had fully ascertained his sentiments, argued 
 with him, and proved to him the unreasonableness of 
 some of the ideas he entertained. 
 
 Week after week passed over, and the father and son 
 rarely met, except at meals, and at the morning and 
 evening devotions ; they seldom spoke to each other ; 
 it seemed as if each feared to provoke a discussion. 
 
 Mr Peden tried in vain to check Alexander's " new- 
 fangled notions," as he called them, and came to his 
 sister's conclusion, that it would be " better to leave 
 him to himself for a little, as arguing and opposition 
 might have a contrary effect to that which they all so 
 much desired." 
 
 Alexander's time began to hang heavily on his 
 hands, and hearing that Lord Southend required a 
 tutor for his son, he applied, and got the situation. 
 
 The Hall was only two miles off, and Alexander 
 walked there each morning, returning late in the 
 evening to Thornbrae, so that he scarcely ever saw 
 his father, except on Sundays, and these had become 
 to him so wearisome that he determined one day to 
 attend the parish church. Accordingly, after break- 
 fast he left home, as his mother thought, to walk 
 
 F 
 
 f f TT "Hi 
 
82 Waves 011 the Ocean of Life, 
 
 across the fields to meeting, but on her arrival she 
 found he was not there. 
 
 During the services she could not refrain from feel- 
 ing great anxiety about him ; but on her return home, 
 was rejoiced to be lifted off her pillion as usual by 
 her son. 
 
 Her joy, however, was damped when she heard 
 where he had been ; she knew her husband would 
 never forgive him for this. 
 
 As on previous occasions, the meal was partaken 
 of in silence ; but from Rutherford's lowering brows 
 and stern expression, both mother and son saw that 
 the thunder-cloud was about to burst, and felt that 
 matters were coming to a crisis ; so they were not sur- 
 prised when they heard Rutherford say, in a trem- 
 bling, choking voice, " Alexander, have you forgotten 
 what is said in the Scriptures concerning those who 
 forsake the assembling of themselves together on the 
 Sabbath-day, and the judgments which are denounced 
 against those who keep their foot from going to the 
 house of God ?" 
 
 " Oh no, father, I have not forgotten all the Scrip- 
 ture proofs which you taught me out of the Longer 
 and Shorter Catechisms on these subjects." 
 
 Darting a keen glance at his son, he replied, 
 " Therefore greater will be thy condemnation when 
 thou knewest the law and kept it not." 
 
 " But, father, I was at the house of God to-day." 
 
 "Where did you sit then ? I saw you not." 
 
 Alexander could scarcely refrain from smiling, and 
 replied, " I was at the parish church." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 83 
 
 o 
 
 " At where ? " gasped his father. " Call you the 
 prelatical building the house of God ? " 
 
 "Indeed, father, I heard a most excellent sermon 
 on the text, ' God is love ;' it was delivered in less 
 than half an hour ; I could almost repeat it verbatim, 
 showing forth how great was the love God had 
 manifested to sinners by sending His Son to save 
 us ; the love we should in return feel towards Him 
 for our ' creation, preservation, and redemption, for 
 the means of grace and for the hope of glory ;' and 
 proving that if our hearts were filled with love to- 
 wards God, it would flow forth towards our fellow- 
 creatures in patience, forbearance, and acts of love 
 and mercy." 
 
 Alexander was stopped in his enthusiastic speech 
 by the sight of his mother's pale, agitated counte- 
 nance. His father seemed overpowered with astonish- 
 ment, placed his elbows on the table, and covered his 
 eyes with his hands, shook with agitation, moved his 
 head backwards and forwards, and at length groaned 
 heavily, " Ichabod, Ichabod, the glory is departed, 
 my idol has been laid low," then relapsed into silence. 
 
 Alexander rose and left the apartment, almost re- 
 gretting that he had been led on to say so much, and 
 felt sorry to have grieved his mother ; but " what is 
 past who can recall, or done undo ? " He could not 
 unsay his words now, and, besides, he felt he had not 
 done anything wrong. 
 
 When the servants came into '* the room " Ruther- 
 ford roused himself up, but went through the cate- 
 chising and devotions as if in a dream ; his voice 
 
84 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 faltered so in the singing and prayer that Mrs 
 Rutherford feared he would break down entirely ; 
 but the exercises were got over as usual, and the 
 servants retired to rest. 
 
 Previous to going to bed Rutherford vowed 
 solemnly on his knees, that if Alexander again entered 
 the Church of England, (the doctrines and church 
 government of which was so obnoxious to him and 
 his sect, and the disowning and disagreeing with 
 which had been the cause of so many of his ancestors 
 losing their lives,) that he would disown him as a son, 
 and hold no further intercourse with him. 
 
 When Alexander was informed by his mother next 
 morning of his father's resolve, he said, in the most 
 decisive manner, " Then I '11 leave this at once. I 
 have a right to liberty of conscience as well as my 
 father, and I am determined never to be a Covenanter 
 preacher." Remonstrances were useless ; Alexander 
 left his mother bathed in tears, and without bidding 
 farewell to his father, left Thornbrae, never again to 
 enter it during his father's life. 
 
 When told of his departure, Rutherford muttered, 
 " My son is dead, mention him not again to me," and 
 maintained ever afterwards a morose silence regard- 
 ing him. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 ALEXANDER attended as usual his pupil at the 
 Hall during the day, and in the evening walked 
 into the town of Slievedhu, which was a short distance 
 off, where he procured lodgings, and took possession 
 of them at once. 
 
 On the morning of the following market day, he 
 was visited early by Jamie M'Gwiggan, who, having 
 many commissions to execute in Slievedhu, Mrs 
 Rutherford had given him Alexander's chests, con- 
 taining his books and clothes, and, carefully stowed 
 away in the foot of one of his stockings, the savings 
 of many years, thirty-five spade guineas. When 
 Jamie delivered the chests, and handed the keys to 
 Alexander, he looked round the room furtively ; then 
 in a husky voice stammered forth, " Och, Master 
 Alick, sure you 11 soon come back to Thornbrae, 
 the poor mistress is so donsy like,* an as if her 
 heart was broke with your lavin' ; an' the master 
 niver spakes unless you spake to him, an' jist goes 
 about wi' his head down an' his Iran's ahint his back, 
 doited like. Och, hoch ! the light 's gone out o' the 
 
 * Weak, or delicate-looking. 
 
86 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 place intirely; an' Miss Maggie away, too. Won't 
 you come back, avick ? Och, Master Alick, yer 
 grown a cliver* young gentleman now, but didn't 
 I give ye mony a ride afore me, goin' out to the 
 fields, on Sally, the ould mare, when ye weren't the 
 height of a turf, and Nelly, the crathur, cried, an', 
 says she, mony 's the drap o' crame an' strippin's f 
 she gave ye unknownst ; an' she niver forgot, when 
 ye were wee, to bake ye a bannock wi' a hole in it to 
 string roun' yer neck ; an' she slipped bits o' butter 
 into the pedlar's crame for ye. An' to think o' ye 
 lavin' us all now ; " and poor Jamie fairly broke 
 down, and burst into tears. 
 
 Although suffering great mental agony from the 
 step he had taken, and the account given him of the 
 affliction of his father and mother, Alexander could 
 not help feeling amused at Jamie's reminiscences, and 
 replied cheerfully, "All will turn out well yet, Jamie. 
 I 'm going to Dublin with Lord Southend's family, 
 and when I come back I '11 bring Nelly half a pound 
 of tea." 
 
 " Och, Master Alick, won't she be the proud wo- 
 man ! an' she'll jist say, Didn't I tell ye, Jamie, that 
 ( God niver sends mouths but he sends mate ; ' an' 
 won't she be as gran' as ony lady to hae tay when she 
 lies-in ; an' if it 's a boy, plase God, won't she be 
 proud to git lave to call it for ye." 
 
 * In the common parlance of the north of Ireland, "cliver," 
 (clever,) when applied to the appearance of a person, means tall and 
 portly. 
 
 t The last milk taken from the cow, and richer than the first milked. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 87 
 
 " But, Jamie, didn't my mother give you a letter or 
 message for me ? " 
 
 " Och, I disremimbired it althegither ; the trouble 
 fairly put it out o' my head. Well, ye see, the mis- 
 thriss, God bliss her, jist came to the stable, an', 
 Jamie, ses she, ye '11 take Mister Alick his chists 
 when ye go to Slievedhu, says she, an' ye '11 give 
 him this key, ses she, an' he '11 likely give ye a letter, 
 ses she ; an' when ye comes back, ye can jist give it 
 to myself, ses she. Now, a nod 's jist as good as a 
 wink to a blin' horse, an' I jist tuk it up that the 
 master wasn't to see it. Och, that ye niver had gone 
 to the college ! It 's all owin' to the larnin'. If 
 ye'd stayed at yer hot, full* home, an' contentid 
 yerself, an' not minded the master's dour way for all 
 his time o't, ye might hae been as happy as the 
 day's long." 
 
 u Well, Jamie, I '11 have a letter ready for my 
 mother. You can call here when you are leaving 
 town. Meantime, here is a thirteen*)- to drink my 
 health." 
 
 " Och, an' won't I do that wi' all my heart. Master 
 Alick, may ye live long an' die happy." 
 
 Jamie went off, and, long after he was out of sight, 
 was heard invoking blessings on " the young master's 
 head." 
 
 Alexander had not time to indulge in grief, as his 
 duties required his immediate appearance at the Hall. 
 He wrote the following few lines to his mother : — 
 
 * Hot and full means comfortable and plentiful, 
 t A silver coin, value thirteen-pence. 
 
88 Waves on the Ocean of Life ', 
 
 " Mother, dearest, words cannot express how it 
 grieves me to be the cause of so much sorrow to 
 you and my father, but I really cannot bring my 
 mind to entertain such narrow, sectarian, illiberal 
 views as he does on religion and church government. 
 
 " I shall not return to Glasgow College again, but 
 as the family at the Hall are going to Dublin next 
 week, and Lady Southend has requested me to ac- 
 company them as tutor, I shall go on with my studies 
 there, and enter myself as student at Trinity College. 
 Thanks for your generous gift. I can now pay the 
 college fees. I will write to you from time to time, 
 and trust you '11 ever find me your loving son, 
 
 " Alexander." 
 
 Next evening Alexander had a visit from his uncle, 
 who had been sent by his mother, to try to dissuade 
 him from fulfilling his promise of studying with the 
 view of becoming a clergyman of the Established 
 Church. When the first greetings were over, Mr 
 Peden introduced the topic at once which had caused 
 him to come to his nephew, by saying, " Alexander, 
 I have just come to have some serious conversation 
 with you. Is it possible that you, a descendant of 
 men whose blood was shed in handing down a pure 
 faith to you ; is it possible that you, who bear the 
 name of two of the saints who gave themselves up to 
 persecution because they would not subscribe to the 
 prelatical Church ; I say, can it be possible that you 
 are about to turn against the religion of your fathers, 
 and join the party who oppressed and destroyed 
 
A Dalriadian Tate. 89 
 
 them, and, had they not been upheld by the mighty 
 hand of God, would have exterminated them ? " 
 
 " Uncle, it seems to me that, among the sect of 
 which you and my father are worthy members, 
 toleration of any other than your own belief is the 
 greatest of all sins ; and you are not willing to accede 
 to others the liberty of conscience to worship God as 
 they consider right, though you claim that liberty for 
 yourselves ; and as for the persecutions the Cove- 
 nanters endured from the Episcopalians, you and 
 I have often discussed this, and you must acknow- 
 ledge that when the Covenanters and Puritans had 
 the ascendancy, they persecuted the Episcopalians, 
 and put them to death. But all this is past and 
 gone; why should it be recalled now, unless as a warn- 
 ing to deter us from disunion, and a motive to induce 
 Christians to practise more charity and toleration 
 towards all denominations ? This illiberality and 
 bigotry have confirmed me more and more in my de- 
 termination to join the Church of England ; besides, 
 I am like poor Charles II., who was compelled on 
 a fast-day to listen to six sermons preached without 
 intermission. The strictness and doleful manner in 
 which the Sabbath observances were kept in my 
 father's had almost, like the poor monarch, given me 
 an aversion to religion altogether; so that it is well I 
 did not, like him, neglect religious services and ob- 
 servances, and become utterly profane." 
 
 " Well," said Mr Peden testily, " surely, nephew, 
 you would not wish to have sports and games intro- 
 duced, such as were sanctioned and approved of by 
 
90 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 that godless man to be played on the Sabbath ? But, 
 as you have made up your mind to act after the rules 
 of that apostate Church, you may as well approve of 
 " The Book of Sports" as any of their other words 
 and mummeries. Oh ! to think of a descendant of 
 Alexander Peden wearing that ' rag of Popery,' a sur- 
 plice, keeping saints' days, and reading prayers for 
 the man Charles, who was drunken with the blood of 
 the saints." 
 
 " And no wonder, uncle, that the Church of Eng- 
 land venerates the memory of King Charles I., and 
 looks upon his execution as having been martyrdom 
 in the cause of upholding their faith, and time- 
 serving by making promises which he did not intend 
 to fulfil. He always declared the Episcopalian to be 
 the Apostolic Church. The Duke of Hamilton and 
 some other of his Scotch friends conjured him on 
 their knees, and with tears implored him to accept 
 the proposals of Parliament to allow Presbyterianism 
 and the ' Westminster Confession of Faith ' to super- 
 sede Episcopacy and the ' Book of Common Prayer/ 
 and thereby save his life ; the queen also wrote 
 pressingly on the subject ; but all he would grant to 
 their most urgent entreaties was, that Episcopacy 
 and Presbyterianism should be established side by 
 side ; but this the Parliament would not allow. He 
 was beheaded ; and they would not even permit the 
 funeral service of the Church he loved so dearly, and 
 sacrificed his life for, to be read over his headless 
 body previous to its being consigned to the tomb/' 
 
 " Enough, enough ! I '11 not listen to such profana- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 91 
 
 tion any longer. I fear, Alexander, you are ' in the 
 gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.' May 
 the God of your fathers forgive you, and pluck you 
 as a brand from the burning. Farewell !" 
 
 When Mr Peden returned to Thornbrae, and told 
 his sister the result of his interview with Alexander, 
 she saw it was useless to hope to change him in his 
 determination. Of course Mr Rutherford was also 
 told ; but it seemed as if the former shock had so 
 overpowered him, that he was incapable of feeling 
 now. He never recovered parting from his son, 
 and from the disappointment of the expectations he 
 had indulged in from his birth ; his hopes had all 
 been frustrated, and he felt the blow keenly, the more 
 so as he brooded over it in sullen silence ; he seemed 
 to lose interest in anything, and moped about the farm. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford had to look after everything, but 
 this kept her from sinking under the trial also. 
 
 For three years all was managed as usual at Thorn- 
 brae ; the only variety being an occasional letter from 
 Alexander to his mother, one of which, showing the 
 state of his mind, and the course he was pursuing, is 
 given in the following chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 "Merrion Square, Dublin, Feb. 7, 17—. 
 
 MY DEAR MOTHER —I have now got my 
 degree of A.B. at college, and hope soon to 
 get a curacy, be ordained and admitted into the 
 ministry of the 'Episcopal' Church. In the mean- 
 time, I have remunerative occupation as tutor here. 
 
 " What you say about abuses and errors is, I ac- 
 knowledge, quite true ; but, mother dearest, can any 
 church on earth be perfect ? Was there not even 
 among the twelve disciples of our Lord a Judas ? 
 But a reformation and improvement will soon be 
 effected. At present a most singular and energetic 
 man is going about preaching, who is likely to rouse 
 the Church of England from its deadness and form- 
 ality. I have heard Wesley preach ; he is a member 
 of the Established Church, and does not aim at schism 
 or separation from it. He is short in stature, and 
 thin ; enthusiastic without being fanatical ; has great 
 fluency of speech, and makes use of simple but per- 
 suasive language. He has gained a great number 
 of followers, and as he is very methodical in his 
 rules and habits, his adherents have been called 
 Methodists. 
 
 " You may judge of the sensation he has made, and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 93 
 
 the popularity he has acquired, when he can collect 
 thousands to hear him preach every morning at five 
 o'clock. Should the weather prove favourable, he is 
 obliged to preach in the open air, as a building can- 
 not be found sufficiently large to accommodate the 
 numbers who flock to hear him. 
 
 " Mr Wesley is liberal in his sentiments towards all 
 denominations of Christians, as will be seen from the 
 following dream which he narrated. 
 
 " ' Methought/ said Wesley, ' I had died, and found 
 myself in another world beside two open gates. One 
 was wide, and looked gloomy within ; the other was 
 narrow, and inside shone a bright light, surpassing 
 the brilliancy of the sun in its meridian splendour. 
 
 " ' I had no difficulty in deciding that the broad 
 gate was the entrance to hell. Both entrances were 
 guarded by angels. Well, thought I, though I don't 
 wish to enter the broad gate, I '11 ask the gatekeeper 
 some questions ; so approaching the stern, gloomy 
 angel, I said, Have you many people inside ? Yes, a 
 great many, was the reply. Have you any Episco- 
 palians here ? Yes. Have you any Roman Catho- 
 lics ? Yes. Any Quakers ? Yes. Any Presbyterians? 
 Yes. Any Methodists ? Yes. Well, I suppose you 
 have some of all sects inside ? Yes, said the angel, 
 laughing sarcastically ; there are a great number here 
 who were professors of religion on earth. 
 
 " ' I turned sorrowfully away, and approaching the 
 narrow gate addressed the guardian angel, asking if 
 there were many persons in heaven ? Sweetly smil- 
 ing, he replied, Oh yes ; from every nation, tongue, 
 
94 Waves 011 the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 and people on the earth. I suppose you have a num- 
 ber of Methodists ? Not any, replied the angel. You 
 have Episcopalians, then ? No. Quakers ? No. 
 Presbyterians ? No. Covenanters ? No. Jews ? 
 No. Mohammedans ? No. Well, said I, getting 
 quite alarmed, who have you, then ? The angel 
 looked pitifully at me ; then smiling benignantly, said, 
 We have neither sect nor denomination in heaven. 
 They were followers of the Lamb, and have washed 
 away all their sins in His blood. Then opening the 
 gate I heard sung by thousands of voices, Worthy is 
 the Lamb that was slain. Blessing, and honour, and 
 glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth on the 
 throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever ; for He hath 
 loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own 
 blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God 
 and His Father ; to Him be glory and dominion for 
 ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 " ' I then awoke, and am more fully persuaded than 
 I had hitherto been, that being a member of any par- 
 ticular church will not get us to heaven. The main 
 question is, Am I in Christ, or out of Christ?' 
 Never shall I forget the expression of Wesley's face, 
 beaming with devotion, love, and Christian charity, 
 while he pronounced the benediction. ' The peace of 
 God/ which he had so earnestly implored, seemed 
 indeed to have rested on the attentive audience, as the 
 dense crowd separated, evidently deeply impressed. 
 
 " Dearest mother, I have written you a long let- 
 ter, and although it may not give you satisfaction, 
 that I have acted and feel so differently from what 
 
A Dalriadian Talc. 95 
 
 my father and you wished, I have done only as my 
 conscience dictated. But however much I may have 
 changed in other respects, believe me I have not in- 
 tentionally given you and my father pain ; and I still 
 remain ever your affectionate son, 
 
 " Alexander P. Rutherford." 
 
 During the time Alexander was pursuing his studies 
 in Dublin, his father was gradually getting weaker 
 and wasting away ; latterly he was only able to come 
 from his bed -room to the kitchen. As Jamie had 
 said, " He seldom spoke unless spoken to," and then 
 replied in a moody abstracted manner. 
 
 For hours he would sit in his chair, leaning on the 
 top of his staff, muttering to himself. Occasionally 
 he was heard to mention his daughter Maggie's name, 
 then shake his head, and say, " It must be made all 
 right to her yet." 
 
 At length he was so weak he could not leave his 
 bed, and the doctor told Mrs Rutherford if her hus- 
 band had any arrangements to make about his affairs, 
 it would be well to do so soon. The minister was 
 then sent for. On his arrival he came to his brother- 
 in-law's bedside, and, grasping the dying man's hand, 
 said, " Brother, the decree has gone forth, Set thy 
 house in order, for thou must die. Are you afraid of 
 the dark valley and the shadow of death ?" 
 
 To which he answered with a firm but feeble voice, 
 H The Lord's will be done. Yea, though I walk 
 through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear 
 no evil : for Thou art with me ; Thy rod and Thy staff 
 
96 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 they comfort me. I have fought a good fight, I have 
 finished my course, I have kept the faith. O death, 
 where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? 
 Death is swallowed up in victory." 
 
 rt My brother, is there anything you would wish to 
 settle of your worldly affairs ?" 
 
 " Oh yes," replied the dying man, eagerly ; " send 
 for Lawyer M'Cormick immediately." So saying, he 
 sank back in his bed seemingly relieved, after having 
 come to this determination. Jamie was despatched 
 to Slievedhu to bring the lawyer. During his ab- 
 sence the sick man lay quiet, occasionally murmuring 
 in an almost inaudible voice, " Maggie will now be 
 righted — Maggie will now be righted," frequently 
 glancing towards the door. The lawyer was not at 
 home when the messenger arrived, but hastened to 
 Thornbrae a few hours after he had been sent for. 
 By that time Mr Rutherford had become unconscious, 
 and could not be roused to understand anything ; he 
 fell into a heavy slumber, from which he never awoke. 
 
 " When from flesh the spirit free 
 Hastens homeward to return, 
 Mortals cry, A man is dead ; 
 Angels sing, A child is born." 
 
 Thus passed away James Rutherford, the sincere 
 but rather stern, unbending Christian. He was a 
 worthy descendant of the Scottish Covenanters, who 
 sealed their testimony with their blood, and whose 
 sufferings, heroism, and magnanimity cannot be sur- 
 passed in the annals of ancient or modern history. 
 The liberties and precious privileges which they se- 
 
A Dalriadian Talc. 97 
 
 cured to all coming generations cannot be too highly- 
 appreciated, and must ever be remembered with feel- 
 ings of heartfelt gratitude by their posterity. Imbued 
 with the same soul-stirring devotion, staunch prin- 
 ciples, and rectitude of purpose, Rutherford would 
 have suffered martyrdom rather than submit to what 
 was contrary to his religious belief. 
 
 The facts narrated of his individual case are not, 
 however, to be taken as representing the feelings of the 
 whole body to which he belonged, as among them were, 
 and are to be, found many large-hearted, liberal men. 
 May his treatment of his son act as a beacon to warn 
 persons of all parties and persuasions against immo- 
 derate sectarian and narrow-minded views ! Happy 
 would it be for Christendom if all denominations 
 would hold out the right hand of fellowship to those 
 who love the Lord Jesus Christ, irrespective of creeds 
 or church government. 
 
 His son Alexander succeeded to the property ; 
 Maggie had got her dowry when she was married, 
 and never asked or was offered anything more. 
 Thornbrae, it will be remembered, came to Ruther- 
 ford by Maggie's mother, and it was thought that her 
 father intended bequeathing it to her, and this was 
 what preyed on his mind, and what he was so anxious 
 to get the lawyer to arrange previous to his death. 
 Alexander and his mother had possession, and kept 
 all— 
 
 " For why ? Because the good old rule 
 Sufficeth them ; the simple plan, 
 That they should take who have the power, 
 And they should keep who can." 
 
 G 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 PREVIOUS to Mr Rutherford's death, Mrs Ruther- 
 ford had invited a relative (a widow, without 
 any family) to come and reside with them, and assist 
 in the household duties, while her own time was occu- 
 pied attending her husband. 
 
 As Alexander was obliged after his father's funeral 
 to return to Dublin for some months, Mrs Cooper re- 
 mained at Thornbrae, and so far ingratiated herself 
 into Mrs Rutherford's favour, that she was solicited 
 to live permanently with her as companion. 
 
 Lord and Lady Southend would have wished Alex- 
 ander to have continued with them, as they liked him, 
 not only as an occasional companion, but were highly 
 satisfied with the progress their son had made under 
 his tuition. They had also hoped he would have 
 accompanied him on "the tour of Europe" previous 
 to leaving. His mother, however, could not manage 
 the farm without assistance, and it was arranged that 
 he should return home when Lord Southend would find 
 a tutor who could fill his place. Some months elapsed 
 before a suitable person was met with ; Alexander then 
 took leave of his pupil and noble patrons with regret. 
 Lord and Lady Southend expressed their sorrow at 
 his departure, thanking him for the manner in which 
 he had discharged his duties, not only at the Hall, but 
 also in Dublin ; assuring him of their continued good 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 99 
 
 wishes, and that if at any future period it were in 
 their power to serve him, they would gladly do so. 
 Alexander left Dublin with great reluctance ; but as 
 his mother had earnestly desired his return, he yielded 
 to her entreaties, not wishing to add to the sorrow 
 which he had already caused her. It was therefore 
 with feelings far from pleasurable that he arrived at 
 Slievedhu ; but his depression vanished when he saw 
 honest, faithful Jamie's delighted countenance, and 
 heard his hearty "Welcome home, yer honour ; shure 
 I 'm proud to see ye back agen !" 
 
 After hearing that his mother and all at Thornbrae 
 were well, he relapsed into silence ; his thoughts were 
 occupied with recollections of his father, and of the 
 sacrifices he was now making to gratify his mother. 
 His spirits became so depressed that he groaned 
 aloud, forgetful that Jamie was riding alongside. He 
 was soon recalled to a sense of his presence by the 
 exclamation, " Och, Master Alick ! won't it be the 
 blissid sight to the misthress to clap her two eyes an 
 ye this evenin', an' ye '11 get a blissin' for comin' to 
 yer mother, she s fail'd so, iver since the day ye went 
 to Dublin first; but then she had to look after and 
 attind the master, an' now that he's gone, shure ye 're 
 all the comfort she has." 
 
 Poor Jamie's sympathy was so sincere, genuine, 
 and unsophisticated, that Alexander reproached him- 
 self for giving way to selfishness, and felt he was un- 
 kind in being so occupied with his own thoughts as 
 to neglect asking for Jamie's wife and children. This 
 he knew was an inquiry which would gratify this 
 
ioo Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 faithful domestic, and a topic on which he would be- 
 come eloquent, as, if once started, Jamie would dilate 
 on it all the way to Thornbrae, and he would merely 
 have to say " Yes " occasionally, or assent by a nod. 
 Then rousing himself, he said, " I hope, Jamie, that 
 Nelly and the youngsters are quite well ? " 
 
 " Och ! and what wud ail them, yer honour ? 
 Haven't they lots o' praties ? An' the misthress 
 niver lets them want a sup o' butter-milk ; an' Biddy 's 
 fit to take care o' the pig an' the wean ; * an' Betty, 
 (ye min' wee Betty, yer honour ?) she 's grown quare 
 an' big ; she goes out wi' her mother to weed, an' 
 they 're makin' saxpence halfpenny a day atween them 
 now, ivery day barrin' the wet yins ; but we'll hae 
 plenty o' fine weather (the Lord be praised) atween 
 this an' winter, an' of coorse be able to do a power 
 o' work, an' make lashins-J- o' money." Jamie con- 
 tinued in this strain until they reached home. 
 
 It was indeed a great consolation for Mrs Ruther- 
 ford to have her son with her again ; she fondly 
 hoped he would settle down, and be happy and com- 
 fortable on his property ; but Alexander was not 
 happy or contented. He found the monotony of the 
 country tiresome ; longed for society such as that to 
 which of late he had been accustomed ; and having an 
 active mind and fervid imagination, he often chafed 
 at being in solitude. Almost everything in and about 
 Thornbrae reminded him of his father, to whom, not- 
 withstanding his stern, injudicious treatment, Alex- 
 ander had been devotedly attached. Opposition had 
 
 * Infant. t Plenty. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 101 
 
 only strengthened his dislike to the sect of which his 
 father was such a warm and worthy adherent, and 
 driven him to extremes, defeating the long-cherished 
 purpose of his parents with regard to his profession. 
 Now, however, that the old man was gone, Alexander 
 overlooked his failings, and only thought of him as 
 the sincere Christian and devoted father, and blamed 
 himself for embittering his last days and hastening his 
 death. These and many other reproachful thoughts 
 preyed on his mind, so that he often gave way to 
 melancholy. When in his gloomy moods, as he sat 
 absorbed in " the room," or reclined under a tree in 
 the garden, Mrs Cooper would come and rouse him 
 from brooding on his own thoughts, asking him to 
 explain something to her, or read while she knit or 
 sewed beside him. Her manner was so gentle and 
 unobtrusive, her voice so low and musical, that her 
 presence soothed his troubled spirit. Week after 
 week he sought her society, finding that it was a re- 
 lief to enter into conversation with one who, by looks 
 and tones of voice, evinced sympathy for him. New 
 graces both of body and mind were observed ; a de- 
 sire felt to gain her confidence, and pity awakened for 
 her desolate widowed state. 
 
 She also had her dull moods, being occasionally 
 absorbed in silent sorrow. In return for her sym- 
 pathy, Alexander endeavoured to rouse her into 
 cheerfulness, and cause a smile to play over her 
 statuesque features. By degrees she confided her 
 griefs to him, and he then realised that " pity is akin 
 to love ;" finally, he concluded that she was very 
 
102 Waves 011 the Ocean of Life. 
 
 dear to him, essential to his happiness, and that she 
 would be a good companion for life, and make the 
 best of wives. 
 
 Mrs Cooper also felt that Alexander had gained 
 her confidence, and a place in her heart, by manifest- 
 ing sympathy for her desolate condition, and she 
 gladly accepted his proposal of becoming her hus- 
 band and protector. 
 
 The union was approved of by Mrs Rutherford, to 
 whose comfort (as well as her son's) Mrs Cooper had 
 become essential. The trio being unanimous, it was 
 arranged that the marriage should at once take place- 
 So without any romance, Alexander and the widow 
 walked to the parish church one morning and were 
 united in " the bonds of holy matrimony." There 
 were not many persons present but those who offici- 
 ated, and the necessary witnesses to the ceremony, 
 which, in the service of the Church of England, ends 
 with the word " amazement." This event afterwards 
 called forth many expressions and exclamations of 
 great amazement from many who heard of it. As 
 the scandal-mongers said, " To think of Alexander 
 Rutherford, the 'turncoat Protestant/* marrying the 
 Widow Cooper, who," &c. &c. But what will not 
 Mrs Grundy (or the world) say on the occasion of 
 a marriage which, of all matters, is less their busi- 
 ness than any other occurrence, and only of chief 
 consequence to the two persons concerned. 
 
 * "Turncoat" means changing religion. In the Ulster dialect, to 
 be a Protestant or go to church is also understood to signify an Epis- 
 copalian, or member of the Church of England and Ireland ; to go to 
 meeting — a Dissenter; to go to chapel — Roman Catholic. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IT has often been remarked that most couples who 
 are married bear a resemblance to each other ; 
 but Alexander and his wife were totally unlike in ap- 
 pearance : she tall, thin, and angular, he of middle 
 height, stout, and muscular ; she with long visage, 
 small mouth, and thin compressed lips, sallow com- 
 plexion, and light gray eyes, her husband's face round 
 and rubicund, his upper lip long and firm, his mouth 
 large, chin massive, and his eyes dark and penetrating, 
 surmounted by shaggy eyebrows, forehead rather low, 
 hair black, stiff, and thick, brushed to stand upright 
 on top of forehead ; in the clerical fashion of the time, 
 every vestige of beard and whisker were shorn off, 
 which, if they had been allowed to grow according to 
 the present mode, would have formed magnificent 
 whiskers and a flowing beard, but, from the constant 
 use of the razor, left a black ground over the greater 
 part of his face, as if gunpowder had been rubbed into 
 every pore. 
 
 The colour of the lady's hair we have omitted to 
 mention, it being confined under a thin muslin cap, 
 with lace borders, closely fitting round the face ; per- 
 haps as gray predominated over the original brown, 
 
104 Waves on the Ocean of Life y 
 
 little of it was to be seen. However, it must not be 
 inferred from this that the bride was old ; true, she 
 was two years her husband's senior, but remember he 
 was not then twenty-six years old, so it could not 
 have been age which had silvered her locks ; but Mrs 
 Cooper had, 'twas said, " been abroad, and suffered a 
 great deal of affliction," but of what nature none of 
 the most assiduous scandal-mongers could ever ascer- 
 tain, though " intent to hear and eager to repeat," nor 
 could the most prying of her friends surprise her to 
 confide her trials to them " in confidence ;" she main- 
 tained so strict a guard over her expressions, and was 
 so reticent, that all that could be gleaned was only in 
 a general way, " that she had had many trials," but as 
 they were not specified, Mrs Grundy could only shake 
 her head, look sage, and hint more by looks and nods 
 than words that something had occurred which could 
 not be revealed. Nor was a cap assumed for the pur- 
 pose of covering those silvering locks. No such thing, 
 gentle reader, it was the custom of the period in 
 Ulster, (and continued to be so till within the last 
 twenty years,) that a girl when married wore a cap to 
 make her look matronly, as it was considered quite 
 indecorous in a married female, if only in her teens, 
 and having luxuriant curls, to be seen without one. A 
 similar custom was observed in Scotland at an earlier 
 period. Perhaps caps were worn as outward and 
 visible signs that married females were then in (or 
 should be in) a state of subjection to their lords and 
 masters. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford's dress was scrupulously neat and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 105 
 
 clean, and was of that wishey-washey, colourless de- 
 scription, which is generally adopted by females of 
 her age and appearance, who wish to look plain and 
 genteel. 
 
 Mr Rutherford (as we shall henceforth call him) 
 settled down to live at Thornbrae, his wife and mother 
 managing the household as formerly. He began to 
 enlarge the house, make a different approach to it, 
 and several other improvements. The new building 
 stretched across the south gable ; he laid out the 
 grounds opposite to it tastefully with shrubs and 
 grass plots, had a trellised porch in front, and creep- 
 ing plants trained over the windows. The old part of 
 the cottage remained unaltered, with the exception of 
 a glass door out of the stranger's chamber, which 
 opened into a flower garden. " The room " was now 
 used as dining, breakfast, and general sitting room. 
 The furniture of the new apartments was adapted to 
 the size of the rooms, and suited the requirements of 
 the inmates ; the carpets, hangings, and paper con- 
 trasted harmoniously ; the pictures on the wall, 
 though of little value, were well selected ; books, 
 scattered about, showed that taste and intelligence 
 went hand in hand, giving all a look of refinement 
 without pretension, and still retaining an air of com- 
 fort. 
 
 Mr Peden for a time came frequently to Thornbrae, 
 hoping by persuasion and arguments to win his nephew 
 over to the belief of the Covenanters ; in vain did the 
 minister argue with him, and exclaim against the 
 hierarchy, the Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty* 
 
io6 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 nine Articles, vestments, rites, and ceremonies, confir- 
 mation, the signing of the cross in baptism, kneeling 
 at the communion, &c. &c. 
 
 Every conference only confirmed each party more 
 firmly in his own views. Alexander's remarks were 
 often couched in bitter, sarcastic language, to which 
 the minister as tartly retorted. Unkind words and 
 feelings were almost always the result of such argu- 
 ments, and as neither party was willing to abstain 
 from controversy, it was finally arranged that the 
 minister should not visit Thornbrae, and that all in- 
 tercourse between uncle and nephew had better cease. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford, sen., visited occasionally at her 
 brother's, and attended the meeting as usual, but 
 Alexander and his wife became regular attendants 
 and communicants at the parish church. 
 
 Alexander, however, so far acceded to his mother's 
 wishes as to promise that during her life he would not 
 take orders in the Episcopal Church. This was an 
 end to all his cherished hopes. Since the day he had 
 heard service in the cathedral at Londonderry it had 
 been his constant aim to become a minister of the 
 Established Church of Ireland. He had studied for 
 that purpose, and had every prospect of obtaining a 
 living. The remembrance of Lord and Lady South- 
 end's parting words now only deeply grieved him. 
 The Lord Bishop of Derry was a connexion of the 
 Southend family, and if he, through their influence 
 and patronage, had got a charge in that diocese, he 
 might well have expected speedy promotion, perhaps 
 even on the decease of the Very Rev. the Dean of 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. J07 
 
 Deny he might have been appointed to the vacancy. 
 Truly it was a great sacrifice both of his feelings and 
 prospects ; still it was alleviated by the reflection that 
 he made it for a mother who was nearly deprived of 
 life at his birth, and whose whole existence since had 
 been a constant ministration to his wants and wishes, 
 and who latterly had suffered so much on his account. 
 He also dreaded making her feel that he was embit- 
 tering her last declining years with sorrow, as he had 
 done those of his father. 
 
 Year after year passed over, adding to the inmates 
 of Thornbrae child after child, till there were two 
 sons and three daughters born to Mr Rutherford, 
 who educated them himself, determining to allow 
 the boys to choose their own professions in life. 
 Whether this was a prudent course or not remains to 
 be seen. 
 
 At the epoch we now take up, the eldest son was 
 in the twenty-third year of his age, two sisters came 
 next, then another brother, and the youngest, a girl 
 in her fifteenth year. Hilary, the first born, (so called 
 because born on the thirteenth of January, St Hilary's 
 day;) his grandmother insisted he should be baptized 
 by that name, to fulfil a vow, which she recalled to 
 her son's remembrance as having been made by him 
 while arguing with his uncle, who had brought for- 
 ward, that " as he was called for his great ancestors 
 Peden and Rutherford, he should walk in their foot- 
 steps, and feel proud of doing so, and of being named 
 after them." To which argument Alexander testily 
 and passionately answered, " Nonsense, uncle ; I vow 
 
108 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 if ever I have a son, I '11 call him for whatever saint 
 or sinner is mentioned in the calendar on the day he 
 is born, and see if he follow in their footsteps." 
 
 This son very closely resembled his father, not only 
 in appearance, but seemed to be an exact counterpart 
 of him in character, if placed in circumstances to call 
 forth similar traits. 
 
 Margaret, the eldest girl, was of middle height, 
 very erect in her carriage, oval face, aquiline nose, 
 dark, intelligent -looking eyes, firmly compressed 
 mouth, and brunette complexion ; in character ener- 
 getic and decisive. Being educated with her brothers, 
 and having a good capacity and memory for acquir- 
 ing languages, she was almost as well versed as they 
 were in classic lore. She was her father's universal 
 factotum, keeping his accounts, arranging his books, 
 &c. 
 
 Agnes, the second girl, was rather tall and slight, 
 more resembling her mother than any other of the 
 family, but unlike her in character, being sensitive 
 and impulsive. 
 
 John, the other son, was like Hilary, only on a 
 smaller scale ; his eyes were not so dark and pene- 
 trating, and his mouth showed that he wanted the 
 decision and self-reliance possessed by his elder 
 brother ; he was affectionate in his disposition, and 
 greatly attached to his mother and sisters. 
 
 Lucy, the youngest, was the pet of the household ; 
 her rounded form and white and red complexion, 
 her light step and merry laugh, were often after- 
 wards spoken of ; her hazel eyes beamed with love 
 
A Dalriadian Tale, 109 
 
 and happiness ; her light brown hair flowed in wavy 
 ringlets over her shoulders. She seemed to be a 
 creature made to love and be beloved by all. The 
 poultry, dogs, cows, horses, and sheep knew her voice, 
 and were caressed by her ; the little boys about the 
 farm sought out birds' nests "to show Miss Lucy ;" 
 and the old men and women gazed with loving looks 
 after her, saying, " Och, but she's a winsome bit 
 lassie ; bless her bonny face." At this time there 
 was another inmate of Thornbrae, a lad of seventeen, 
 an orphan, named Edward Talbot. His parents had 
 both died in Jamaica, and he was sent by his paternal 
 uncles, who were West India merchants in London, 
 to be educated and brought up by Mr Rutherford 
 with his family ; he promised to be a very handsome 
 man ; his slight, well-made figure and finely-chiselled 
 features age would improve ; bright dark eyes lit up 
 his countenance, and black, curling locks clustered 
 closely over his well-formed head. 
 
 He and Lucy were often together ; for though so 
 different in appearance, their tastes corresponded ; he 
 also petted all the animals; the pony " Rodger" 
 knew his voice, came at his call, ate out of his hand, and 
 followed him like a dog ; he had also the good wishes 
 of all the servants and labourers, who proved their 
 regard for him in every way that lay in their power. 
 If a bird's nest was found, or the slightest incident 
 occurred likely to gratify him, it was sure to be com- 
 municated to him. 
 
 Edward's education had progressed favourably, and 
 his removal to London was soon expected. 
 
 IVB 
 
1 10 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 Hilary had years ago served an apprenticeship to 
 an apothecary, and completed his college course of 
 study for the medical profession. He had obtained 
 his degree of M.D., was now located in the town of 
 Slievedhu, and was known by the sobriquet of "the 
 young doctor." 
 
 The girls were proficient in all the feminine accom- 
 plishments of the day, as well as good housewives, 
 being aic fait in pickling, preserving, baking, &c, 
 relieving their mother of household duties by taking 
 week about of housekeeping. Their grandmother 
 was not long dead ; till within a few weeks of her de- 
 cease she enjoyed good health, and her energy never 
 forsook her. So long as she had strength to move 
 about, she attended to all as formerly. 
 
 John had attended Trinity College for the first term, 
 and had just returned home. One day he, Edward, 
 and the girls had gone to the banks of Lough Neagh 
 to spend the afternoon. The evening dropped down, 
 and the father and mother sat awaiting their return. 
 
 " Alexander," said Mrs Rutherford, addressing her 
 husband, " I 've been thinking that John does not 
 look so strong as before he went to college, and Lucy 
 is delicate ; would you advise our going to the seaside 
 for a month ? Margaret and two of her girls are, by 
 Hilary's advice, going to Portrush, and we could be 
 accommodated at Dunluce." 
 
 " Well, well, wife ; it is likely you womenkind have 
 arranged it all between you, so I suppose there is no 
 use in my objecting ; the matter is, can Jamie and 
 the horses be spared just now V 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 1 1 
 
 " Oh, yes, Alexander ; Jamie says he has done 
 moulding the potatoes, and that all the other work is 
 far forward." 
 
 "Just as I said," responded Mr R. "Settle all, 
 then ask my advice ; so you have nothing to do now 
 but pack up and start." 
 
 " But," said Mrs R., " if you don't wish us to go, of 
 course we will not/' 
 
 " Ho, ho ; so you think I can't do without you ; but 
 Margaret and I can manage well enough." 
 
 " But, Alexander, won't you come for us, and bring 
 Margaret too ? " 
 
 " We '11 see, we '11 see ; but here comes the party 
 from the lake. I wonder if John has had a good 
 fishing ; most likely not, when Lucy and Edward 
 were with them. How that boy does grow ! why, 
 they are wild with mirth. Lucy is mounted on 
 Rodger ; her hat is wreathed with eglantine. Hector 
 has also a wreath round his neck, and is scampering 
 on before them. Margaret and Agnes are carrying 
 the fishing-basket, and John strides on, seemingly 
 well satisfied with his afternoon's sport." 
 
 Here he was interrupted by Edward, (who had run 
 on before the rest,) shouting, " Here we are, as hungry 
 as troopers. Put on the frying-pan ; John has caught 
 his basket full of pollans ;" then, darting back, he 
 seized the pony by the bridle, led him opposite the 
 open window where Mr and Mrs Rutherford were 
 seated, and after assisting Lucy to dismount, bowed 
 to them, waved his hand towards Lucy, and in mock 
 heroic tones repeated — 
 
1 1 2 Waves oil the Oceci7i of Life } 
 
 " Field and flowery grove, 
 lie spoil'd of all that 's sweet and fair, 
 Wherewith to grace his lady-love." 
 
 The young people were greatly pleased with the 
 project of going to the shore — all but Edward, one of 
 whose uncles was expected daily ; but it was arranged 
 that after his uncle's visit he should follow them to 
 Dunluce. Thornbrae is distant nearly forty miles 
 from the sea ; and as in those days there were neither 
 stage-coaches, vans, railways, nor any public convey- 
 ance, and as jaunting-cars and gigs were very expen- 
 sive, (they had not come into general use,) there was 
 great planning how the journey could be accom- 
 plished. All was bustle preparing for the departure, 
 and packing up whatever would be required during 
 the sojourn at Dunluce. At last all was ready, and at 
 six o'clock on a bright July morning the party were en 
 route. John, mounted on a strong horse ; and behind 
 him, on a pillion, Agnes, followed by Mrs Rutherford 
 and Lucy on a car, (a vehicle which is rarely seen 
 now, and that in out-of-the-way districts in Ireland ;) 
 it somewhat resembled a jaunting-car of the present 
 day, without the rails at each end or in centre, and on 
 each side a hanging board for the feet to rest on ; the 
 wheels had not spokes, but were solid blocks of wood, 
 hooped round with iron ; on this conveyance was laid 
 a feather-bed, covered with a patch-work quilt. 
 Seated on it were Mrs R. and Lucy, who loudly pro- 
 tested against being on the car, begging to get on the 
 pillion, which was promised her when they halted at 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 1 3 
 
 noon to feed the horses and rest during the heat of 
 the day. 
 
 Our old friend Jamie M'Gwiggan was car-driver ; 
 and the cart which followed containing the provisions 
 and luggage was attended to by his son Alick, whose 
 exclamation on first seeing the sea was, "Lom-minny! 
 Oh, Master John, but the say 's quare an' big ; it 
 bates the Lough hollow ; there must be lashins an' 
 laivins o' pullans to be got in it !" 
 
 Having accompanied our travellers to Dunluce, we 
 now leave them to get refreshment, and retire to their 
 comfortable beds, to sleep away the fatigues of the 
 journey, while we in another chapter renew our ac- 
 quaintance with Mrs Wilson, formerly " wee Maggie 
 Rutherford." 
 
 H 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 IT will be remembered that, previous to her 
 brother's going to Glasgow College, Maggie 
 had been married to a farmer called Wilson, who 
 resided about twelve miles from Thornbrae. They 
 lived happily together for years, adding annually to 
 their live stock, cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, and chil- 
 dren. Being anxious to give their sons the advan- 
 tage of a liberal education, they sold their farm, and 
 removed to the neighbouring town of Ballynacraig ; 
 they purchased a farm in the vicinity, bought build- 
 ing ground in the town, and erected an hotel (or inn, 
 as it was called) and posting-house. As stage- 
 coaches had not yet been introduced, gentlemen were 
 accustomed to travel on horseback, and the families 
 of the gentry in their own carriages, which were sup- 
 plied with post-horses and postillions at the different 
 stopping places along the road ; post-chaises were 
 also kept in the various towns to convey persons to 
 and from Dublin, or to any other part of the country. 
 This was the way lawyers went in those days to 
 attend their terms, and milliners and mantuamakers 
 to obtain the latest fashions. 
 
 Of course not only was the journey a matter which 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 1 5 
 
 required deliberation beforehand, but it was also a 
 matter of grave consideration of whom the party 
 should be composed who were to share the expenses 
 and dangers of the undertaking. 
 
 As the time occupied on the road was mainly re- 
 gulated by the weather and length of the day — no 
 travelling being performed after nightfall — it is not 
 to be wondered that in a journey which occupied 
 three days in summer, and four or more in winter, it 
 should indeed be considered a momentous question 
 what persons should be cooped up together in such 
 narrow space ; and many a petty manoeuvre was 
 resorted to in order to gain agreeable companions. 
 A journey to Dublin was then considered such an 
 undertaking that, previous to leaving, friends came to 
 say farewell, wills were made, and everything settled 
 before such an important step was taken. 
 
 The " Royal Arms " soon became noted as a good 
 resting-place, the house being kept clean, the beds 
 comfortable, the provisions good, plentiful, and well- 
 cooked, the horses in good condition, servants and 
 postillions civil, charges moderate, and the host and 
 hostess attentive. 
 
 The two sons, Francis and James, were liberally 
 educated, made choice of the medical profession, and 
 were pursuing their studies to prepare them for situa- 
 tions in the British navy. 
 
 The eldest daughter, Nannie, belonged to a class 
 of girls to be found in all ages, moderately well-look- 
 ing, fond of dress, frivolous in conversation, dawdling 
 in her time. 
 
1 1 6 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 The second girl was quite different in every respect, 
 quick, intelligent, enterprising, and ardent ; her elder 
 sister rather looked on her with contempt as not being 
 fair, a blonde complexion being with her the sine 
 qua non of female beauty. There were also the 
 other girls, who were, as their nurses declared, " too 
 good to live long ; " but as in their short lives they 
 did nothing " to point a moral or adorn a tale," we 
 shall not describe them. 
 
 Francis was older than Mary; James came between 
 her and the sisters who died. Mary, the second girl, 
 did not pass through life so quietly ; her appearance 
 shall now be described. Short in stature, slight and 
 erect in carriage, well-shaped head, and an abundance 
 of straight raven-black hair. From her finely-marked 
 features, thin long nose, brunette complexion, and 
 dark intelligent eyes, she might have been taken for 
 a Jewess ; indeed, it was told of her that when the 
 celebrated Mr Whalley (known by the soubriquet of 
 Buck or Jerusalem Whalley) stopped at the " Royal 
 Arms," en route from Dublin, just after his return from 
 the Holy Land, he was so struck with her Jewish ap- 
 pearance that he remarked to his valet, " If we had 
 seen this girl in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem, we 
 should not have taken her for any other than of 
 Abrahamic descent." 
 
 Mrs Wilson's health became delicate, and on Mary 
 devolved the entire management of the establish- 
 ment ; besides assisting her father with accounts, she 
 found time to read and improve her mind. Having 
 a <^reat thirst for knowledge, whenever she met her 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 1 7 
 
 cousins Hilary and John, she applied to them for in- 
 formation ; and having a most retentive memory, she 
 acquired a fund of general knowledge, to which she 
 took every opportunity of adding. 
 
 Her greatest pleasure was having her cousins, par- 
 ticularly John, to converse with her on books and 
 scientific subjects. Hilary's mode of imparting in- 
 formation was terse and uninteresting, and he was 
 annoyed if stopped, by being asked questions which 
 arose in Mary's quick imagination. 
 
 John had a greater fluency of language, possessed 
 a fund of anecdote, and a more lively imagination, 
 was minute in description, and had no objection to 
 being questioned ; he was pleased to have an atten- 
 tive auditor, and to be applied to, particularly by 
 cousin Mary, who was so gratified by his conversa- 
 tion ; it was therefore with most pleasurable feelings 
 that both looked forward to many pleasant walks and 
 talks while at the shore together. 
 
 Shortly after the Rutherfords arrived at Dunluce, 
 John went across the fields, in the direction of Port- 
 rush, walked along the top of the White Rock cliffs, 
 often stopping to admire the bold headlands formed 
 of white limestone, perforated by the action of the 
 winds and waves into caverns and arches, and here 
 and there assuming the form of gigantic profiles, as if 
 chiselled out of the rock ; these from time imme- 
 morial have been known by the names of the 
 "Giant's Head," " Sheelah's Head," &c. He then 
 descended to the sand-hills, which are covered with 
 bent ; mosses also are to be found in great variety in 
 
1 1 8 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 boggy hollows among the sand-hills, and many other 
 botanical specimens indigenous to the soil. 
 
 John noted all as he passed on, calculating on 
 being questioned about them by cousin Mary. Pro- 
 curing a large burdock leaf, he collected a quantity 
 of wild strawberries, which in sheltered nooks among 
 the hills grow in abundance, and are of a most deli- 
 cate flavour, wrapped them up carefully to take to his 
 aunt Wilson ; then descending on the strand, after a 
 walk of two miles along the hard sands, where the 
 tide was ebbing, reached Portrush, where his aunt 
 and cousins had arrived the evening before. 
 
 The many tourists who at the present time have, 
 through the agency of Bell, Watt, Stephenson, and 
 Dargan, visited Portrush, on their way to and from 
 the Giant's Causeway, and who now see a thriving 
 watering-place, with every hotel* and lodging ac- 
 commodation, baths, railway, steamboats, churches, 
 chapels, &c, will smile at a description of the ap- 
 pearance of this village at the end of the eighteenth 
 and beginning of the present century, and the accom- 
 modation it then afforded visitors. 
 
 At that period there were only about thirty stone- 
 built cabins, thickly thatched with straw, and firmly 
 secured across and along the roof with strong ropes 
 made of twisted bogwood, (the same which has 
 already been described as used for fuel and light.) 
 These houses were tenanted by fishermen and pilots, 
 
 * Hotel accommodation in Portrush is universally acknowledged to 
 be good, and is pronounced in Murray's Guide Book to be "the very- 
 best in Ireland." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 1 9 
 
 who earned a scanty livelihood by fishing when the 
 weather permitted, and steering timber and slate- 
 laden vessels into the small basin or dock of Port- 
 rush, or taking them over " the bar " (sandbank at 
 the mouth of the river Bann) to the port of Coleraine. 
 
 At the entrance to the village the houses were in 
 straggling rows, but near the dock assumed the form 
 of a street ; at the dock-head were a row of cabins ; 
 conspicuous among them was the only three-storied 
 house of which the village could boast, being roofed 
 with slates, and so superior in size to the dwellings 
 around that the inhabitants looked on it as quite a 
 splendid mansion, and called it " The Castle." 
 
 At this time it was tenanted by Dr Richardson, 
 Rector of Clonfeacle, (of florin grass celebrity,) one of 
 whose maxims was, " The man who made two blades 
 of grass grow where only one had previously been, 
 deserved well of his country." The marks of his 
 attempts at cultivation may to this day be seen on 
 the part known as " Ramore Head," the termination 
 of the promontory on which Portrush is situated. 
 
 It may here be mentioned, en passant, that some 
 years afterwards Portrush became unexpectedly the 
 birthplace of a peer of the realm who now holds a 
 prominent position in the House of Lords. In the 
 
 autumn of 1805 the first Baron R , being on a 
 
 tour through the north of Ireland, accompanied by 
 his lady, were returning from the Giant's Causeway, 
 when the lady took prematurely ill in the post-chaise. 
 The postillion, on being interrogated, told his lord- 
 ship that " there was no place of entertainment for 
 
120 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 man or baste nearder nor Cowlrain," but when he 
 heard the lady's moans, and saw the distress of the 
 gentleman, said he was " certain sure they would be 
 taken in at ' The Castle' at Portrush, as Dr Richard- 
 son is a quare an' good man." 
 
 " Then drive there at once," eagerly replied his 
 lordship. 
 
 Dr Richardson was noted for his hospitality. His 
 sympathies were now called forth ; and with all the 
 urbanity of manner and warmth of heart which 
 characterised this Christian gentleman and learned 
 divine, he received the baron and his suffering lady. 
 
 Madame Richardson and a lady visitor exerted 
 themselves in every way to add to the comfort of 
 their unexpected guest, to allay her fears, and soothe 
 her distress of both body and mind. The post- 
 chaise was dispatched instanter to Coleraine for Dr 
 Thomson, who immediately came off in his gig, 
 accompanied by his apprentice, to be in readiness, if 
 required, to return for anything which they had for- 
 gotten in their hasty departure. 
 
 All went on well ; and after a few hours, the popu- 
 lation of Portrush had a male child added to its 
 number, greatly to the relief of the apprentice, who 
 was benumbed with cold, and his patience nearly ex- 
 hausted by driving about in the gig waiting for his 
 master. Years rolled on ; the Doctor died, and the 
 apprentice inherited his title, but did not practice. 
 He acquired wealth and position by other means, and 
 was unanimously chosen by his fellow-townsmen to 
 represent Coleraine in Parliament, for which borough 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 121 
 
 he was returned several times. On one occasion, when 
 he wished to carry through "the House" some mea- 
 sure for the benefit of the town he represented and so 
 
 dearly loved, he was opposed by Baron R , but 
 
 he was gained over by Dr B , who, with that 
 
 ready wit and dry humour which made him such a 
 pleasant companion and welcome guest at the houses 
 
 of the aristocracy and gentry, told Baron R the 
 
 incident of his birth, hoping that even at "the eleventh 
 hour" his lordship would remunerate him for the dis- 
 comfort he experienced on the night his lordship 
 first made his appearance in Ireland. 
 
 Baron R may not like to be considered an 
 
 Irishman, particularly at the present time, when the 
 name is too frequently coupled with outrages and 
 disgraceful conduct, but it is to be hoped his lord- 
 ship will not judge " the noble many by the rascal 
 few." 
 
 We Irish are proverbial for wishing to be thought 
 like St Patrick, " come of dacent people ;" and claim 
 as "natives of the sod" all who are good and great ; 
 
 therefore we recognise Baron R as a " true-born 
 
 Irishman." 
 
 Lodging accommodation was of course of the 
 plainest and most meagre description, so that it was 
 necessary to bring beds, bedding, and other requisites. 
 The lodging Mrs Wilson and daughters got was con- 
 sidered " quite fit for gentry and 'quality' to come 
 to." This house still remains in the main street ; its 
 gable towards the dock has a small window in it, and 
 two similar windows face the street. These were in 
 
122 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 the room occupied by Mrs Wilson. This apartment 
 is about fourteen feet wide by sixteen long. Across 
 the end of it were two four-posted bedsteads, with 
 plaited straw palliasses ; along the ceiling, in front 
 of bedsteads, was a drapery of white and blue 
 chequer. Curtains also hung down at the top of each 
 bedstead ; the windows were draped with the same 
 material. The whitewashed walls were adorned not 
 only with a sampler, (similar to that already describ- 
 ed,) but, as the house belonged to a sailor's wife, there 
 were numerous pictures of ships, and a really rather 
 good water-colour drawing of Vesuvius in eruption, 
 purchased by Donald Nevin in Naples, during a voy- 
 age to the Mediterranean with a cargo of salted Bann 
 salmon, from " The Cranagh" and " Cutts," near Cole- 
 raine. On the mantel-shelf was a case of stuffed 
 birds, shells, &c, collected during many a voyage. 
 Over one window hung a toy canoe, ornamented with 
 coloured porcupine's quills, and in the other an 
 ostrich's egg. The floor was covered with matting 
 made of the bent which grew on the adjacent sand- 
 hills ; and between the front windows hung a looking- 
 glass, beneath which was a large wooden chest, painted 
 red. This did duty for both sideboard and wardrobe ; 
 on it, against the wall, stood the tea-tray, depicted on 
 which was a landscape in glowing colours, surrounded 
 by a wreath of flowers of the most brilliant hues ; in 
 front were arranged a pair of glass decanters, several 
 jugs, two large brass candlesticks, and a number of 
 painted wooden bowls, (such as we now see in grocers' 
 windows filled with tea or fruit ;) these had been 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 123 
 
 brought by the aforesaid Donald Nevin on his return 
 from a voyage up the Baltic. 
 
 In addition to the hardwood tables and chairs, there 
 was also an eight-day clock, and a buffet which held 
 the tea things and glasses. The door into this room 
 was quite close to the street, and opened out of the 
 kitchen. 
 
 John was heartily welcomed by his aunt and 
 cousins. After inquiries had been made and an- 
 swered concerning the journey of both families, " I 
 must tell you," said John, " that I stole off without 
 letting any one know where I was going ; so pray, 
 aunt, allow the girls (I know you are too fatigued) to 
 return with me to obtain my pardon from my mother 
 and sisters for playing truant. I '11 bring them back 
 safely in the evening ; so, like a good kind aunt, don't 
 refuse my request." 
 
 Mrs Wilson having given her permission, the party 
 soon set out for Dunluce by the route we have already 
 described. On leaving the house, as Mary opened 
 her parasol, she heard Bell Nevin shout, " Come, 
 come, mother; the quality here has got the same as 
 Madame Richardson holds over her head." While 
 the party proceeded along, the children ran after 
 them, gazing at the unusual sight ; and many a hand 
 and brow were uplifted in astonishment as they passed 
 through the village. Mary, as usual, had many ques- 
 tions to ask about the various objects on their way to 
 Dunluce. Short as had been the time she was in 
 Portrush, she had ascertained from the oldest inhabi- 
 tant, Randy MacCallister, that his grandfather had 
 
124 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 told him that there had been arable land where it was 
 now sand-hills. " Yes," said John, " had it not been 
 for this most useful plant, Arundo arenaria, sea mat- 
 weed or bent, much more damage would have been 
 done ; but wherever it takes root, it binds the sand 
 together, and prevents it drifting about. Queen 
 Elizabeth prohibited its extirpation ; and a recent 
 Act of Parliament protects this plant throughout the 
 places of its growth in this kingdom. Few if any in 
 the vegetable world are more wonderfully constructed, 
 and show so plainly the purpose for which it is de- 
 signed. You observe that the stems are ridged, and 
 the leaves pointed and thorn-like. The root of this 
 species of grass is creeping, and often twenty feet in 
 length ; and being very tough and penetrating, and 
 sending forth numerous fibres, it serves the important 
 purpose of binding together the loose sand. The 
 ridged stems readily resist sand-drifts, however sud- 
 den ; and the pointed leaves allow the sand to fall 
 between them, as through a sieve, from which the 
 wind may not again chase it away. The sand is 
 evidently adapted to the plant, and the plant to the 
 sand. The leaves too are defended with a firm, hard 
 cuticle, which effectually prevents the fine particles of 
 salt that fly off the waves from penetrating into the 
 pores. Without this admirable provision, the Arundo 
 would soon perish ; doubtless the surface of the leaf 
 is endued with a filtering power, by means of which 
 sufficient moisture is derived from the atmosphere to 
 sustain its existence and growth." 
 
 With nimble footsteps and light hearts the trio 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 2 5 
 
 arrived at the White Rocks. " Surely," said Mary, 
 "the poet must have been here when he composed 
 the lines — 
 
 1 In every object here I see 
 Something, my heart, resembling thee ; 
 Hard as the rocks that bound the strand, 
 Dry and unfruitful as the sand ; 
 Deep and deceitful as the ocean, 
 And, like the tides, in constant motion.' " 
 
 " There are many places I daresay," replied John, 
 "to which the words would be equally applicable, and 
 a still greater number of persons whose hearts these 
 objects symbolise ; but I prefer the following verse, 
 leading me to look beyond myself from nature up to 
 the God of nature and of grace : — 
 
 ' In every object here I see, 
 Something, O Lord, that leads to Thee ; 
 Firm as a rock Thy promise stands, 
 Thy mercies countless as the sands ; 
 Thy love a sea immensely wide, 
 Thy grace an overflowing tide.' " 
 
 After ascending to the rising ground — " Here," 
 said John, " we '11 take a seat on this thyme-covered 
 bank ; and while we enjoy the cool breeze, 1 11 repeat 
 to you lines written by a friend about this locality. 
 It was composed on the occasion of a trip to the 
 ' Skerries ' and ' White Rocks.' 
 
 " Come let us ride 
 On the bounding tide ; 
 
 Why idly mope on shore ? 
 Find us a boat 
 That can safely float 
 
 And glide the proud waves o'er. 
 
126 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " We'll spread our sail 
 To the rising gale, 
 
 And steer for ' Island Dhu ; ' 
 The merry song 
 Will cheer us along 
 
 As we sweep the waters through. 
 
 " On the ' Skerry Isles,' 
 'Mid sunny smiles, 
 
 We '11 repose 'neath the rocky shade : 
 And drink from the spring 
 Where the waters ring 
 
 Through the caves the sea hath made. 
 
 " The conies dark 
 We '11 chase, but hark ! 
 
 The sea-birds loudly scream ; 
 Your rifles use, 
 The wild sea-mews 
 
 Will serve us well for game. 
 
 " Our course we'll veer, 
 And off we '11 steer 
 
 To the rocks of snowy white ; 
 From the limestone caves, 
 Which the water laves, 
 
 We '11 view the wild dove's flight. 
 
 " Those arches spann'd 
 By nature's hand — 
 
 Fair temples of the deep ; 
 Like fairy forms, 
 That 'mid the storms 
 
 Their lasting vigils keep. 
 
 " Through every cove 
 We '11 sail and rove, 
 
 Amid the living spray ; 
 Each nook explore 
 Along the shore 
 
 From morn till closing day.'' 
 
 Agnes and Lucy, who had suspected where their 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 127 
 
 brother had gone, were on the look-out, and ran off 
 to welcome their cousins, first scolding John for going 
 away, then thanking him for going, as it gave them 
 the pleasure of seeing their cousins sooner than they 
 expected. 
 
Dunluce Castle. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 AFTER partaking of curds and cream, for which 
 Mrs Moore of Dunluce was celebrated, an in- 
 spection of the castle ruins was proposed. No pad- 
 locked iron gate, guarded by a guide, then opposed 
 the progress of visitors ; all were free to wander about 
 when and where they pleased. 
 
 " Now," said Mary, " John will begin at the begin- 
 ning and describe all to us." 
 
 " Well, coz, I can tell you very little about it, as 
 there is no authentic record of when Dunluce Castle 
 was built ; but we know it was a stronghold in Queen 
 Elizabeth's time, and that the Duchess of Bucking- 
 ham lived some time here. But now, as Schiller 
 writes of a similar ruin — 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 129 
 
 ' The wanton winds are clambering there, 
 And desolation broods within ; 
 Through yawning breach and window rent, 
 Over the roofless tenement, 
 The clouds of heaven, careering high, 
 Lower as they pass, and wistfully 
 Look in.' 
 
 This large aperture is where the outer courtyard 
 gate was ; and those buildings inside served probably 
 as residences for the retainers, and for stables and 
 other offices. One of these apartments is said to have 
 been the hall of justice where offenders were tried, 
 and, if found guilty, hung on yonder hill, (pointing 
 to one on the right, which to this day retains the 
 name of the " Gallows Hill.") Look out of this open- 
 ing, which was once a window. From this situation 
 the castle is well seen ; you will perceive it is situated 
 on an insulated rock, and is joined to the mainland 
 by a narrow bridge or arch of mason work, which is 
 the only way of access to the ruins." 
 
 " Indeed," said Agnes ; " is that the only way of 
 getting into the castle ? Why, it is only the top of 
 a wall, not more than eighteen inches broad." 
 
 "Well, Agnes, it is just what you say, the top of a 
 wall ; but it is wider than you imagine. I measured 
 it this morning, and find it is twenty-seven inches 
 wide, and twenty feet long. 'Tis said there was a 
 corresponding arch to lay a drawbridge on ; but I 
 cannot find any traces of where it has been. My 
 opinion is that there never was another ; but there 
 may have been some subterranean passage from the 
 cave which you see underneath to the interior of the 
 
 I 
 
130 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 castle. You will perceive that many of the stones in 
 the walls are of basaltic formation, and the mortar 
 which binds them together is very strong and hard. 
 Look at this chimney which has been blown down ; 
 it has fallen en masse, and retains its shape entire." 
 
 Here they were interrupted by the clapping of hands 
 and a merry peal of laughter. It was caused by 
 Lucy, who had crossed the bridge, and called exult- 
 ingly, " I have got over the dangerous place ; it 's 
 nothing at all to be afraid of. Shall I go over to 
 assist you across ?" 
 
 To which John rather angrily replied : " I say, 
 miss, if you don't be less adventurous, you '11 rush 
 into some dangerous situation, where there may be 
 difficulty in rescuing you, or you may fall over the 
 cliffs into the sea ; you must behave yourself quietly." 
 At which reprimand Lucy looked very demure ; but 
 after watching them come over the bridge, she darted 
 off, seated herself in a round tower, and commenced 
 singing " Here in cool grot." 
 
 Attracted by her voice, they followed to the spot 
 where she was. 
 
 " Here/' said John, " is Lucy in Mava Roe's room. 
 You naughty girl, what would you have done if the 
 fairy or banshee had come to you ?" 
 
 " A fairy !" said Lucy. " Oh, I 'd like to see her, if 
 she is a kind, good fairy, like Order in the fairy tale, 
 who came to assist a popr untidy, thoughtless girl 
 like me, or Cinderella's good fairy. But preserve me 
 from seeing the banshee ; she's a doleful little old 
 creature, always wailing and wringing her hands, and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 131 
 
 giving notice of approaching evil, as if sorrow were 
 not soon enough when it came." 
 
 " But, John," said Mary and Agnes, " do tell us the 
 legend ?" 
 
 " This tower," he replied, " is said to be haunted by 
 Mava Roe, a cleanly fairy, who always sweeps the 
 floor, so that there never is an)/ dust to be seen. 
 Boreas, however, it is evident, is the sweeper, and a 
 nor'-wester his besom. The banshee's Avail may be 
 accounted for by the whistling of the stormy breezes 
 through the walls and loopholes. It is still, however, 
 believed by some old retainers of the Antrim family 
 that a supernatural noise is heard here previous to 
 the death of any of its members. There is also a 
 tradition that the story had its origin in lamentations 
 being heard issuing from this chamber, where the 
 daughter of the chieftain M'Ouillan was confined by 
 her father, to keep her from being carried off by her 
 lover, M'Donnell of the Isles. He had been ship- 
 wrecked in the neighbourhood ; and when hospitably 
 received and entertained at Dunluce, won the affec- 
 tions of M'Ouillan's daughter, whom he carried off; 
 and then finally dispossessing her father, turned him 
 out of the castle, and took possession of the adjoin- 
 ing lands. 
 
 "But, as I have already said, no authentic records 
 have been preserved. The descendants of M'Donnell 
 up to the present time are owners of the castle and 
 lands about ; and the eldest son of the Earl of An- 
 trim derives the title of Viscount Dunluce from these 
 roofless walls. 
 
132 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " This tower must have been erected at a very early 
 period, from the rude style in which it is built. The 
 arched roof, you will perceive, is formed of stones, and 
 has evidently been made by raising a mound of earth, 
 firmly pressed together, then laying wicker-work on 
 the top, and paving it all over with blocks of stone, 
 then pouring over it mortar in a semi-fluid state, so 
 that it penetrated into the interstices between the 
 stones, (this I believe was called 'grouting.') See, 
 here are not only the marks of the rods employed in 
 the wicker-work, but also some pieces of rods re- 
 maining. When the mortar was firmly hardened, 
 and the masonry bound together, the mound of earth 
 was removed, leaving the roof arched as it now is." 
 
 "Ho, ho!" said Lucy; "our John talks like a 
 book. You would think he had been architect at the 
 building of the castle ; but can you tell us anything 
 more about the fairy ?" 
 
 " Granny Garland introduced a fairy into the 
 legend she told me," said John. 
 
 " Pray tell it," was the general request. 
 
 " It is too long," replied he, " to enter into now/' 
 
 " Oh, John," said Lucy, " tell us who is Granny 
 Garland ; is she the banshee V* 
 
 " Not that I know of, Lucy. Certainly she does 
 not correspond with your description of that person- 
 age, as she is not little, and does not wear a red 
 cloak ; notwithstanding, she is a remarkable woman. 
 If you wish, I shall tell you how I became acquainted 
 with the old dame ; but as it will occupy some time, 
 let us leave this windy chamber." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 133 
 
 The party then went to another spot in the ruins ; 
 and when seated on the fallen walls, John proceeded 
 to gratify the curiosity of his auditors as follows : — 
 
 " Having heard from some of the inmates of the 
 farmhouse at Dunluce that ' Granny Garland,' who 
 lived about two miles off in the 'toon o' Bally magarry/ 
 when in a good humour would tell incidents of bygone 
 days, which had been communicated to her by her 
 grandmother, who had in turn been told them by her 
 great grandmother ; and as they had all been remark- 
 ably long-lived, some of her traditions went back to 
 three or four centuries ago; I determined to visit the old 
 dame, and endeavour to extract some information from 
 her relative to Dunluce Castle and the neighbourhood. 
 
 " The Lords of Dunluce, you may remember, had a 
 mansion at Ballymagarry, to which they removed in 
 the beginning of the seventeenth century, leaving the 
 sea-girt castle untenanted, to become a prey to the 
 destroying effects of time, tempests, and rain. 
 
 " The ' Toon ' is situated at the top of a hill, and 
 consists of a few mud-built, straw-roofed cabins on 
 each side of the highroad. As I slowly ascended 
 the steep acclivity I began to consider in what 
 manner I should accost granny so as to gain her 
 favour. I then thought of her having more than 
 numbered the term of years now allotted to man, and 
 that life was becoming to her a burden. Occupied 
 with these thoughts, I would not have noticed a 
 woman who was standing in a stream which ran in 
 a deep channel along the roadside. The noise of my 
 footsteps had caused her to raise herself out of a 
 
r34 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 stooping posture to look who was coming, and thus 
 she attracted my attention. There she stood, a 
 woman rather above the middle height, strongly and 
 muscularly formed; her features massive and weather- 
 beaten ; her keen bright gray eyes and firm long upper 
 lip showed that she was neither wanting in shrewdness 
 nor intelligence. Her linen cap, with a narrow frill 
 round it, was dazzlingly white ; her grizzled hair was 
 turned up over a pad on her forehead, and the cap 
 confined round her head with a parti-coloured cotton 
 bandage, which I believe you call a binder. 
 
 " The dark blue and white stamped linen bedgown, 
 (loose jacket, with sleeves to the elbow,) though patch- 
 ed, was clean, as well as the blue drugget petticoat, 
 which was turned up and fastened round her waist, 
 forming a tunic, which only reached to her knees, 
 permitting her to stoop without ' drabbling her tails,' 
 as the phrase goes. At her feet, in the water, resting 
 against her strong limbs, was a bushel basket full of 
 potatoes, which she had been washing when inter- 
 rupted by my approach. Of course I did not stand 
 gazing at her for so long as I have taken to describe 
 her appearance, and the impressions I formed of her; 
 nor was she fascinated by me, for in an abrupt, hasty 
 manner and firm voice she echoed my £ good day,' 
 which plainly meant, ' Go on your way, and don't 
 bother me,' and, stooping, resumed her occupation 
 without again lifting her head to look at me. 
 
 " For some minutes she shook the basket vigorously, 
 then holding it up till the water had nearly all dripped 
 away, she stepped out of the stream, carrying the 
 
A Dalriadidn Tale. 135 
 
 basket, and walked with a firm step in her bare feet 
 to the road in the direction of the houses. I fol- 
 lowed her, saying, 'Will you be so good as to tell 
 me where Granny Garland lives ?' 
 
 " Turning round her head, but not slackening her 
 pace, she said, 'It's Granny Garland ye 're speering 
 for ? What may ye want we her ? ' 
 
 " ' Well,' said I, (rather taken aback by her abrupt 
 manner,) ' I want to have a little conversation with 
 her about old times, and should feel obliged if you 
 will tell me which of these houses she lives in.' 
 
 " ' An' what would be the use o' ye goin' to her at 
 this time o' the day, when she hasna time for crack- 
 ing,' (chatting.) 
 
 " ' But surely,' I replied, ' such an old woman is not 
 able to work at anything which will occupy her so 
 busily ; at any rate I should like to see her, and give 
 her some tea and tobacco which I 've brought for her/ 
 
 " By this time we had reached the cabins, and, halt- 
 ing opposite an open door, she said, while a shrewd 
 smile played over her countenance, ' Ye may come 
 in, but I canna crack we ye till I put on the praties, 
 for they'll all be in for their dinner, and pulling flax 
 is a hungry job.' 
 
 " ' Is it possible,' I exclaimed, 'that you are Granny 
 Garland ? ' 
 
 " ' An' why for shouldna I be? But, as I afore 
 said, the dinner must be got ready ; so, young man, 
 if ye '11 just step along the plantin', an' walk about the 
 owld place below, in a wee time I '11 be ready for ye.' 
 
 " As this was notice to quit, I was turning away 
 
136 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 when, in rather a loud voice, she said, ' Ye may as 
 well leave me the bit tobaccy ; a smoke whiles brings 
 many an owld story o' granny's into my head/ 
 
 " Gladly I presented it and the tea to her, feeling 
 assured that I had found favour in her sight. The 
 belt of trees, ' the planting' is at the base of the hill, 
 and is all that now remains of the oak woods of 
 Ballymagarry. There was little left of the mansion 
 which had been occupied by the Lords of Dunluce. 
 A common farm-house had been erected out of the 
 building materials of the castle ; all that remains of 
 the original building is a tower, now used as a barn 
 and granary ; the threshers and farm-labourers never 
 thinking about the departed glories of the place, or 
 the different use the edifice had been applied to in 
 former days. ' Tempus cdax renini' I exclaimed, and 
 retraced my steps to granny's cabin, hoping that the 
 pipe had caused her to be in a more sociable mood. 
 
 " I was not disappointed. On a stool, opposite a 
 peat fire made on the hearth, she sat, gazing intently 
 into the fire, her right elbow resting on her knee, and 
 holding a cutty (short) pipe in her mouth, which she 
 seemed greatly to enjoy. Having given a closing 
 whiff, knocked the ashes out of the pipe, and de- 
 posited it carefully in a hole in the chimney-corner, 
 she turned round to me, and drawing her command- 
 ing figure up to its full height, waved with her hand, 
 saying, ' Now, young man, sit down on the settle, an' 
 I '11 keep my seat on the creepy.* I must watch the 
 
 * An oblong or triangular piece of wood, having strong wooden pegs 
 fastened into it so as to form a stool. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 137 
 
 praties,' looking and nodding at the pot suspended 
 over the fire. ' I 've a noggin of water here beside 
 me to check them when they come to the boil ; so 
 I '11 not have to stop the discourse. Ye '11 aiblins be 
 the young minister, his reverence's son, that's lodging 
 in Mistress Moore's beyant, an' ye '11 be wanting some 
 screed about the owld castle I 'se warrant.' 
 
 " I replied that she was correct about who I was, and 
 that she had also rightly guessed my errand, and 
 hoped that she would favour me with one of her 
 grandmother's tales. 
 
 " The tobacco and the deference I showed her had a 
 good effect. As a mark of the respect she felt for 
 me she had put on a blue and white apron of ample 
 size, to which she attracted my attention with evi- 
 dently as much pride as a duchess would feel when 
 displaying her hereditary diamonds, saying, ' This 
 was my grandmother's ; the flax was sown by grand- 
 father more than sixty years ago ; weeded and pulled 
 by his wife ; steeped, dried, scutched, milled, beetled, 
 and all that by grandfather ; spun and dyed by grand- 
 mother ; woven by grandfather ; and finally made into 
 its present shape by grandmother ; and the aprons 
 were so strong she could never wear them out ; she 
 meant to leave them to wee Molly, her great grand- 
 daughter.' 
 
 " During this preamble about the aprons I began to 
 fear I should not hear any of the legends, but the old 
 woman's garrulity was roused, and with a look at the 
 fire, evidently meaning tcmpus fugit, said, ' Now for 
 one of granny's owldfarrent histories of Dunluce. 
 
 ^X 
 
138 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Ye '11 doubtless hae heard about the wars o the 
 M'Quillans, and about M'Donnell marrying the 
 chief's daughter, and about the rock splitting, an' 
 that then they all came away bodalilty to Ballyma- 
 garry ; and yeVe heard o' Mave Roe 5 s chamber, and 
 that she comes to sweep it ; but all ye Ve heard 
 about the tower is just havers (nonsense). I '11 tell ye 
 the true way o' the story; I had it word o' mouth frae 
 granny when she was bordering on a hundred ; and 
 she had it from her great-granny, word for word, 
 when she was near fourscore an' ten ; and she had it 
 from them who knew all the outs an' ins o' it ; and 
 as it's all about love and murder, ye '11 like to hear 
 it. I mustna forget to look at the praties though.' 
 
 " I had great difficulty in following the digressions 
 in the tale, but I was anxious to take advantage of 
 her communicativeness while she was in the vein, as 
 I felt assured that when the potatoes were cooked 
 she would not talk any more to me, and I feared that 
 the tale would not be concluded. Granny's tongue, 
 however, could spin a yarn as fast as her grandam's 
 wheel could possibly have spun the thread for the 
 prized and valuable aprons ; and she came to the end 
 of the legend just as the goodman and all the troop 
 of labourers returned from the fields. Having 
 thanked her heartily for the gratification she had 
 afforded me, I turned my steps towards my home 
 pro tern, at Dunluce. Afterwards I wrote out the 
 tale told to me by Granny Garland. I shall read it 
 to you in the evening. 
 
 " Let us now enter this large apartment opposite, 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 139 
 
 which was evidently used for the banqueting hall ; 
 and while seated among the ruins picture to ourselves 
 a scene which doubtless often occurred here. We 
 will suppose that the chieftain M'Donnell and his 
 haughty wife, formerly Duchess of Buckingham, who 
 resided here in 1639, have invited all the neighbour- 
 ing chieftains, their families and retainers, to a grand 
 banquet. The floor has been strewn with freshly cut 
 rushes. A long table runs down the centre of the 
 hall, on the upper end of which are wine flagons and 
 cups of silver, pewter plates, and dishes containing 
 barons of beef, saddles and legs of mutton, boars' 
 heads, haunches of venison, and pasties, game, fish, 
 poultry, &c. Along the lower end of the board, for 
 the use of the less distinguished guests, are wooden 
 platters and methers,* containing mead and a spirit- 
 uous fermented liquor made out of rye and barley. 
 There is also a plentiful supply of rye bread, and the 
 coarser pieces of beef and mutton. The ladies and 
 chieftains then enter and take their places at the table. 
 
 " The lower end is speedily filled by the other guests 
 and retainers. 
 
 "The viands disappear rapidly, and are washed down 
 with copious draughts of wine, mead, or 'usquebaugh.' 
 The hall now resounds with the clatter of plates and 
 tongues, and as the feast progresses, toasts and songs 
 are introduced, and mirth and revelry prevail. 
 
 * A drinking vessel made out of a solid piece of wood, forming a 
 circle at bottom, and square at top. It was hollowed out to contain 
 from three pints to two quarts. Some methers had two handles, but 
 the greater number had one on each side, four handles being more con- 
 venient for passing it round from one to another. 
 
140 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 "MacBhaird, the chief minstrel belonging to the 
 castle, now enters the hall, 
 
 ' What tho' time's wintry touch hath somewhat marr'd 
 His minstrel craft, and rudely here and there 
 Jangled the tuneful chime ? yet not so jarr'd 
 But that it still the wonted mead shall bear.' 
 
 "The bard then plays the ever welcome air, ' Neaill 
 ghubh a Deirdre/j (the Lamentation of Deirdre for 
 the sons of Usnach.) He thus awakens the attention 
 of the entire audience, and sings — 
 
 * Oh ! to hear my true love singing, 
 Sweet as sounds of trumpets ringing ; 
 Like the sway of ocean swelling, 
 Roll'd his deep voice round our dwelling ;' — 
 
 this being one of the many verses of the Lamenta- 
 tion which had such a hold on the imaginations of 
 the Irish that it was popular for nearly a thousand 
 years. The interest of the story consists mainly in its 
 frequent examples of magnanimity and fortitude, and 
 in the exalted idea which it gives us of ancient 
 honour. 
 
 " The ladies then retire. 
 
 " After a time the chieftain host orders the hall to 
 be cleared for dancing. 
 
 " The servants remove the table, and with the 
 branch of an oak sweep the rushes off the floor." 
 
 " More likely whins," (furze,) interrupted Agnes, " as 
 there is not a tree to be seen anywhere about this." 
 
 " You forget, young lady, that at Ballymagarry 
 (about a mile distant) there was a large wood of oaks. 
 
 " When all was in readiness, we may imagine the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 141 
 
 lovely and noble dames entering this hall escorted by 
 the chieftains. The harpers and pipers take their 
 places, and commence playing the music suitable 
 for dancing the graceful solemn minuet. Cannot 
 you almost fancy you see the stately dames, with 
 their slow, measured steps, and long, solemn curtsies, 
 and their stalwart partners making low bows, and 
 striving to emulate them in slow steps and dignified 
 demeanour ? " 
 
 "Alas ! alas !" cried Lucy, " I can see nothing but 
 bare tumbledown old walls. Oh, how I wish I could 
 conjure up Edward and Hector ! Come along, girls, 
 and leave Mary and John to imagine whatever they 
 like about this deserted dismal old building. Come 
 and we '11 see if even a bird builds a nest here, or a 
 flower blooms." And off she tripped, improvising 
 and singing as she went — 
 
 " And this Dunluce is 
 "Which no other use is, 
 But for people to look at and walk inside. 
 And a tower that 's round, O, 
 And quite renowned, O ; 
 It's Mava Roe's room, 
 And swept by her broom, 
 And I care not what there is beside." 
 
 Bessie and Agnes followed Lucy, and the cousins 
 Mary and John were left alone. "Now," said the 
 latter, " that we are rid of those frivolous girls, " I '11 
 read to you a poem which is applicable to what we 
 have just been talking about ; it is a translation from 
 the German, and is entitled ' The Minstrel/ " Then 
 
142 Waves 07i the Ocean of Life, 
 
 producing a book from his pocket, he read as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 " ' From chain-drawn bridge to castle gate, 
 What sounds approach our dwelling ? 
 Go summon to our hall of state 
 
 The harp with rapture swelling.' 
 The monarch spake — the stripling page 
 Straight usher'd in a man of age. 
 ' All hail ! thou hoary minstrel.' 
 
 " ' And hail to you, ye ladies bright ! 
 
 Ye knights renown' d in story ! 
 A host of stars, a world of light ! 
 
 A galaxy of glory ! 
 No time, I ween, is this to raise 
 Mine eyes to meet the mingled blaze 
 That darts on one poor minstrel.' 
 
 " The old man closed his aching eyes, 
 But soon took heart and chanted ; 
 Each maid looked down in modest wise, 
 
 Each warrior gazed undaunted. 
 Uprose the king and call'd amain, 
 
 What ho ! bring forth a golden chain, 
 To grace the reverend minstrel.' 
 
 Gramercy ! Sire — thy chain of gold, 
 To freeborn bard ill-suited, 
 Reserve for knight or baron bold, 
 
 In feats of arms reputed. 
 Yon chancellor, with cares of state 
 Though weighed, may better bear the weight 
 Than I, a merry minstrel. 
 
 '"The birds that warble on the bough 
 
 No fee or favour covet ; 
 The love of song is meed enow 
 
 To those who truly love it. 
 Yet might I crave a boon, be mine 
 The jovial cup and sparkling wine, 
 Fit largess for the minstrel.' 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 143 
 
 " Deeply he drain'd the rich carouse, 
 
 Till head and heart were glowing. 
 'A blessing on your royal house, 
 
 With bounty overflowing ! 
 All good be thine ; and when 'tis given, 
 Remember me, and be to heaven 
 As grateful as the minstrel.' " 
 
 John and Mary then went over the ruins regularly, 
 picturing to their fertile imaginations the scenes that 
 might have occurred in ages past. " And this is all 
 that remains of the kitchen," they said ; " what a state 
 of terror they must all have been in when, during a 
 terrific tempest, the rock split, and the cook and 
 eight assistants, who were busily engaged in preparing 
 dinner, were precipitated into the yawning gulf be- 
 low ! All perished except a tinker, who, it is said, 
 was seated in this window recess mending a pot. To 
 this day it retains the name of the ' Tinker's Window.' 
 
 " So alarmed were the inmates that they removed 
 to the mainland. This occurred about the middle of 
 the seventeenth century ; and the castle, being unin- 
 habited, has been suffered to go to decay, and become 
 the ruin we now see it." 
 
 "Mr John! Mr John! Ladies! where are you?" 
 resounded through the deserted walls. 
 
 " Here we are," said Lucy ; and there she was, 
 seated on a fragment of a wall, with Agnes beside 
 her. They had collected a quantity of a bright blue 
 I flower, a species of crane's bill, {Geranium pratense]) 
 ; indigenous to the place ; they were adorning their 
 heads with it, " to be dressed," as they said, " to meet 
 the grandees of the castle." 
 
144 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " Oh, ladies, come away!" said Mrs Moore ; "and 
 where is Mr John and the other lady ? the potatoes 
 are boiled, and dinner is ready." 
 
 " Oh ! Mrs Moore, you need not ask them to come," 
 said Lucy. " John and Mary have been imagining so 
 many banquets, they will not require any dinner." 
 
 "Don't calculate so fast, Miss Chatterbox; the 
 fresh air of the Atlantic has given me a good appe- 
 tite, and I daresay Mary feels hungry also." 
 
 After dinner, John complied with the request of 
 the party, and read the legend which he had heard 
 from Granny Garland : it follows in next chapter. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 STERNEST among the stern chieftains of the age 
 was M'Ouillan Dhu, the stalwart, dark-visaged, 
 heavy-browed lord of the fortress castle of Dunluce, 
 and the wide extent of territory belonging to it. He 
 ruled over his dependants and clansmen with an iron 
 will and despotic sway; "Whom he would he kept 
 alive, and whom he would he slew." 
 
 Yonder rising ground, instead of being as now 
 covered with peaceful sheep and lambs, was then bare 
 of grass ; the soil trodden down by the trampling of 
 heavy feet ; and the surface raised in rough hillocks 
 by erecting the gallows ; it was no unusual thing to 
 see several naked bodies dangling and swinging to 
 and fro in the gale on the Gallows Hill. 
 
 Resentful and implacable, M'Ouillan was constantly 
 at variance with the neighbouring chieftains ; Ishmael- 
 like, " his hand was against every man, and every 
 man's hand against him." 
 
 Rather more than a year after his marriage he re- 
 turned to Dunluce early on a spring morning from a 
 foray on the tribe of the O'Cahans, whom he had 
 routed, carrying off with him numerous herds of 
 cattle, and other valuable property. 
 
 K 
 
146 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Rushing hastily over the drawbridge, and without 
 giving notice of his approach, he abruptly entered his 
 wife's apartment. There on a couch lay the lady, 
 pale as a statue, and beside her a babe of a few days 
 old. Raising herself up, and looking lovingly at her 
 husband, and then casting her eyes down tenderly on 
 her infant, she exclaimed, (with all a young mother's 
 pride,) " Is she not lovely ? and a true M'Ouillan too ! 
 look, my lord, at her long black hair. I have named 
 her after your lady mother Mava. Sheelah already 
 calls her the Lady Mava Dhu,* to distinguish her 
 from our niece, who is now known throughout the 
 castle as Mava Roe." f 
 
 The lady, carried away by her feelings, had given 
 vent to her natural emotions without noticing the 
 gloomy looks of her lord, who abruptly interrupted 
 her by saying in a loud stern voice, " Enough, I don't 
 want to hear or see anything more of the girl ; curse 
 her sex ; if it had been a boy ; " and turning away, 
 the heartless father strode out of the chamber. 
 
 Although unused to kindness, and having frequently 
 had experience of McQuillan's savage temper, the 
 poor gentle lady felt crushed by this cruel conduct, 
 and swooned away. Her attendants used every 
 means for her recovery, but the blow had fallen 
 heavily on her ; she was completely stunned, and 
 could not be brought to consciousness ; for hours she 
 seemed to hang between life and death. At length the 
 babe wept, and the old nurse Sheelah, lifting her up, 
 placed her in the lady's arms. Nature prevailed ; the 
 
 * Dhu, Anglice, black. + Roe, Anglice, red. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 147 
 
 presence and voice of her infant recalled her senses, 
 and opening her eyes with a bewildered look, then 
 casting a most melancholy loving glance on the weep- 
 ing babe, she burst into a torrent of tears. 
 
 The heart sorrow that was consuming the poor 
 mother seemed to be communicated to her infant, as 
 she seldom ceased wailing piteously day or night. 
 
 M'Quillan never came to see his wife or child ; if, 
 when passing the apartment, he heard the cries, he 
 would mutter imprecations, wish the brat was dead, 
 and go out of hearing. 
 
 Summer, with its bright long days and sunny hours, 
 passed unheeded and unenjoyed by either mother or 
 child ; when the days began to shorten, the lady was 
 one morning gazing listlessly out of her chamber win- 
 dow, rousing herself, as if from a lethargy, she said, 
 (pointing to where the swallows were assembling on 
 the towers previous to their departure,) " Look, Shee- 
 lah, our darling Mava came with the swallows and 
 she '11 go with them." " Whisht, my darling lady, the 
 saints forbid ; plase God, the Lady Mava Dhu will be 
 spared to us, and we '11 all see happy days yet." 
 
 " Never, oh never, Sheelah ! Pray that I '11 not be 
 long after her." 
 
 A few days afterwards the child died. M'Quillan 
 at this time was absent on one of his warlike expedi- 
 tions. A messenger was sent to tell him of what had 
 taken place. He had been unsuccessful, and was in 
 one of his savage moods. 
 
 " Tell my lady," he said fiercely, " I have matters 
 of more consequence to attend to than to return to 
 
148 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 bury the girl ; it can be managed without me." The 
 poor mother was saved the anguish of receiving the 
 cruel message, her gentle spirit had breathed its last 
 before the bearer had returned to the castle ; she was 
 not long parted from her beloved babe, and one 
 coffin contained the bodies of both. " Lovely in life, 
 in their death they were not divided." 
 
 The chieftain was again sent to, and informed that 
 he was not only childless, but wifeless. He received 
 the intelligence in silence, and returned accompanied 
 by all his attendants. His kinsmen assembled at the 
 castle, where a funeral feast and wake was held ; the 
 family vault was opened in the burying-ground, and 
 the coffin deposited in it. 
 
 M'Quillan never mentioned the names of either 
 wife or child afterwards, but became even more 
 gloomy and reserved than he had heretofore been. 
 His dependants dreaded to be in his presence, and 
 even the wolf-dog, which was his constant companion, 
 cowered at his look. 
 
 Mava Roe, his kinsman's orphan daughter, (now six 
 years old,) alone feared him not ; instinctively she 
 felt pity for her unhappy friend, and though often 
 repulsed, returned again to him, and by her child- 
 ish artless ways, and infantine prattle, soothed and 
 amused him ; so that by degrees the hardened nature 
 of the chief seemed to soften when in her presence. 
 
 Joyous as the larks which soared above her head, 
 she might often be seen at early dawn tripping about 
 Gort-na-Ban, with basket on arm, collecting mush- 
 rooms ; again her light sylph-like form was reflected 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 149 
 
 in the rock pools below the castle, where she was 
 wont to collect the many beautiful weeds which vege- 
 tate there, or are thrown in from deeper waters. 
 
 Accompanied by her beloved spaniel, she would 
 dart off to the sandy beach, and there following the 
 receding wave, run away from the incoming billow ; 
 the bark of the spaniel, and the merry ringing laugh- 
 ter of the child blending together, proving how much 
 enjoyment both had. 
 
 As she grew older she was fond of riding ; and 
 sometimes when M'Quillan's black steed was being 
 caparisoned for the chase, she would beg that her 
 Rathlin pony, Shoanan, might be got ready, that 
 she might accompany him. 
 
 The maiden's presence among the rough, uncouth, 
 stern men was as when the glorious sunshine breaks 
 forth from under the dark clouds over the madly 
 dashing billows, lighting up the ocean, and making 
 the scene less awful ; like Una and the lion she sub- 
 dued, by her innocence and fearlessness, these semi- 
 barbarous men. 
 
 M'Ouillan did not now so often give way to his 
 fierce passions ; but occasionally his savage temper 
 manifested itself, showing that the volcano only 
 smouldered, and might break out afresh any mo- 
 ment ; as his foster-brother said, "When the chief is 
 in his dark moods, it is like trying to walk on the 
 edge of a sword to attempt to please him." 
 
 Years rolled on, and Mava, strengthened by the 
 bracing breezes, and tenderly cared for and tended 
 by Sheelah, was now verging on womanhood ; a love- 
 
150 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 able, artless, beautiful maiden. Acts of benevolence, 
 love, and kindness seemed to constitute the essence 
 of her nature. To take gifts of fruit and dainties to 
 the children, the aged, and the sick, was a source of 
 real pleasure to her, and her visits were hailed with 
 rapture by all around. Kindliness and love beamed 
 in her eyes, and her lovely radiant smile cheered the 
 most melancholy, and roused the care-worn and de- 
 spondent. " Here comes our darling Lady Mava 
 Roe/' the children would shout with glee ; and 
 " cead mille fai Ithe" was on every lip, or echoed in 
 every heart. The young men and maidens called 
 her Coluv na harriche, (Dove of the rocks,) and gazed 
 at her as if she were an angelic being. The old 
 people called her Geal mo veha, (Light of my life,) 
 and declared that the Lady Mava's presence was a 
 cordial ; that it revived them like basking in the sum- 
 mer's sunshine on the top of Long Gilbert cave, and 
 that her voice soothed them as did the ripple of the 
 waves among the pebbles on the beach below. 
 
 Imaginary or real insults soon led to quarrels be- 
 tween M'Quillan and his neighbours. The chieftains 
 united and assembled together, determined to crush 
 the power of the proud Lord of Dunluce. and humble 
 his ambitious views. 
 
 An engagement took place, and after great blood- 
 shed on each side, M'Quillan Dhu and his followers 
 came off victorious, carrying with them, besides large 
 herds of cattle, several youths, sons and kinsmen of 
 the principal chieftains, who were to be retained as 
 hostages till a certain sum of silver and gold, and a 
 
A Dalriadian Tale, 151 
 
 number of garments, were paid for their ransom. 
 They were treated as became their rank ; but from 
 the time they were taken over the drawbridge they 
 were not permitted to leave the castle, where they 
 remained for several weeks. During this time they 
 were thrown into daily contact with Mava. 
 
 One of the youths, Reginald O'Cahan, attracted 
 her attention, he was so different from any one else 
 she had ever seen ; for although manly in his bearing 
 and frank in his manner, he was gentle and unselfish. 
 He had been a page in France at the court of Francis 
 I., and had acquired accomplishments unknown to his 
 present companions. Being gifted with a sweet voice, 
 he beguiled the hours of his captivity by singing the 
 songs of " La Belle France," accompanying them on 
 his lute ; even M'Ouillan's gloom was occasionally 
 dispelled by hearing the lively strains or touching 
 melodies which in the freshness of his young heart he 
 poured forth. 
 
 Weeks passed away ; the stipulated ransom was 
 paid, the hostages were delivered up, and they left 
 the castle. 
 
 Poor Mava now felt as if a pall had been cast over 
 every object around ; she no longer rambled about 
 the cliffs or rode through the country, but wandered 
 listlessly through the castle, or sat silently looking 
 out on the ocean. 
 
 The change in the Lady Mava was visible to all ; 
 but Sheelah, her faithful nurse, alone guessed the 
 cause of her darling's altered looks and abstracted 
 manner. 
 
1 5 2 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Hoping to change her thoughts and stimulate her to 
 exertion, she detailed how much misery her absence 
 from visiting her poor sick and infirm dependants 
 would occasion. By this appeal to her benevolence 
 and sympathy Mava was roused from her apathy, and 
 went in and out among her people as formerly. 
 
 One sultry morning Mava rode off, accompanied 
 by Sheelah's son, Paudeen, carrying a plentiful supply 
 of articles suited to the wants of her dependants. 
 Many were the fervent blessings invoked on the 
 lovely, gracious, and graceful maiden, whose glowing 
 face and eyes, lighted up with smiles, or moistened 
 with tears, showed the lively interest which she still 
 took in the joys or sorrows of her humble friends. 
 
 " Paudeen," said she, (when all their stores were 
 exhausted,) " return to the castle and tell nurse that 
 I have gone for a ride on the strand ; I ; 11 be back 
 for dinner." So saying she started off at a smart 
 trot in that direction. As she was passing the Wish- 
 ing Arch a figure stepped out. Could she believe it ? 
 Yes ; surely it was Reginald who approached to- 
 wards her. 
 
 The tell-tale blushes which suffused her counte- 
 nance, and her hesitating manner, betrayed the interest 
 she felt, and her gratification at again seeing him ; 
 nor could Reginald conceal his joy at meeting her. 
 Just then a flash of lightning, succeeded by a loud 
 peal of thunder, passed over their heads, and rever- 
 berated like a discharge of artillery among the cliffs 
 and caverns of the white rocks. 
 
 Reginald led the pony under the arch, and in a 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 153 
 
 short time he had, in ardent words, poured forth his 
 tale of love ; and Mava had laid her head on his 
 shoulder ; had wept, smiled, and allowed herself to 
 be clasped in her lover's arms, forgetful alike of the 
 angry warfare of the elements and the irreconcilable 
 enmity which existed between the M'Quillans and 
 O'Cahans. 
 
 It was then arranged between the lovers that the 
 Wishing Arch should be the place of meeting as often 
 as Reginald could get away without exciting the sus- 
 picion of his kinsmen. 
 
 Mava did not arrive at the castle till late in the 
 afternoon, but the storm accounted for her delay. 
 Sheelah was delighted to see from that day, by Mava's 
 heightened colour and improved spirits, that she was 
 becoming more like her former self ; nor had she again 
 to be urged to ride about. Shoanan was often 
 ordered out for a trot along the strand, and there 
 frequently the happy, loving, youthful pair spent 
 many a blissful hour ; nor was their meeting known 
 or even suspected by any of the members of either 
 clan. 
 
 The Lord of Dunluce had been absent for some 
 weeks on a hunting expedition in the territory of his 
 kinsman Rory Oge M'Quillan. He returned home, 
 accompanied by his host and a large assemblage of 
 friends and adherents, to keep high holiday at the 
 castle. 
 
 Mava always disliked to have to associate with 
 these savage men, but now she felt a stronger repug- 
 nance towards them, and her heart recoiled from hav- 
 
154 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 ing to encounter the gaze of Rory Oge, whose looks 
 on a former visit caused her to shudder ; now she 
 loathed his very name. 
 
 Throughout the greater part of the night the loud 
 laugh, the coarse voice, and all the sounds of revelry 
 and carouse might be heard through the castle, drown- 
 ing the noise of the loud breakers which dashed 
 against its adamantine foundations, and making even 
 the noisy blustering wind without seem gentle com- 
 pared to the tumultuous din within the walls. 
 
 After a few hours' sleep the revellers arose at day- 
 break, and prepared to go fox-hunting in the vicinity 
 of Dunmull. 
 
 As Mava had accompanied them on former occa- 
 sions, it was fully expected she would do so now ; but 
 she gave orders that her steed should not be capari- 
 soned or brought out. 
 
 When M'Ouillan heard this, and came to ask why 
 she was not coming, she gave an evasive answer, beg- 
 ging to be excused, on which the old dark frown re- 
 turned to the chieftain's brow ; and with a fierce 
 glance he left her, and flinging himself on his power- 
 ful steed, accompanied by his numerous party, rode off. 
 
 Another ni«;ht of orgies succeeded the fox-hunt. 
 
 Next morning Mava was summoned into her kins- 
 man's presence, and there presented to Rory Oge as 
 her destined husband. 
 
 Transfixed with horror for some minutes, she stood 
 silent and motionless as if spell-bound ; then glancing 
 wildly at the chiefs, she fell on her knees, and clasp- 
 ing her hands above her head, with a gasp wailed 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 155 
 
 forth most piteously, " I cannot ; I will not ; I implore 
 you not to ask me ; " then, overcome by the effort, 
 she dropped fainting at their feet. 
 
 Rory Oge left that day, and the Lord of Dunluce 
 paced the ramparts like a caged lion, muttering curses 
 both loud and deep on the maiden for attempting 
 to gainsay his will. The idea of her loving another 
 never entered his mind. Rory Oge had not thought 
 so, and placed spies about, who soon reported having 
 seen Reginald disguised wandering about the castle. 
 He had been disappointed at not meeting Mava at 
 the usual trysting-place, and fearing something had 
 occurred, (he knew not what,) he ventured about the 
 precincts of the castle, and through the garrulity of 
 the dependants learned what had occurred. 
 
 A messenger from Rory soon informed M'Ouillan of 
 the true state of the case. "So, so !" he hissed between 
 his teeth, and striking his clenched fist against the 
 palm of his left hand, " I now find what causes the 
 minx to refuse to marry her kinsman ; but by the 
 bones of holy St Patrick she'll have to be his wife ; 
 never, never shall she wed another, and that other an 
 O'Cahan. Olc do curp agus anam, (bad luck to them 
 body and soul.) " 
 
 Next morning Mava was told that there was no 
 alternative ; she must within a year become Rory 
 Oge's bride. 
 
 u I '11 suffer death first," she passionately exclaimed. 
 
 "We'll see," said the grim chieftain, "when you 
 spend a week in the lock-up tower in solitary confine- 
 ment, whether you will gainsay my wishes." 
 
156 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 ** Welcome imprisonment, or even death," wailed 
 forth the poor maiden ; " anything is preferable to 
 being married to a man I hate and despise." 
 
 M'Ouillan's savage nature broke forth in all its 
 fury, and catching the trembling girl by her arm, he 
 dragged her along to the tower, pushed her in, closed 
 the door, calling down curses on her and her lover, 
 whose name in his wrath he had allowed to escape 
 his lips. Turning the key in the massive lock, he 
 flung it to the warder, and strode over the draw- 
 bridge, hoping to meet Reginald, on whom he would 
 have wreaked his vengeance. 
 
 The inmates of the castle were awe-stricken at the 
 cruelty practised on their darling lady, but M'Quillan 
 was known to be relentless ; even Sheelah dared not 
 interfere. All she could accomplish was permission to 
 remove a couch and some other necessary articles of 
 furniture and apparel to the tower. When this was 
 done, she was told that Mava must occupy the tower 
 alone, as no one would be permitted to speak to her 
 but the chieftain himself. 
 
 W T earily passed the days, and more wearily the 
 nights. No one came near her but the warder and an 
 attendant, who at stated times brought her food, but 
 did not utter a word ; willingly would they have 
 assured her of the sorrow which they and all about 
 the castle felt for her, but they feared the wrath of 
 their stern lord, and only by looks could express the 
 sympathy they felt for her unhappy condition. 
 
 A week passed over, M'Quillan appeared before 
 her, and demanded what answer would be sent to 
 
A Dalriadian Tale, 157 
 
 Rory Oge. " Death, my lord, before I consent to be 
 his wife." 
 
 " Rash girl, you have decided for yourself; but 
 leave this tower you never shall till you accept of the 
 hand of your noble kinsman." 
 
 " Yes, my chief, I have decided ; prison, death, any- 
 thing but wed Rory Oge." 
 
 " Be it so ; I '11 humble your pride, you wantwit ; 
 you '11 not have any one to wait on you ; you '11 have 
 to perform the most menial offices for yourself ; " and 
 seizing a broom which was at the entrance door, he 
 flung it at the terrified girl, exclaiming, " There, 
 sweep your chamber if you prefer it to becoming an 
 honoured lady." 
 
 The night which succeeded this interview was 
 passed by poor Mava in an agony of spirit ; she 
 dreaded that M'Ouillan would take summary ven- 
 geance on her lover. 
 
 Bitter were the tears she shed ; filled with such 
 sorrowful thoughts she could not sleep during the 
 silent watches of the night. 
 
 Just as the morning star appeared, she thought she 
 heard a noise in the chamber below, as if some one 
 was sweeping it, and rousing herself up to listen, dis- 
 tinctly heard the floor being swept, and the motion 
 of the broom, accompanied by the following w r ords, 
 chanted in a low voice : — 
 
 " Sweet lady sleep, 
 No longer weep, 
 For Reginald's good fairy 
 "Will ply the broom, 
 And clean the room, 
 
158 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 So that dust or soil, 
 Of menial toil, 
 Shall never stain the hand 
 Of the fairest in the land, 
 The lovely Lady Mava." 
 
 Soothed by these words, and lulled by the mono- 
 tonous chant, she dropt over asleep, and all her sor- 
 rows were forgotten ; in her dreams she stood with 
 Reginald under the Wishing Arch, and enjoyed all 
 the happiness and rapture which two young loving 
 hearts experience when in each other's society. When 
 she awoke it was bright daylight ; she was refreshed 
 both in body and mind. How sweet it was to think 
 that she was watched over and cared for by Reginald ; 
 this consoling thought quite revived her almost ex- 
 hausted hopeless spirit, so that the day did not pass 
 over so wearily. 
 
 When night came on and she retired to her couch, 
 she slept soundly until just before daybreak, when 
 she heard the broom at work, and the chant repeated 
 as before. 
 
 On the third day M'Quillan again visited her, and 
 seeing the chamber clean, and Mava looking more re- 
 signed, thought he had succeeded in bringing her 
 round to accede to his wishes ; he did not address 
 her, but merely glanced around, shook his head, 
 muttered, " It is well," and left the tower. 
 
 During the day she commenced to sew at a white 
 garment, which occupation helped to pass the time 
 away. 
 
 After the lapse of a few days the maiden was 
 again visited by her guardian, who, observing her 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 159 
 
 engaged sewing, said, " I am glad, Mava, to see you 
 making your bridal robe." 
 
 " You mistake, my lord/' she replied ; il say rather 
 my shroud." 
 
 With a mocking laugh, he echoed, " Shroud," and 
 hastily left her. 
 
 It was most galling to the proud chief to be thus 
 thwarted by a girl ; but he still hoped to make her 
 subservient to his will. 
 
 Allowing a week to pass over, he again came to 
 her, and in peremptory tones addressed her : " Mava, 
 I say this is my final visit to you, to demand your 
 compliance with my wishes to wed your noble kins- 
 man." 
 
 To this she made no reply, but bent her head low 
 over her work. Her silence exasperated M'Ouillan, 
 who tauntingly observed, " Perhaps your bridal dress 
 is not yet completed." 
 
 " Oh yes, my shroud is now quite ready." 
 
 The melancholy tones in which these words were 
 uttered sunk like an arrow into his heart, causing 
 him to feel that they were prophetic. Seeing that 
 his efforts to make her change her determination 
 were of no avail, he did not again visit her ; but her 
 last words were constantly present to his mind, and 
 he became a prey to remorse. He thought of his 
 dead wife, of his babe whom he had scarcely looked 
 at. Then the recollection of Mava's artless, winning 
 ways, her sprightly manner, and her lovely form, the 
 picture of health and happiness ; and what was she 
 now ? — pale, dejected, and hopeless. 
 
160 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Then the recollection of Reginald's frank, youthful 
 countenance, his manly bearing-, and the soothing in- 
 fluence his music had in calming down his own angry 
 passions ; truly the youth and maiden seemed fitted 
 for each other, and were equals by birth, but how 
 could he give his consent for her to be united to the 
 kinsman of his deadliest foe ? How submit to con- 
 fess he had been conquered by her ? Besides, by 
 yielding to her wishes he would bring on himself the 
 vengeance of Rory for breaking faith with him. 
 
 After a struggle, the stern man relented, and he 
 formed a [plan to allow her (seemingly without his 
 knowledge) to escape with her lover. 
 
 A message was sent to Reginald, as if from Mava, 
 begging of him to come to the castle next evening ; 
 that M'Quillan would be absent, and she was pre- 
 pared to elope with him. This was unexpected and 
 joyful news to Reginald, who promised to take a 
 boat there to carry her off. 
 
 Mava knew nothing of this in her solitary prison ; 
 she had heard the tramp and clangour of armed men 
 that morning, and looking out had seen M'Quillan 
 depart, as if for a lengthened absence. 
 
 A sudden terror seized her ; perhaps he was going 
 to capture Reginald, kill him, or bring her beloved 
 and hang him on the Gallows Hill just opposite. 
 Or, even worse, was he going to bring the hated 
 Rory, and by violence force her to be married to 
 him ? " But sooner than be united to him, I '11 throw 
 myself headlong from the top of the tower into the 
 ocean beneath."' These harrowing thoughts took 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 161 
 
 complete possession of her mind ; she felt an instinc- 
 tive knowledge of some dreadful coming event ; and 
 as life had now no hope for her, she only looked for- 
 ward to death as a conclusion to her sorrows. 
 
 Occupied with these sad thoughts, she arrayed 
 herself in the white robe, and stood gazing out on 
 the mighty deep, at that time agitated by a coming 
 storm. A boat then appeared in view, breasting the 
 stormy billows. As it neared the land, she thought, 
 " How like is that figure at the helm to my Regi- 
 nald ! Can it be possible ? or do my eyes deceive 
 me ? Surely it is Reginald ! " 
 
 As the boat approached nearer to the castle, she was 
 then certain it could be no other ; her heart throbbed 
 violently, and the certainty that her lover was near 
 her infused fresh vigour into her frame, and hope re- 
 turned into her bosom. 
 
 Presently the key turned in the lock ; the door 
 opened, and a muffled figure bade her follow him. 
 
 " Where, and to whom am I to go ? " 
 
 " The Lord Reginald waits in the cave beneath the 
 castle ; it was he who sent me." 
 
 She needed no further words, but sped on towards 
 the cave, and down the rough-hewn steps, her white 
 dress fluttering in the breeze. 
 
 With what transports did the lovers meet ! Every 
 sorrow and fear were swallowed up in the bliss of 
 being again united. 
 
 " Dearest, there is danger in delay. We must start 
 at once;" and lifting her tenderly, Reginald carried 
 
 her into the boat, saying the Lady Mava deserved a 
 
 L 
 
1 62 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 nobler escort, and stooping over her, imprinted a long 
 kiss on her marble brow, and whispered, " Muirnin 
 Maebhi mo mhile stoirin, * we '11 fly to France, and 
 love and happiness are in store for us." So spake 
 youth, love, and hope ; but, alas ! fate had willed it 
 otherwise. 
 
 Anxious to know if his plans had succeeded, 
 M'Ouillan had returned unattended and disguised, 
 so as to escape notice. He was informed by the 
 warder that, obeying his instructions, he had un- 
 locked the door of the tower, and escorted the Lady 
 Mava to the subterranean cavern, where the Lord 
 Reginald had brought a boat, in which she went off 
 with him more than half an hour ago. 
 
 McQuillan cast an anxious, troubled glance to- 
 wards the sky, and then down at the foaming 
 billows. 
 
 " Phelim," asked he, " what think ye of the 
 weather ? " 
 
 " Angry, my lord." 
 
 " Angry, ay angry," muttered the chief; "another 
 prophecy." 
 
 Standing on the top of the highest tower, McQuil- 
 lan's eyes were riveted on the frail bark which, im- 
 pelled by four strong rowers, strove to make way 
 against the wind and tide. The dark figure at the 
 helm he well knew was Reginald, and at his feet lay 
 a white object ; this was undoubtedly Mava. 
 
 " The shroud," he exclaimed ; and ever and anon as 
 the boat sunk in the trough of the waves he held in 
 
 * Anglice, " Darling Mava, my thousand treasures." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 163 
 
 his breath, and when it surmounted the crest of the 
 billow he heaved a sigh of relief; but night was 
 quickly coming on, and if the boat could not make 
 way past the White Rocks before darkness set in, her 
 doom was sealed. 
 
 The gale increased, the waves rose mountains high, 
 and dashed in fury against the cliffs, and surged back 
 with an angry roar as if in wrath at not being able to 
 surmount or overturn these adamantine walls which 
 form a barrier, and seem to say to the billows, " Thus 
 far shalt thou come, and here shall thy proud waves 
 be stayed." 
 
 But fiercer and more tumultuous than the elements 
 were the emotions which raged within the bosom of 
 the Lord of Dunluce. 
 
 How impotent he felt. What availed his power 
 now ? The only beings he ever felt love or com- 
 passion for were now in that boat. 
 
 Kneeling at her lovers feet was the gentle, lovely 
 girl ; as a sacrifice to his pride he had sent her forth 
 to meet a watery grave or be dashed to pieces against 
 the rocks. 
 
 Beating his breast, he exclaimed wildly, " The 
 shroud, the shroud ! angry, ay angry ; but I '11 save 
 her ;" and so saying dashed over the drawbridge and 
 down the steep path to the bay, where the boats were 
 drawn up on the beach ; the force of strong arms soon 
 shoved them into the water ; but when the men at- 
 tempted to make way against the foaming ocean, all 
 their efforts were of no avail ; the oars were dashed 
 out of their hands, and the boats thrown like drift- 
 
164 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 weed against the rocks ; others were swamped ; and 
 awful beyond description was the scene. 
 
 The shouts of the drowning mingled with the roar 
 of the waves and winds, and above the noise of all 
 rose the loud voice of Dunluce's unhappy lord, com- 
 manding, threatening, promising, cursing, and oc- 
 casionally muttering, " Angry, angry, ay angry. 
 The shroud is quite ready now," — her last 
 words. 
 
 Foiled in their efforts to launch the boats, they re- 
 sorted to the cliffs overlooking the white caves, but 
 there a heart-rending sight met their view ; the oars 
 had been dashed out of the strong hands of the 
 rowers ; the boat was now unmanageable ; the tide 
 was setting in towards the land ; she drifted towards 
 it, and must inevitably be dashed to pieces against 
 the iron-bound coast. 
 
 White was the blinding spray which surged over 
 and against the rocks, and white the foaming waves 
 which threatened every moment to engulph the frail 
 bark in their depths ; but whiter than all to M'Quil- 
 lan's gaze seemed the object which leaned against the 
 dark figure at the stern. 
 
 Cresting a gigantic wave, the boat remained there 
 for a few moments, (to the chief it seemed hours ;) 
 plainly he saw the maiden stretch up her hands to- 
 wards heaven in the attitude he had before seen her 
 when she implored him not to ask her to wed the 
 man she detested. All this now came clearly before 
 his recollection. "My injured, my loved Mava, oh 
 forgive me/' he shouted in agonising tones; and to 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 165 
 
 his ear the tempest seemed to reply, " The shroud is 
 quite ready now." 
 
 The next moment all was out of sight ; the waves 
 had swamped the boat, it was sunk in the depths of 
 the ocean ; presently in the vortex of the seething 
 waves appeared a dark speck, a vivid glance of sheet- 
 lightning now shot over the waters, revealing with 
 unmistakable minuteness the exact contour of Regi- 
 nald's countenance ; with one arm he buffeted the 
 waves, and on the other hung Mava, her long bright 
 tresses floating like golden seaweed on the upheaving 
 billows ; as if indued with supernatural strength he 
 swam towards the land, and when thrown back, re- 
 doubled his efforts until he had nearly gained the 
 shore ; but a fearful wave dashed him against a rock 
 and fractured his skull. Mava's fragile figure was 
 then carried off by the rebound of the wave till, met 
 by another, it was drifted further and further away. 
 " Save her ! oh, save her ! " was the agonising cry 
 of the chieftain ; " half of my possessions I '11 give 
 to the man who will restore my injured Mava to my 
 arms." 
 
 But powerless as his threats and commands had 
 been, so were the offers of his wealth. 
 
 Resolute men were there, who from hardihood or 
 love of gain, and some from compassion and for the 
 sake of the lady so dearly loved, had clambered down 
 the rocks, or been let down with ropes to the beach 
 below ; but the tide was then at its height, the water 
 filled the caves, and dashed the pebbles against their 
 roofs and sides ; it was then dark and blowing a 
 
1 66 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 hurricane, so that torches were extinguished, and 
 human aid was of no avail. 
 
 M'Quillan remained on the strand all night, battling 
 with the tempest, and often repeating, " Angry, ay 
 angry. The shroud is now ready." 
 
 Next morning at dawn Reginald's body was found, 
 but Lady Mava's never. The sea has not yet given 
 up its dead ! 
 
 To this day it is firmly believed by some of the 
 members of the family that Mava Roe, clad in her 
 shroud, appears previous to the death of a true de- 
 scendant of the M'Quillans, uttering her last words 
 which were borne across the stormy billows, " The 
 shroud is ready now." 
 
 Reginald's good fairy still plies her broom, but the 
 chant has never again been heard ; it is for ever 
 silent ! 
 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DURING the next week Edward rode over on 
 Rodger to Dunluce, and on his arrival was 
 heartily greeted by Lucy, who was in ecstasies at 
 seeing both. Edward's glee was equal to Lucy's on 
 rejoining them. 
 
 Oh what happiness the young people now enjoy ! 
 but a cloud appears in the horizon, which will burst 
 over this joyous party; however let us 
 
 " Check not in its gladness 
 The young heart's wild glow, 
 For the hour of sadness 
 Soon, alas! 'twill know." 
 
 but rather 
 
 " Cherish youth's gay laughter 
 Ere it learn to mourn ; 
 For such tones hereafter 
 Never can return." 
 
 So we shall not anticipate sorrow, but rather dwell 
 on those happy days when all was bright, and tinged 
 with hope and " Love's young dream." The happi- 
 ness of the little circle was further increased and 
 prolonged on being joined by Mr Rutherford and 
 Margaret. 
 
 The Giant's Causeway had not yet been visited 
 
 
1 68 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 and it was arranged they should all go, accompanied 
 by cousin Mary, who, from having heard so much 
 of this great natural curiosity, was most anxious to 
 see it, and to hear it described by her uncle and 
 cousin John. 
 
 When the party came to the head-land over- 
 looking the Causeway, the young people exclaimed 
 in disappointed tones, "And is that what we came 
 so far to see." 
 
 " I expected," said Mr Rutherford, " what would be 
 your feelings, as from this there is nothing strikingly 
 grand ; but let us proceed along the path, made at 
 the expense of the Earl of Bristol in the early part 
 of this century. The walk forms a terrace under- 
 neath the cliffs, and leads to where the basaltic 
 formation is uncovered ; those conical hills are called 
 'the Steuchans' or ' Stookins/ from being shaped 
 like stooks of grain." 
 
 "And," said John, "there is the rock which from 
 its resemblance to an old woman wrapped in a 
 cloak, and the hood over her head, is called the 
 Giant's Grandmother." 
 
 " Is she the banshee of this place ? " asked the 
 youngsters. 
 
 " Oh no," was the reply ; " you must remember 
 that this is the region of the GIANTS. There," 
 pointing across the bay, " is the grand cause- 
 way, which stretches upwards of seven hundred feet 
 into the sea ; the guides aver that it is the pathway 
 Finn MacCoul constructed for the Scotch giant to 
 come across to fight him." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 169 
 
 Here they were joined by M'Mullan the guide* 
 who took up the description saying, "Yer honour 
 forgot to tell the leddies that after Finn had gi'en 
 the Scotch giant a good 'lickin"')- an' sent him 
 back to his own country with a skinful o' broken 
 bones, he then sunk the middle part o' the causey, 
 an' jist left the bit at Fingal's Cave in Scotland 
 standin' to be a mimorandum to the Scotch giant 
 of what Finn cud do if he was timpt' by him again. 
 They say he was a mighty man entirely, bein' the 
 hoyte o' half a score o' the cliverest men now-a- 
 days — fifteen cupids high, a colledge gintleman said 
 he was ; so yer riverence will aptly know how mony 
 feet that is." 
 
 "Farther round we shall see the Giant's Loom, 
 Wash-basin, Organ, Chair, &c, but here we are at 
 the 'Giant's Well;' we must taste the water which 
 bubbles up between the rocks; it is delightfully pure, 
 and has been pronounced by scientific men to be. 
 'the lightest water known.' " 
 
 " Let us go and have a chat with old Lillie, who has 
 
 * The manners, speech, and character of the guides are completely 
 changed within the last fifty years. 
 
 Formerly they told legends, improvised doggrel rhymes, and re- - 
 lated all kinds of impossible and improbable stories. A judicious 
 writer of the present time, Mrs S. C. Hall, observes the difference 
 between them and the Kerry and Wicldow guides. "The Northern 
 guides," she remarks, "are people of knowledge- -geologists — learned 
 in the names of stones — conversant with stratas and basalts ; stiff and 
 steady ; observant and particular ; they are remarkable for the exact- 
 ness and minutiae of their details ; they talk with a profound air of 
 hexagons and octagons, and have the mystified look of philosophers." 
 
 t Anglice, beating or castigation. 
 
170 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 charge of the well ; she sells the water, but gives 
 'a drop of the crathur' out of the bottle beside her 
 for nothing/' 
 
 The young people had to partake of the water, as 
 there were certain virtues consequent on doing so, 
 and penalties attached if neglected ; of course these 
 rules were of a ludicrous character, and provoked 
 general mirth. 
 
 " Lillie," said John, "when I was here before, 
 you told me a story about Adam Morning; will yt>u 
 tell it now to the ladies ? " 
 
 " Och, your honour and ladies, sure I '11 do that. 
 Adam tuk the farm above of 'The Aird,' but he had 
 no luck with it ava'. The first year the wind blasted 
 all his crop ; the second year it was the same ; and 
 the third was little better. He had a son who was a 
 clean cliver boy ; he wasn't long married till he was 
 seized by a press-gang, an' taken aff on boord a 
 man-o'-war. His father and mother had hard times 
 o' it, an' young Davy's wife was brought to bed of 
 a son ; and not long after Adam and his wife were 
 climbing up the path from the bay below, with loads 
 of rack on their backs to burn for kelp, the rope 
 giv way, and Adam fell down nearly three hundred 
 feet into the say, and was both kilt and drownded. 
 Shortly after, Davy's vessel was paid aff, an' he 
 brought home lashins o' gran' things frae foreign 
 parts. Folk here said money wud hae been o' more 
 sarvice nor watches an shoe-buckles an' sich like ; 
 but he aye said guineas wud hae been stolen frae 
 him, an' that he'd barter them for what he wanted. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 1 7 r 
 
 Ye may be sure he was raal sorry at his father's 
 death, but he set himser to labour the Ian', hopin' 
 to make a better o' it. When Armoy fair cam 
 roun' he went there an' bought a horse for a watch 
 an' other di-dies, but poor Davy was fairly taen in, 
 the horse was sae auld an' stiff, that it was no use 
 ava in the dour, clay land o' 'The Aird.' Next fair 
 he tuk the horse an' swapped it for another, gieing 
 the rest o' his prizes for boot. But when he brought 
 it hame, it was as muckle too young as the ither was 
 too auld, but Davy laughed an' said every day wud 
 mend that fault." 
 
 " What a doleful tale," exclaimed the girls. " Oh," 
 said Lucy, " I 'd rather hear one ending well like 
 the old stories, and they all lived happily together, 
 and may we all be far happier." 
 
 " Well, Miss, and so they did; Davy and his wife 
 get on geyly thegither; he still keeps up his heart 
 and goes about singing, 
 
 ' We hae aye been provided for 
 An' sae wull we yet; ' 
 
 his craps are no to say bad, an' young Adam is one 
 o' the boys ye'll meet on the Causey yonder sellin' 
 'space-a-mens.' "* 
 
 For a dozen years or more, and till within a few days of his death, 
 this Adam was the guardian of the well, and will be remembered by 
 those who have visited the Causeway lately as having for his stock-in- 
 trade the story of his grandfather's death, as well as a bottle of the 
 genuine Bushmills whisky. He only died, aged eighty-five, in the 
 autumn of 1864; his photographic portrait, in stereographs and cartes 
 of the Giant's Well, has been taken by tourists to all parts of the 
 world : at this time he was called " Old Adam." 
 
172 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " Uncle," said Mary, " do explain to us how it 
 comes that these rocks are so regular in form, look- 
 ing as if they were chiselled by the art of man, and 
 yet of such extent as to be beyond his power to 
 make." 
 
 " Yes, girl," replied Mr Rutherford, il your remarks 
 are correct ; the army of Xerxes, with Archimedes to 
 guide them, could not have constructed it ; in the 
 Grand Causeway alone it has been calculated there 
 are forty thousand columns of prismatic shapes, 
 principally hexagonal or pentagonal, the latter being 
 the most frequent ; there are others with four, three, 
 seven, and eight sides, but only one with nine. The 
 columns, you will perceive, fit in so closely to each 
 other, that there would not even be room for 'the 
 sharp blade of Luno's sword' to penetrate between 
 them. You may remember, John, in Ossian's Poems 
 that Luno was smith or armourer to Fingal, who 
 'tis thought was identical with the traditional archi- 
 tect of this place under the name of Finn MacCoul, 
 or MacCumhal. 
 
 " Dr Drummond," said John, "in his poem on the 
 ' Giant's Causeway,' (just published before I left Dub- 
 lin,) expresses the same ideas — 
 
 ' A far-projecting, firm basaltic way 
 Of clustering columns, wedged in dense array, 
 With skill so like, yet so surpassing art, 
 With such design, so just in every part, 
 That reason pauses, doubtful if it stand 
 The work of mortal or immortal hand.' 
 
 I have the book in my pocket; and if you all promise 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 173 
 
 (Lucy and Edward included) to be an attentive audi- 
 ence, I will read you some extracts before we return 
 to Dunluce." 
 
 Mr Rutherford then explained that the word 
 "basalt" is, by some writers, derived from a Hebrew 
 word signifying iron, or baked, or burned. Pliny de- 
 scribes it as a rock of iron colour and hardness. 
 
 "The celebrated statue of Memnon, said to emit 
 musical sounds when struck by the first rays of the 
 rising sun, was formed of this rock. 
 
 "You may also observe, girls, that these columns 
 are in joints, the concave and convex fitting into 
 each other; the columns vary in shape in a greater 
 or less degree, so that a joint, if taken off one, would 
 not fit on any other. You also see the concave is 
 indented with a groove near the circumference, and 
 furnished with a projection from one of its sides or 
 angles, by which it is so closely locked to the ball of 
 its corresponding stone that a separation is not 
 effected without a fracture of that projection/' 
 
 All the party now became interested, and declared 
 that after all they thought it a wonderful place, 
 although there was nothing to be seen but rocks, sea, 
 and bold headlands. 
 
 "Yes, my children," said Mr Rutherford, "the 
 Giant's Causeway itself is comparatively small and 
 insignificant ; its chief importance is derived from 
 the surrounding scenery, and from association with 
 its creative cause. Sedate and majestic, its charac- 
 teristics are not to be developed by a rapid glance, 
 but require attentive examination ; and to have its 
 
1 74 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 beauty comprehended, the whole must be considered 
 in detail, and visited frequently." 
 
 Here the guide, pointing to several large rocks un- 
 like the rest, said, " They're the Giant's marvels, yer 
 riverence. A pheelosophee gintleman (I disremem- 
 ber his name just now) tould me as how the Causay 
 was made by big boulders like thae (whin-stone he 
 ca'd them) bein' all melted, and that when they 
 cooled an' hardened they made the six-a-gons, an' 
 all the other shaped stones ; so it 's like these are the 
 cinders, the same as the big lumps left in the lime- 
 kilns at the White Rocks, when the kiln has done 
 burning." 
 
 The gentlemen smiled at this description, and 
 Mary and Margaret applied to them for a more 
 authentic and scientific explanation, but were told it 
 would take a long time to discuss the distinct and 
 opposite theories of the Plutonian and Neptunian 
 systems, the former ascribing the formation of basalt 
 to fire, and the latter to water; but books would be 
 supplied to them to read fully about it on their return 
 home. 
 
 " But," said one of the young people, " I see mother, 
 Agnes, and Cousin Bessie preparing for our pic-nic 
 beneath the columns of ' The Loom,' so we had better 
 proceed there at once." 
 
 Among all the many joyous parties which, before 
 and since, have rested themselves on the seats pro- 
 vided by nature for their accommodation, a happier 
 and merrier group could not have been found ; each 
 was happy in themselves, and pleased with each 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 175 
 
 other's society. No care for the future, or regret for 
 the past, dimmed the enjoyment of the young people ; 
 so the laugh and jest went merrily round. 
 
 After the repast the young people were starting off 
 abruptly, but were recalled by Mr Rutherford. 
 
 " You have forgotten," said he, " to wait until 
 thanks were returned after our meal. Oh ! how 
 often, like the lepers in the Scriptures, do we call 
 upon the Lord when in trial and affliction, but when 
 in health, comfort, and prosperity we forget to ren- 
 der thanks to Him for all the benefits He has con- 
 ferred upon us ! True, we are encouraged to call 
 upon Him in the day of trouble, and He has pro- 
 mised to hear us ; but we are also told that he who 
 'offereth praise glorifieth God.' Let us not imitate 
 the nine lepers, but rather follow the example of the 
 one who returned to thank and bless the Saviour 
 — 'And in all things, whether we eat or drink, or 
 whatsoever we do, let us do all to the glory of God/ " 
 
 Then rising off his rocky seat, and reverently un- 
 covering his head, Mr Rutherford thanked God fer- 
 vently for supplying the bodily wants of himself and 
 friends, and prayed that they all might "so pass 
 through things temporal, that finally they lost not 
 the things eternal." 
 
 They were then joined by a troop of guides to 
 assist in clearing up, which they did most efficiently, 
 saving the trouble of carrying away fragments. 
 
 While the process of packing up was going on 
 under the supervision of Mr and Mrs Rutherford, the 
 youngsters strolled round Port Noffer Bay to see the 
 
176 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Giant's Organ, and get a closer view of the headlands 
 called " The Chimney Tops/' which the guide told 
 them had been fired at by some of the vessels of the 
 Spanish Armada, who mistook them for the chimneys 
 of Dunluce Castle. 
 
 " An' a brave tall chimley for a house one o' them 
 wud be," said M'Mullan, " as it is forty-five feet high." 
 
 " Here, I think," said John, " is where Mrs Susanna 
 Drury took one of her sketches. Her drawings are 
 considered very correct : they have been exhibited in 
 Dublin, and a premium awarded to her for them by 
 the Society for the Encouragement of Art.* 
 
 The " Sheep-path" was then to be clambered. This 
 is a zigzag footpath up the face of the cliff, which is 
 upwards of three hundred feet high, and nearly per- 
 
 * The two original drawings, taken in 1736, were in the possession 
 of Dr Baring of Trinity College ; at his death they passed into the 
 hands of a gentleman in the neighbourhood of the Giant's Causeway, 
 who still retains them. After being exhibited in Dublin they were 
 sent to London to be engraved ; but the vessel they were in was seized 
 by a French privateer, which was on the look-out for a survey of Ire- 
 land, taken by General Valency. The pictures were lost sight of for a 
 time, but afterwards recovered and engraved by Vivares in London. 
 A pair of the original engravings are still to be seen in the Dublin 
 Museum. In 1837 Mr Hodgson of Belfast found the copper-plates in 
 London ; modernised the costumes of figures in the foreground of these 
 pictures, and republished them. In 1851 the east view was again re- 
 produced, and exhibited in London. Being a contribution from Ire- 
 land to the Exhibition, the artist was desirous to make it thoroughly 
 Irish in all its details. It was a facsimile of the engraving worked by 
 an Irishwoman on Irish linen with the ravellings of crape and fine black 
 silk, and framed in Irish oak. It was awarded a prize medal. At the 
 New York World's Fair, 1853, it also obtained a medal, and narrowly 
 escaped destruction there. The picture had not long been removed, 
 when the Exhibition building took fire, and in an incredibly short time 
 the whole structure and its contents were destroyed. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 177 
 
 pendicular. The ascent is tiresome ; but young-, 
 active limbs, and cheerful dispositions, are not de- 
 terred by the prospect of fatigue. 
 
 Grasping at the rocks to gain a steady footing, 
 stumbling, catching at the grass, or g^oinsT on all-fours, 
 elicited many a laugh and jest. But when the height 
 was gained, the trouble of ascending was forgotten in 
 the contemplation of the matchless bays and bold 
 headlands which presented themselves to view. 
 
 " Oh, how glorious ! " exclaimed the whole party ; 
 "why, this is grander than the Causeway." " Shure, 
 yer honour and leddyships," said M'Mullan, "it's all 
 the Giant's Causay, an' the biggest half too ; but the 
 most part of the leddys that come here are fear'd to 
 climb, an' the gentlemen either won't quit the leddies, 
 or else won't fash themselves by goin' ; — but yees 
 shud take a boat to the caves, an' go all roun' an' see 
 the ' Pleaskin Bay,' an' ' Head,' an' all the rest o' the 
 curosities o' the place." 
 
 " I thought," interrupted Mary, pointing to a head- 
 land with basaltic columns, " that this was Pleas- 
 kin." 
 
 " Och ! na, yer leddyship, Pleaskin has three rows 
 of columns in the face o' it ; it 's farther roun', an' so 
 is ' The King an' his Nobles,' ' The Priest an' his 
 Flock,' an' ' The Nurse an' Child Rocks/ an' iver so 
 mony more." 
 
 " M'Mullan, do tell us something about the rocks 
 you've named," said Lucy; "are there not some 
 legends about them ? " 
 
 " Well, Alick, my nevy, knows more o' thae stories 
 
 M 
 
178 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 nor I do ; he 's sae glib at them, he 's called Alick 
 M'Cock, but I '11 just tell yees one I remimber ; it 's 
 about ' The Nurse an' Child/ 
 
 "Ye see one o' the giants that lived here in the 
 ould ancient times had a wife that had no weans ; 
 an' as he natrally enough wished to hae childer, an' 
 aften said he wished he had another wife that wud 
 have a son, this fretted his wife, an' what does she do 
 but purtend she was in the family-way ; an' when her 
 time come she got the midwife to bring her a boy 
 child, an' pass it aff for her own. The giant was quare 
 an' plased ; but somehow he tuk it into his head that 
 the wean wasn't like him, an' as his wife didn't suckle 
 it, an' niver bothered herself much about it, he got 
 mighty onaisy, an' at last went to ask a witch wife 
 how he 'd find out if it was his own son or not. So 
 she tells him to bid his wife take the babby in her 
 arrums, an' go an' sit on a rock she pointed out to 
 him, an' for him to tak a han'ful o' san' an' throw it 
 in her face, an' say, ' For the truth ; ' an' if it 's not 
 your wean, says she, her an' it '11 be turned into stone, 
 says she ; but be shure an' not let on till her what 
 ye 're doin' it for, says she. So he comes an' tells 
 her to take her son, an' go an' sit where he bid her. 
 She was both proud and lazy, an' says she, the nurse 
 may take him. But he up and tells her she was 
 bound to obey him. An' as he was in a tmverin' 
 passion, threatened to give her a clout on the lug* 
 if she did not do as he bid her. An' aff she had to 
 go, an' him followin' her all the while ; an' when she 
 * A box on the ear. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 179 
 
 sat down on the rock he threw a han'ful o' san' at her, 
 an' repated the words ' For the truth,' as the witch- 
 wife had tould him, an' at onestshe turned into stone, 
 with the babby in her arms, an' so they remain till 
 this day." 
 
 " Served her right ! " said John. 
 
 " Well done, M'Mullan," echoed from all the party ; 
 " Alick M'Cock could not have done better." 
 
 " Tell me," said Edward, " where are the giants 
 now ? did you ever see them, M'Mullan ?" 
 
 " Well, I can't say I iver did, ban-in' in a dhrame ; 
 11 ye see, yer honour, them things that are out o' natur' 
 never lasts." 
 
 "But," pertinaciously insisted Edward, "when was 
 the very last giant seen here ? " 
 
 " Och, an' it 's myself can tell yez ; shure it was 
 the hermit that lived in Portcoon Cave ayont there ; 
 ye see he was coortin' a joyentess that lived in Port- 
 rush, an' a furriner came in atween them, an' married 
 her, an' tuk her away to France ; an' it was towld 
 how that her man put her in a show-box, an' ex- 
 hibited her in Lunnon and other furrin parts. The 
 poor desaved joyent tuk it sore to heart, and shut 
 himself up in Portcoon Cave, an vowed he 'd not taste 
 food brought to him by mortial hands ; but the sales, 
 the craturs, tuk pity on him and brought him mate 
 an' as they are not mortials, but lives whiles in the 
 say, an' whiles on the Ian', he ate it from them ; an' 
 then he thought better of starvin' himsel' to death, 
 tuk heart again, an' went about doin' good, and died 
 in his bed beside Port-na-Spania yonder ahint us, an' 
 
180 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 was burried at Mount Sandy, near Cowlrane, where 
 his grave is to be seen to this day." * 
 
 u Look," said John, " there is father waving his 
 handkerchief to attract our attention ; he beckons us 
 to return by the headlands ; he, mother, and hampers 
 are in motion, so we had better walk along and meet 
 them." 
 
 " How little they look," said Agnes ; " and the 
 grand Causeway and Stookans seem so small from 
 this height." 
 
 " And the sheep down there," said Lucy, " don't 
 look bigger than Mrs Moore's Manx cat." 
 
 Jesting in this way the happy party walked along, 
 and rejoined Mr and Mrs Rutherford at Port-na-baw. 
 
 " Your nephew," said Mr R., addressing M'Mullan, 
 " tells me that this bay is called Port-na-baw, but 
 cannot tell what the name is derived from. Can you 
 inform me ? " 
 
 " Shure it 's not becoming in me to larn yer river- 
 ence ; but I ax yer pardin, ye hae dootless forgot 
 more nor iver the likes o' me learned. Yer riverence 
 will call to yer remimberance that Finn MacCoull 
 
 * Notwithstanding that an Irishman is generally believed to have a 
 sixth sense, viz. , nonsense, yet in the midst of seeming lies there may be 
 a grain of truth, as the extract which follows, copied from one of the 
 Sloane MSS. in the British Museum will prove : — " I James Paris saw 
 a woman in Ireland in 1696, who was born at Portrush, not far from 
 the wonderful Causeway, in the most northern part of Ireland. She 
 was then twenty-three years old, and stood seven feet high without 
 shoes or head clothes, very well shaped, with a very handsome face. 
 In the year 1 701 she was at Montpellier in Languedoc, in France, at 
 the time of the fair, where I saw her again being shown for money, as 
 she had been before in London." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 181 
 
 was tuk prisoner by King Cormac MacArt, and no 
 money could ransom him ; for the ould bla'guard 
 concocted a plan by which he thought he wud hev 
 Finn all'ays in his power. So when Finn's friends 
 (an' they were many) come to inquire what was the 
 sum the king wanted for his release, he wudn't ask 
 no money on no tarms ; but, says he, ' I '11 let him 
 free whenever ye bring me two and two, male and 
 faymale,' says he, ' of ivvery bird an' baste throughout 
 all Ireland,' says he. 
 
 "But the ould villain w T as sore surprised when, a 
 year and a day after, who shud appear at the Castle 
 o' Tara but Finn's foster-brother, Cailte MacRonain. 
 'King Cormac,' says he, 'ye '11 hae to relase Finn 
 at onest ; for on the green ye '11 fin' two and two of 
 ivvery bird and baste to be had throughout all the 
 len'th an' bredth o' the Ian.' 
 
 " So the ould daysaver had nothing for it but to 
 give him up. An' Finn, when he got back to his own 
 country, he set about making stone effigies of different 
 bastes, to place as mimerandums all round his pos- 
 sessions ; for, says he, when I am dead and gone, I 'd 
 like all them that comes afther me to hear tell o' the 
 love o' my brother, an' the mighty deed he done for 
 me, to be a moral to all ginirations. Yon big stone 
 cow was then put up, an' the bay called Na Baw ? 
 being the Irish for cow, as yer riverence knows right 
 well. Just then the Scotch joyent Benandonner sent 
 Finn word, that if it wasn't for wetting hisself he 'd 
 swim over and fight him. Finn then tuk to makin' 
 the Causay ; an' when he had it done, the Scotch 
 
1 82 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 joyent cum over dry-shod to get a good thrashing as 
 all the world knows. Finn guv it to him in raal Irish 
 style." 
 
 The party then sat down to rest, and after each 
 (and frequently all together) had told their adven- 
 tures since they had left " the Loom," it was proposed 
 that, as a finale, John should read what he had pro- 
 mised out of Dr Drummond's poem. 
 
 He at once acceded, only remarking, "The diffi- 
 culty will be in making selections." 
 
 " Well, give us the parts which you think appli- 
 cable to what we 've seen to-day," said his father ; 
 " we can read all the poem again." 
 
 He read as follows : — 
 
 " Come, lonely genius of my natal shore, 
 From cave, or bower, wild glen, or mountain hoar ; 
 And while by ocean's rugged bounds I muse, 
 Thy solemn influence o'er my soul diffuse. 
 "With joy I hail thy visionary form, 
 Rough, dark, august, and clad in night and storm. 
 To me more dear thy rocky realm by far, 
 The cliff, the whirlwind, and the billowy war, 
 Than e'en the loveliest scenes which Flora yields, 
 Her myrtle bowers, or incense-breathing fields. 
 Oh thou, whose soul the muse's lore inspires, 
 Whose bosom science warms, or genius fires, 
 If nature charm thee in her wildest forms, 
 Throned on the cliff, 'midst cataracts and storms ; 
 Or with surpassing harmony array'd, 
 In pillar'd mole or towering colonnade, 
 Seek Dalriada's wild romantic shore, 
 Wind through her valleys, and her capes explore. 
 Let Folly's sons to lands far distant roam, 
 And praise the charms of every clime but home ; 
 Yet sure such scenes can Dalriada boast, 
 As please the painter and the poet most. 
 
A Dairiadian Tale. 183 
 
 Swift torrents foaming down the mountain side, 
 
 Rocks that in clouds grotesque their summits hide, 
 
 Gigantic pyramids, embattled steeps, 
 
 Bastions and temples nodding o'er the deeps, 
 
 Aerial bridges o'er vast fissures thrown ; 
 
 Triumphal arches, gods of living stone, 
 
 iEolian anthems, thunder-rifted spires, 
 
 And all the wonders of volcanic fires. 
 
 Here broken, shatter'd, in confusion dread, 
 
 Towers, bridges, arches, gods, and temples spread, 
 
 Stupendous wrecks, where awful wildness reigns. 
 
 From Albin oft, when darkness veil'd the pole, 
 
 Swift o'er the surge the tartan'd plunderers stole, 
 
 And Erin's vales with purple torrents ran, 
 
 Beneath the claymores of the murd'rous clan ; 
 
 Till Cumhal's son to Dalnada's coast, 
 
 Led the tall squadrons of his Finnian host, 
 
 Where his bold thought the wondrous plan designed, 
 
 The proud conception of a giant mind, 
 
 To bridge the ocean for the march of war, 
 
 And wheel round Albin's shores his conquering car. 
 
 Deep in the dreary caves of ocean lie 
 
 The ponderous ruins, far from mortal eye ; 
 
 Yet each abutment of the structure stands, 
 
 A proud memorial of the giant bands, 
 
 Through earth's extended realms renowned afar, 
 
 As great in peace and terrible in war. 
 
 Dark o'er the foam-white waves 
 
 The giant pier the war of tempests braves ; 
 
 A far-projecting, firm basaltic way 
 
 Of clustering columns, wedged in dense array ; 
 
 With skill so like, yet so surpassing art, 
 
 With such design, so just in every part, 
 
 That reason pauses, doubtful if it stand 
 
 The work of mortal or immortal hand. 
 
 The sportive fancy of th' untutored swain, 
 
 To wonder prone, and slave to terror's reign ; 
 
 Unskilled to search how Nature's plastic hand 
 
 Moulds the rough rock, and form the solid land ; 
 
 To Fion, ruler of the giant line, 
 
 Ascribes the glory of the grand design ; 
 
184 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 And fondly dreams, though reason spurn the thought, 
 That human power the massy fabric wrought.' " 
 
 During the time John was reading, the bright rays 
 of the setting' sun shed a golden radiance over the 
 scene, causing each rock, headland, and promontory, 
 with the various strata, to stand out prominently. 
 
 " See," said Mary, " even the dull, prosaic granite, 
 whinstone, and adamantine cliffs are lighted up and 
 warmed, as if sympathising with the writer who ap- 
 preciated and admired them so justly." 
 
 " My children," said Mr Rutherford, " admiration 
 of the works of the Creator is enjoyable, but the 
 Christian who, by faith in the Saviour, has been 
 adopted into the family of God, can appropriate all 
 he sees to himself, and say, ' My Father made them 
 all.' " 
 
 " What a glorious sunset," remarked Mrs Ruther- 
 ford ; " often, when gazing on such brilliantly-tinted 
 clouds, have I repeated — 
 
 ' When day with farewell beam delays 
 Among the opening clouds of even, 
 And we can almost think we gaze 
 Through golden vistas into heaven ; 
 Those rays that make the sun's decline 
 So bright, so glorious, Lord, are Thine ! ' ' 
 
 " I have frequently heard those words repeated by 
 you, mother," said Margaret, " but never realised 
 them as I do now ; and look, there is also a golden 
 pathway across the sea leading to the golden vista." 
 
 " And so it will be with us, my dear daughter, if, 
 in passing over ' the waves of this troublesome world,' 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 
 
 185 
 
 we keep our eyes steadfastly fixed on the ' Sun of 
 Righteousness' ; our pathway will be lighted up till 
 we finally enter the glorious mansions prepared for 
 those who loved Him." 
 
 With reluctance the happy party turned their steps 
 towards Dunluce, all agreeing that, instead of think- 
 ing the Causeway dull and uninteresting, as they had 
 pronounced it on the first view, they now declared 
 that it was a most wonderful place, and that they 
 hoped to visit it again and again, as they felt they 
 had only seen a portion of its wonders. 
 
 The Giant's Causeway. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 JULY came to an end, and the party must return 
 home. The invalids were greatly benefited ; 
 but some of the young people did not like the idea of 
 parting. John began to think of Mary in more than 
 a cousinly way ; whilst she acknowledged to herself 
 that she experienced towards him a warmer feeling 
 than gratitude warranted in return for the instruc- 
 tions he gave, and the information he imparted to 
 her ; but they were both young ; he had to return 
 home, and thence back again to college ; and she to 
 resume her home duties at the lt Royal Arms," Bally- 
 nacraig. 
 
 Edward's uncle came and took him away to Lon- 
 don, so the last day of the month was a sorrowful 
 one. But whether in sorrow or in joy, time will 
 speed on. 
 
 Lucy grieved greatly at his departure, but the 
 variety of the journey cheered her up. She felt his 
 absence more on her return home ; indeed his depar- 
 ture was universally felt and regretted. Mr Ruther- 
 ford missed his pupil, and began to suffer from ennui. 
 
 At this juncture two events happened which roused 
 up the spirits of the inmates of Thornbrae, and 
 afforded them occupation. The rector of the ad- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 187 
 
 joining parish met with an accident, and was obliged 
 to look out for a curate. Mr Rutherford being ab- 
 solved from his vow, (as his mother was dead,) applied 
 for the appointment, and the rector gladly accepted 
 of his services. This was the first event. The second 
 was the arrival of a piano, (or spinnet, as it was more 
 generally called then,) as a present from Edward's 
 uncles to the Misses Rutherford. Margaret did not 
 care for music, and had ample employment in assist- 
 ing her father in compiling his sermons, looking out 
 texts, references, &c, and visiting the parishioners ; 
 but Agnes and Lucy spent all their leisure time 
 learning to play on the spinnet. " In my Cottage by a 
 Wood," " Rousseau's Dream," " Auld Lang Syne," 
 " Home, sweet Home," " Nae Luck about the House," 
 &c. &c, were to be heard from morning till night re- 
 sounding through the cottage. 
 
 John had returned to college. Hilary (we beg his 
 pardon, the young doctor) was getting into repute as 
 a successful practitioner, and was employed occasion- 
 ally at the Hall, when their regular medical attendant 
 was not at hand. During these visits Lady South- 
 end, who felt interested in him on account of knowing 
 his father, now formed a favourable opinion of him 
 for his own sake. A niece of her ladyship's being in 
 a delicate state of health, was ordered to go to Ma- 
 deira for the winter. Dr Rutherford was offered a 
 ! large fee if he would accompany the lady and her 
 i mother there. The proposal was acceded* to, and we 
 shall leave him en route to that lovely island. 
 
 Edward became a prime favourite with his uncles. 
 
1 88 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 He often wrote to Thornbrae, and in his unsophisti- 
 cated, affectionate manner, " begged to be remem- 
 bered to every man, woman, and child about the 
 place." Rodger the pony was not forgotten, and 
 many of the other animals mentioned ; even the pigs 
 were thought of with regard. He inquired if the pig 
 which Jamie had pronounced "a beauty" still re- 
 tained its charms ? &c. &c. 
 
 Winter and spring passed over ; John had returned 
 from college, bringing with him a flute, and a collec- 
 tion of Dibdin's songs, and he and his sister practised 
 duets together. In July a letter came from Edward, 
 announcing his intention of visiting his old friends, 
 and remaining with them during the month of Au- 
 gust. This news was received with general joy ; 
 many preparations were made for his reception, and 
 the days and hours calculated till his arrival. All 
 about Thornbrae was in a flutter of excitement from 
 early morning of the day Edward was expected to 
 arrive ; and although it was not likely he could reach 
 his destination till the evening, yet every sound was 
 eagerly listened to during the day. The wish 
 prompted the hope that the winds and waves had 
 proved favourable, and wafted him to the green isle 
 in a shorter time than it usually took to accomplish 
 a voyage from London to Belfast. 
 
 Every one had something to do to afford pleasure, 
 and give a welcome to their visitor ; so that the day was 
 spent in quite an unsettled manner by all the inmates. 
 Lucy and John in vain attempted to practise " Black- 
 eyed Susan ; " Agnes to read ; Margaret to sew ; 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 189 
 
 even Mr Rutherford could not continue at his writing 
 or reading for any length of time. Hector seemed 
 to comprehend what was going on, as at the slightest 
 noise he roused himself up, wagged his tail, and 
 rushed out towards the avenue; then returning quietly, 
 looked up in Lucy's face, and laid himself down in 
 his accustomed place at the door of her apartment ; 
 which it will be remembered was off the sitting-room, 
 and which opened into " The Young Lady's Flower 
 Knot," (as it was called,) a sweet spot filled with gay 
 flowers, and redolent of the perfumes of mignonette, 
 stocks, &c. This parterre was cultivated entirely 
 by the girls, assisted by John, and on the present 
 occasion had received more than ordinary care, so as 
 to do honour and afford gratification to the expected 
 guest, and the choicest flowers had been culled to 
 adorn Edward's chambers. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford was the only member of the family 
 who kept on the even tenor of her way, attending to 
 her household duties as usual ; fortunately it was Mar- 
 garet's week to assist her mother in housekeeping, as 
 she was less excited than her other sisters. Hour after 
 hour passed away; at length, just as the sun was 
 tinging the landscape with its departing golden rays, 
 Hector pricked up his ears and darted out. The 
 noise of wheels was then heard, and again a rush was 
 made to the door. A post-chaise was coming quickly 
 up the avenue ; out of the open window appeared 
 Edward's happy face, and before the chaise stopped 
 he had dashed out, kissing and hugging all the party. 
 
 Welcome ! welcome ! resounded from every tongue, 
 
190 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 Hector all the time jumping and barking vociferously. 
 Lucy, who had been the foremost to rush and embrace 
 Edward, now drew back blushing, when she looked 
 at his tall manly form and altered appearance. 
 Twelve months had indeed made a great difference, 
 and transformed the slight beardless youth into a 
 full-grown whiskered man ; with self-possessed man- 
 ners and polished address ; his warm expressions of 
 joy, and bright loving glances, showed how delighted 
 he was to be again in the midst of his old friends and 
 playmates. 
 
 Reassured by his manner, Lucy's shyness wore 
 off, and the party were so happy in their mutual 
 reminiscences, that when the time arrived for evening 
 prayers, they could scarcely credit that it was so late. 
 
 Next morning proved that in Edward's absence he had 
 been thinking of his friends, as was shown by the care 
 he had taken in selecting and procuring gifts for them. 
 
 Each seemed to think he had known their wishes 
 and anticipated their wants. The gifts consisted of 
 books, music, stuffed birds, shells, a paroquet, canary, 
 and a pair of doves, (the latter for Lucy,) a brass 
 collar with Hector's name engraved on it, a bridle 
 for Rodger, and pipes and tobacco for Jamie, and 
 sundry other gifts for his friends, the men, women, 
 and children about the place. Many a hearty grasp 
 of the hand, and fervent " God bless yer honour for 
 minding us an' the childer when ye were over the 
 say. Oh, to think o' the likes o' us gettin' presents 
 all the way from Lunnon :" these and similar remarks 
 quite repaid Edward for his generosity. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 SHORTLY after Edward's arrival, a letter was re- 
 ceived from Mary Wilson, in which she men- 
 tioned that her eldest sister Nannie was in rather 
 delicate health, and her mother would be glad, if con- 
 venient to Aunt Rutherford, to send her for change 
 of air to Thornbrae. " Write at once Margaret, my 
 dear," said Mrs Rutherford, saying, " we shall be most 
 happy to see Nannie, and hope she '11 be benefited by 
 the change." " And say," interrupted Edward, " for 
 Mary to accompany her ; we '11 then have to take 
 pilgrimages to all the old remains of antiquity. Cousin 
 Mary always ferrets out such things wherever she 
 goes ; she and John talk as if they were the age of 
 Methuselah, and had witnessed events which occurred 
 during centuries long past." 
 
 The invitation was given, and gladly accepted by 
 Nanny and Mary Wilson. A day or two after their 
 arrival, a visit was proposed to Tullyhogue, formerly 
 the crowning place of the kings of Ulster, situated 
 near Dungannon. 
 
 " How do you intend going, children ? " asked Mr 
 Rutherford ; " it is too far for the girls to walk : will 
 you take the car?" 
 
 " Oh, no ! " exclaimed they, " it must be a regular 
 
192 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 gipsy party ; it will be greater fun to take only a 
 horse and Rodger, and ' ride and tye.' " 
 
 Next morning the young people started early to 
 have a long day. Lucy and Cousin Nanny rode on 
 Rodger by turns, the other three girls rode alternately 
 behind John or Edward on a pillion : hung over the 
 horse's neck was the saddle-bags containing refresh- 
 ments. Let us follow the happy group until they 
 arrive at the circular rath of Tullyhogue : the horses' 
 bridles are thrown over one of the upright stones ; the 
 party seat themselves, and partake of the viands they 
 have brought with them. 
 
 Edward afterwards mounted on one of the large 
 stones, and addressing John, said, " In the times of 
 the monarchs of Ireland each king and chief had a 
 bard who sung the glories of their ancestors, and 
 handed down their deeds from one generation to 
 another ; it is a pity you had not been alive then, 
 you might have been chief bard to the great O'Neill, 
 as you can relate so many tales of bygone days, and 
 events which would supply matter for many a min- 
 strel's theme. Imagine that I am the O'Nial More 
 and these the ladies of the court, and tell us about 
 the grand kings, chieftains, knights, and warriors, 
 from whom all true-born Irishmen claim to be lineally 
 descended from time immemorial." 
 
 " Well, my gracious liege, when you command I 
 shall cheerfully obey. Our enemies have traduced us 
 by saying that 
 
 1 Our ancient, but ignoble blood 
 Has run through scoundrels since the flood ;' 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 193 
 
 but I shall prove to you, most high and mighty 
 monarch, and these fair maidens, whose sweet faces 
 are beaming so inspiringly on me, that we are de- 
 scended from a race of kings, and kings have descended 
 from us, if we would attempt to say anything else, 
 this royal sacred circle, stone inscriptions, and unde- 
 caying seats for the nobles would contradict me." 
 
 "But the minstrel has no harp," exclaimed the 
 youngsters. 
 
 " Alas ! alas ! " said John, 
 
 " ' Mute, mute the harp ! for ever lost the art 
 Which roused to rapture each Milesian heart ; 
 Cold, cold the hands whose thrilling touch sublime, 
 Caught the rapt ear, and stay'd the flight of time.' 
 
 My friend, Rory Dall O'Cathain, who was the author 
 of some of the most beautiful strains that ever sounded 
 on the harp of Erin, was obliged to flee to Scotland 
 on the downfall of the great O'Neill, and he, a de- 
 scendant of the sub-king, or chief subject of O'Neill, 
 was compelled to travel from house to house among 
 the nobility and chieftains, where he was received 
 i partly as a guest, and partly as a minstrel, requiting 
 , their hospitality by the exercise of an art he had 
 > acquired as an accomplishment in better days; he was 
 ; there known by the name of Rory Dall Morrison. 
 ■, Among the visits made by him to the houses of the 
 : Scottish nobility, he called at Eglinton Castle. Lady 
 I Eglinton not being aware of his rank, affronted his 
 ■ Irish pride by demanding a tune in a peremptory 
 ; manner. O'Cahan, though blind, poor, and houseless, 
 refused, and left the castle. 
 
 N 
 
194 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " Her ladyship afterwards understanding who he was, 
 sought a reconciliation, which was readily effected. 
 
 " This incident gave rise to the composition by him 
 of the favourite tune ' Da Mihi Manum,' or ' Give me 
 your hand/ the fame of which afterwards spread 
 throughout Scotland, and reaching the ears of Charles 
 II., induced him to send for the illustrious composer 
 and musician to court. Delighted with his perform- 
 ance, the king walked towards him, and laid his hand 
 familiarly on his shoulder. One of the courtiers 
 present remarking the honour thus conferred upon 
 him, the minstrel replied, ' a greater than King 
 Charles has had his hand on my shoulder.' 
 
 " * Who was that man ? ' said the king. 
 
 " 'The O'Neill, sire,' replied Rory Dall, standing up. 
 
 " In his latter days he was reduced to very indigent 
 circumstances, and died in the house of a family 
 named Robertson, of Lude, to whom he bequeathed 
 his harp and silver tuning-fork ; the harp had been a 
 present to the minstrel from the unfortunate Mary 
 Queen of Scots." 
 
 " Then, as the voice of minstrelsy is mute," said Mary, 
 who longed to hear an authentic account of these really 
 curious antiquarian remains, "John can describe the 
 place without so much circumlocution. Edward, please 
 don't interrupt John in his recital." This request 
 was seconded by Margaret, whose curiosity was also 
 aroused. 
 
 " Well," said Edward, jumping off the stone, and 
 flinging himself down at Lucy's feet, "I have to 
 descend from my throne, being deposed by Queen 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 
 
 195 
 
 Mary ; after all I am not the first monarch who was 
 glad to cast aside state, and throw himself at the feet 
 of youth and beauty." 
 
 " Edward, is there a Blarney Stone in London," 
 said Lucy ? 
 
 " John, pray do let us know something about this 
 remarkable place," interrupted Mary and Margaret ; 
 "we will listen to you, so don't heed the chatter of 
 the rest." 
 
 He then told them that in this circular enclosure 
 there formerly stood a stone chair called " Leac na 
 Kiogh," (the stone of the kings,) in which the raon- 
 archs of Ulster were crowned and invested with 
 authority. The customs observed at the inauguration 
 were curious, and are graphically described in part of 
 a poem which I shall now repeat to you : — 
 
 1 UnsandalPd he stands on the foot-dinted rock, 
 Like a pillar-stone fixM against every shock ; 
 Round, round is the Rath on a far-seeing hill, 
 Like his blemishless honour, and vigilant will. 
 The greybeards are telling how chiefs by the score 
 Have been crown'd on " The stone of the kings" heretofore. 
 While crowded, yet order' d, within its green ring 
 Are the dynasts and priests round " The true Irish king." 
 
 1 The chronicler read him the laws of the clan, 
 And pledged him to bide by their blessing and ban ; 
 His sheen and his sword are unbuckled to show 
 That they only were meant for a foreigner foe. 
 A white willow wand has been put in his hand — 
 A type of pure, upright, and gentle command — 
 While hierarchs are blessing, the slipper they fling, 
 And O'Cahan proclaims him a true Irish king ! ' 
 
 " Casting the slipper as a token of submission is 
 evidently of Eastern origin ; the Scriptures refer to it 
 
196 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 in several places, as ' Over Edom will I cast my 
 shoe.' This symbol of sovereignty was performed 
 by the highest chief, or sub-king, and was considered 
 a highly honourable office." 
 
 " This was the origin probably," said Agnes, " of its 
 being considered lucky to throw a slipper after a bridal 
 party, or any one going on a journey ; when you are 
 going, Edward, we '11 all throw our slippers at you." 
 
 " Oh no, not at me, but after me." 
 
 " But, John," chimed in Mary and Margaret at the 
 same time, "let us hear more about the kings of 
 Ulster." 
 
 " I shall only tell you now of the last king, Con 
 O'Nial ; he had taken up arms against Henry VIII. , 
 by whose troops he was defeated, and obliged to re- 
 treat to one of his fortresses ; soon after he submitted 
 to the English authority, took the oath of allegiance, 
 renounced the title of king, and the name of O'Nial ; 
 for this submission he was created Earl of Tyr-Owen. 
 
 " His son Shane, who was a man of great physical 
 strength, indomitable courage, and of a most ambi- 
 tious mind, stirred up the chiefs to rebellion. After 
 his father's death he made more strenuous exertions, 
 and aimed at recovering the forfeited sovereignty of 
 Ulster ; but being worsted in several encounters with 
 the British troops, he was finally driven into his 
 stronghold of Dungannon by the Lord-Deputy Sus- 
 sex, and compelled to be at peace, but he would not 
 tender his submission to any one but to Elizabeth in 
 person. Perhaps Shane thought he would make a 
 favourable impression on the maiden Queen. Cer- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 197 
 
 tainly his style, bearing, and retinue, were more like 
 a conqueror, or an independent prince, than a vassal, 
 and one who came to make concessions to the British 
 crown. Escorted by five hundred galloglasses armed 
 with battle-axes, and preceded by a piper, O'Neill 
 marched about ; with surprise the English gazed on 
 the stalwart men attired in shaggy cloaks made out 
 of the undressed skins of animals, yellow shirts, and 
 short tunics. When O'Neill appeared before Her 
 Majesty his followers must have contrasted strongly 
 with her body-guard ; the costume of the beef-eaters 
 being so much ornamented, their close cut hair, and 
 low-crowned hats, hose, and rosetted shoes, made the 
 long uncovered curling locks and bare limbs of the 
 Irish more conspicuous. Elizabeth received Shane 
 most graciously ; terms were made with him, and his 
 submission was considered of so much importance 
 that a printed proclamation was issued and circulated 
 throughout all England. He became the warm friend 
 and zealous champion of Elizabeth ; but this did not 
 continue long, as he again rebelled and was a constant 
 source of trouble and annoyance to the Queen and 
 the British Government. After his death by assassi- 
 nation, his successor, Hugh O'Neill, resisted the power 
 of the English ; at length he was subdued by Lord- 
 Deputy Mountjoy, who took possession of this place 
 and broke in pieces the inauguration chair. O'Neill 
 fled to the Continent ; a reward was offered for his 
 apprehension, but he escaped to Rome, where he 
 abode till, enfeebled by age, he died, blind, and in 
 poverty." 
 
198 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " It is now my'time," said Edward, " to tell you I 
 saw the coronation chair of the kings of England in 
 Westminster Abbey ; it has a stone under the seat 
 which was brought from Scone, on it the Scotch used 
 to crown their kings." 
 
 "But, Edward," interrupted John, "that stone was 
 in Ireland previous to being in Scotland." 
 
 " Hear ! hear !" echoed the party. 
 
 "Farther," continued he, " it was brought to this 
 country from Egypt, and it is said to be the pillar on 
 which Jacob rested his head at Luz." 
 
 " Oh ! " exclaimed Edward, " I never thought you 
 were such a story-teller till now ; how can you make 
 out it was in Ireland ? " 
 
 " Scotia was formerly the name of part of Ireland," 
 replied John. 
 
 " Well, well, you '11 tell us anything after that." 
 
 " John is right," interposed Mary ; " it is well 
 authenticated that the inhabitants of Ulster went 
 over to Scotland and founded a kingdom which they 
 named Scotia, after the country they had left. After- 
 wards this name was usurped by the whole territory, 
 and Erin got the name it now bears." 
 
 " The tradition is," resumed John, " that this stone 
 was brought over by the Phoenicians, who came to 
 Ireland upwards of a thousand years before the 
 Christian era." 
 
 "I do recollect," said Edward, "that the Phoeni- 
 cians came to Cornwall to trade in tin ; I suppose 
 they must have brought the big stone for ballast." 
 
 " Oh ! " exclaimed both Mary and Margaret. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 199 
 
 " Edward, you would do away with all romance ; 
 and," continued the latter, " you may remember father 
 telling us that it is presumed that Ireland was the 
 Hieron of the Greeks, hence called Ierne, at same 
 time reading to us lines from Festus Avienus, written 
 in the fourteenth century, which he translated, 
 
 ' But hence the sun's diurnal race, 
 To reach that western sacred place, 
 By the ancients " Holy Island " named. 
 Where dwells the Irish race so famed. ' " 
 
 "You all remember," resumed John, "that when 
 Jacob awoke after his wonderful dream, as related in 
 tlie 28th chap, of Genesis, ' he took the stone which 
 had been his pillow, and set it up as a pillar, and 
 poured oil on the top of it, and called the place 
 Bethel' (or House of God.) Tradition further tells 
 that this stone was taken away from Bethel by the 
 tribe of Joseph, when they destroyed the city of 
 Bethel and its inhabitants, it being a current belief 
 among the Jews that whoever possessed this stone 
 would be especially blessed, and be king or chief. 
 On the first destruction of Jerusalem, some of the 
 royal family of Judah escaped and sought an asylum 
 beyond the seas, taking this precious stone with them. 
 
 " We next hear of its being in Gallicia, whence the 
 exiles came to Ireland, bringing the relic with them, 
 and founded a kingdom. 
 
 " Many centuries afterwards Fergus king of Ulster 
 went, with his brother's permission, to found a king- 
 dom in Scotland. He determined not to go without 
 the sacred stone, and on his brother's refusing to 
 
200 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 allow it to be removed out of his dominions, Fergus 
 stole it, and established a kingdom in Scotland, where 
 his descendants afterwards reigned, and were crowned 
 sitting on that stone. It was afterwards enclosed 
 in a wooden chair, and this prophetic distich engraven 
 on it : 
 
 ' If fate deceive not, where this stone is found, 
 The Scots shall monarchs of that realm be crowned.' 
 
 " It was placed in the Abbey of Scone, and the 
 Scottish kings were crowned on it till it was removed 
 by Edward I. to its present situation in Westminster 
 Abbey. The tradition is, that in whatever country 
 this relic is, the sovereign must be descended from 
 the Dalriadic line. This prophecy was fulfilled in 
 the person of James I. of England, who was lineally 
 descended from Fergus ; consequently our royal 
 family trace their descent from the same source." 
 
 " Truly," said Edward, " in the present state of 
 affairs, I don't think our Britannic Majesty George 
 III. would acknowledge his Irish friends, or think it 
 any compliment or honour to be descended from 
 them ; but the lengthened shadows thrown by the 
 stones around, should remind us of our promise not 
 to keep Nannie out after sunset, so exeunt the 
 O'Nial More and all his regal court." 
 
 A few days afterwards, the young men took their 
 fishing-rods and walked to Lough Neagh, some miles 
 distant, accompanied by the girls. This lake ranks 
 among the largest in Europe, and as the mythological 
 account of its formation is curious it shall here be intro- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 20 1 
 
 duced. The Isle of Man being the exact size and 
 shape of Lough Neagh, there is a tradition that the 
 soil which forms the island was taken out of the part 
 of Ulster which is now covered by the waters of this 
 lake. The story runs that a giant who resided in 
 this locality was disgusted and grieved by the 
 wickedness of the inhabitants, and fearing 1 the ful- 
 fllment of a prophecy that the water of a fountain 
 in the neighbourhood if left uncovered would over- 
 flow the country, and drown the people for their 
 crimes, he determined to remove his family to 
 Scotland. His grandmother being of a nervous 
 temperament refused to go, fearing the sea voyage. 
 At her solicitation he remained, until Fin MacCoul 
 had completed the road across to Scotland, which 
 from the remains still to be seen at the " Giant's 
 Causeway," Rathlin, and Stafifa, puts Macadam quite 
 in the shade. Perhaps in these go-a-head days some 
 descendant of Ossian or Fin MacCoul may repair 
 it. The " grand chemin " being finished, the giant's 
 family and suite started on their travels. Previous 
 to leaving, the grandmother determined to take with 
 her some of the Irish earth which had been blessed 
 by St Patrick, so as to preserve her in her new abode 
 from toads and serpents ; accordingly she lifted a 
 lapful, and succeeded in carrying it half-way to Scot- 
 land ; her apron-string then broke, the'earth fell out, 
 and her grandson, being in an irascible mood, and 
 impatient to get to his journey's end, would not wait 
 to allow it to be collected, and thus the Isle of Man 
 was formed. 
 
202 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Shortly after this family of giants left Ireland, the 
 catastrophe occurred which they had dreaded ; the 
 district was inundated, and the water, rushing into 
 the excavation made by the giantess, constitutes 
 now the deepest part of Lough Neagh. Caxton, 
 who wrote in 1497, gives the following quaint de- 
 scription of the event : — 
 
 " There were men in this contre that were of evyle 
 lyving, and there was a well in ye lande in grete 
 revrence of olde tyme, and always coured, and yf it 
 were left uncoured, ye well wolde rise and drowne 
 all ye lande, and so id hoped yd a woman bente to 
 ye well for to fetche water, and hyed her fasd to her 
 childe yd wypd in ye cradele, and left ye well 
 uncoured, when ye well sprynged so fastly yd drowned 
 ye woman and her childe, and made all ye contre a 
 lake and fishpond. For to prove this it is a grete 
 argument," continues Caxton, "that when the wedder 
 is clear, fysshers of yd waters see in ye grounde 
 under ye water, round towers and hyghe shapen 
 steeples, and churches of yd lande." 
 
 This tradition was familiar to all the party, but 
 did not recur to their memory until it was recalled 
 by Margaret saying to John, " In the volume of 
 poems which you brought me from Dublin, the 
 allusion made to the legend connected with this lake 
 is beautifully expressed : 
 
 ' On Lough Neagh's banks as the fisherman strays, 
 In the cold clear eve's declining, 
 He sees the round towers of other days, 
 In the waves beneath him shining. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 203 
 
 Thus shall memory oft in dreams sublime, 
 Catch a glimpse of the days that are over, 
 Thus sighing, look through the waves of time, 
 For the long faded glories they cover.'" 
 
 t1 What a pity/' said Edward, " that, in confirmation 
 of the story, some of the submerged inhabitants have 
 not been cast ashore, as the water of the lake, from 
 its highly petrifying qualities, doubtless turned them 
 all into stone." 
 
 When the weather did not permit excursions or out- 
 of-door amusements, books, games, and music made 
 the days pass quickly over. 
 
 Edward's taste for music had been cultivated, and 
 his naturally good voice improved by instruction and 
 practice. Lucy and he sang duets, and their voices 
 harmonised well together. Edward had experienced 
 that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." He 
 also saw plainly that Lucy loved him with all the 
 warmth of her young loving nature ; and as he was 
 the acknowledged heir of his uncles, and had their 
 consent to woo and win her as his bride, he declared 
 his attachment to Mr and Mrs Rutherford, who 
 could not withhold their consent. But, on account 
 of Lucy's youth, it was stipulated that a year should 
 elapse without naming a time for the marriage to take 
 place. " Lucy," said Edward, after this interview had 
 taken place, " Shakespeare has said, ' the course of 
 true love never yet did run smooth,' but ours is a 
 contradiction to it ; all is bright before us ; we have 
 no stern fathers or grim relations to run counter to 
 our wishes. Your father grasped me warmly by the 
 
204 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 hand, said he had long loved me, and henceforth he 
 would expect me to love him in return as a son, which 
 indeed I would be, when I was the husband of his 
 youngest pet, his darling Lucy. And your mother 
 looked so lovingly at me, that I rushed towards her, 
 and gave her a hearty kiss. I felt inclined to give 
 her half a dozen ; but her stately distant manner 
 repelled me, so I must make up for it by giving 
 them to my own darling, my Cush-la-machree." 
 
 Fie, fie ! some of my readers may say. Well, I 
 suppose this was not the first kiss, nor yet the last, 
 the lovers indulged in ; and, in the words of Burns, 
 Edward could say, 
 
 " The golden hours on angels wings 
 Flew o'er me and my dearie ; " 
 
 so that the month seemed to come too quickly to an 
 end. 
 
 " Then wi mony a vow and lock'd embrace, 
 Their parting was fu' tender." 
 
 Thus, full of love and hope, the lovers parted ; 
 Edward promising to write often, and to inform the 
 inmates of Thornbrae of his arrival immediately after 
 he reached London. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE fortnight which succeeded Edward's depar- 
 ture from Thornbrae passed wearily to all the 
 inmates ; the hours which before sped so quickly, now 
 seemed to linger on leaden wings. Lucy, more than 
 any of the rest, felt the change, and anxiously looked 
 out for the expected letter, but it did not arrive. 
 Another week elapsed, and still no letter from Edward; 
 but one came instead from Mr Charles Talbot, ad- 
 dressed to Mr Rutherford, inquiring when Edward 
 left, and wondering what occasioned him to be so long 
 in reaching London. 
 
 As the cause of the delay could not be understood 
 by Mr Rutherford, he determined to go to Belfast, 
 and ascertain further particulars respecting the depar- 
 ture of the vessel, previous to replying to the letter. 
 On inquiring at Belfast, he found that " The Bloom- 
 ing Sally " was the name of the vessel which Edward 
 had sailed in ; that she had left the port on the 2d of 
 September, bound for London, and had not been 
 heard of since; but as a storm had arisen shortly 
 after she put to sea, and several vessels had been 
 obliged to take refuge in Belfast Lough, some had 
 been disabled, and were still in Garmoyle Roads, 
 
206 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 undergoing repairs. It was therefore thought that 
 "The Blooming Sally" had ran into some of the 
 Scotch ports till the gale was over, and she might by 
 this time have arrived at her destination. Mr Ruther- 
 ford wrote these particulars to the Messrs Talbot, 
 hoping that ere it reached London, Edward had 
 arrived there. 
 
 This news cheered Lucy, who always looked on the 
 brightest side ; and though from day to day no letter 
 came, yet hoped against hope ; but when another 
 fortnight passed over, and brought no tidings, the 
 sickness of hope deferred began to show itself on 
 poor Lucy's pale face and altered looks ; she often 
 burst into tears, and then rousing herself up, endea- 
 voured to play on the spinnet ; but when she attempted 
 to sing, she fairly broke down, and was obliged to 
 stop. H er laugh was seldom heard, and then it sounded 
 so unlike her former ringing happy laugh; it only 
 proved that 
 
 " A beam o'er the face of the waters may glow, 
 While the tide runs in darkness and coldness below ; 
 So the cheek may be tinged with a warm sunny smile, 
 Though the sad heart to ruin runs coldly the while." 
 
 At length a black-edged letter arrived from the 
 Messrs Talbot ; they also had hoped against hope, 
 and now wrote to say that " the vessel must have 
 been lost at sea in the storm after she left Belfast, as 
 every inquiry had been instituted, and there was now 
 no prospect of her ever being heard of." They there- 
 fore mourned their nephew as dead ; it was a sad 
 blow to them, as he was the prop of their declining 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 207 
 
 years, and in him all their hopes had centred ; but they 
 must bow to the will of God in taking away the young 
 and hopeful and sparing themselves, who were past 
 the meridian of life. They begged Lucy would accept 
 their warmest sympathy, and hoped that time would 
 gradually bring her round to bear with patience this 
 her first affliction." 
 
 Mr Rutherford's utterance was frequently choked 
 while reading the foregoing ; John groaned aloud ; 
 Bessie cried bitterly and audibly ; Mrs Rutherford 
 and Margaret wept silently with looks bent on Lucy, 
 who, with eyes distended and lips apart, eagerly de- 
 voured each word. At the conclusion of the last 
 sentence, she passionately exclaimed, " Bear with 
 patience ; no, I '11 not. What mockery to talk of 
 patience to me, and acquiescing in the will of God ; 
 it is easy for old people to preach ; they cannot feel as 
 I do ; my heart will break. Oh, was ever any one so 
 afflicted as I am ! " 
 
 All were spell-bound at poor Lucy's violent out- 
 burst ; her mother came gently to her side, took her 
 hand, and led her like a child to her own apartment. 
 
 Convulsive sobs agitated her whole frame. Mrs 
 Rutherford laid her on the bed, and allowed her to 
 unburden her pent-up feelings by giving vent to 
 lamentations, without attempting to restrain or con- 
 sole her, otherwise than by a pressure of the hand, 
 and weeping silently beside her. At length tears 
 came to her relief. 
 
 Then came the agonising question — " Mother, you 
 and father often speak of the goodness of God to all 
 
2o8 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 His creatures, and that He loves to see them happy ; 
 if so, why am I afflicted thus ? Oh ! why was Edward, 
 who was so good, taken away ? Why must I bear all 
 this ? If He is a God of love, why does He afflict 
 those who love ? — does He dislike us to feel love in 
 our hearts ? " 
 
 " Forbear, oh forbear, my child, to talk in such a 
 rash manner. God is love, and does not forbid our 
 loving, if we do not put the creature in the place of 
 the Creator ; but if our love becomes idolatry, then 
 our idol is laid prostrate, and we are made to feel that 
 our affections should be ordered aright, and brought 
 into subjection to His law, which says, * Thou shalt 
 have no other gods but me.' " 
 
 " O mother, I did idolise Edward ; he was bound up 
 with my very life. I cannot live now that he is taken 
 from me ; or if I can survive, my life will ever be a 
 burden to rne ; I am miserable, and never will be other- 
 wise ; nothing will ever make me happy again." 
 
 " Lucy, my child, how your impious words shock 
 and harrow my feelings, by awakening recollections, 
 and opening up wounds in my heart which I thought 
 time had entirely healed. I shall now relate to you 
 circumstances which your father alone has heard 
 from me. Listen attentively, my child, to what your 
 mother has endured, and if, from the recital of her 
 sufferings, you learn to submit to the will of God, I 
 shall not regret the agony I feel while disclosing my 
 woes to you." 
 
 " But, mother, you are so calm and gentle, you 
 could never have suffered or felt as I do." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 209 
 
 " Lucy, I was once as impulsive, ardent, and impa- 
 tient as you are." 
 
 " O mother, could you ever have been so ?" 
 " Even so, my child. You have heard I was mar- 
 ried before ; but you never knew I had, in addition to 
 my husband, lost two children ; you never heard me 
 say I had been in America. But all this occurred to 
 me, and more. I told you I was impulsive and im- 
 patient ; I was also wilful. Perhaps if I had had a 
 mother to counsel me I might have escaped much 
 sorrow ; but being left an orphan at an early age, 
 and living with my mother's brother, who was a 
 widower, I was left greatly to myself. William, my 
 cousin, was two years my senior ; we were seldom 
 away from each other. We loved, and thought it 
 but natural we should ; but my uncle, when he ob- 
 served our affection for each other, forbade William 
 to think of marrying me. His consent, he said, he 
 would never give ; it was unlucky for cousins to be 
 united ; it was always sure to turn out badly, and a 
 great deal to that effect. In vain William tried to 
 reason with him ; nothing would make him accede to 
 our wishes. At length we both told him he might 
 as well do so, as we were determined to be united. 
 I had a small sum of money which had been left me 
 by my mother. I demanded it from my uncle, tell- 
 ing him that after William and I were married we 
 would go to America. To this my uncle angrily 
 replied, 'You'll get your money, and I'll see you 
 married before you and William leave this house ; 
 but I'll not give him one penny, so you may take 
 
210 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 your own way, and abide the consequences.' William 
 was only nineteen, and I seventeen years old. He 
 thought if we went to America he and I would be 
 able to have a comfortable home there, picturing to 
 ourselves a long life of happiness, Alas ! how little 
 did we know what was before us. I need not dwell 
 on the discomforts we had to endure, not only on our 
 voyage, but before and after we got located in a farm 
 in the backwoods. My first-born, my darling Bessie, 
 was born without any one near me but my husband, 
 who was as kind as husband could be; but oh, in 
 nature's agony, I felt it hard not to have one of my 
 own sex beside me. Notwithstanding all my trials, 
 I was happy in the love of my husband, in minister- 
 ing to the wants of my child, and attending to my 
 household' duties. Our crops were good and remu- 
 nerative — the woods were being cleared around us — 
 several settlers had located in our neighbourhood; 
 so that, when my Willie was born, I not only had a 
 doctor, but a kind female friend with me, and a ser- 
 vant to attend me. Then followed a brief happy 
 season ; all seemed cheery, hopeful, and prosperous. 
 One night we were awoke out of our peaceful slum- 
 bers by the whoop of the Indians. The glare of light 
 and crackling sounds soon made us aware that the 
 hut was burning about us. My husband rushed out. 
 I followed with my infant in my arms in time to see 
 three savages attack him with their tomahawks. Just 
 then the roof of the hut fell in. I fled ; I knew not 
 the way I took, nor how I managed to reach a place 
 of refuge ; but when I recovered my senses, I was lying 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 2 1 1 
 
 prostrate at the door of a log hut on a clearing about 
 three miles distant. I remained in a state of stupor 
 for I know not how long ; when I awoke to conscious- 
 ness, words cannot express my agony in realising the 
 events of that awful night. I had seen my husband 
 murdered before my eyes ; and my child, my first- 
 born, my darling Bessie, entombed in the burning 
 flames. My proud heart rose in rebellion against my 
 Maker. I blasphemed His holy name, reproaching 
 Him for bringing such overwhelming calamities on 
 me; appealing to Him that as He had poured all 
 the vials of His wrath on my devoted head, and 
 withered all my joys, He would end my misery by 
 taking me out of this world. Thus by my want of 
 submission I mocked the great and mighty Being 
 who had called me into existence, and further pro- 
 voked His wrath against me. Oh what a hard lot I 
 thought was mine ! bereft of husband and child, I 
 refused to be comforted ; even my infant's smiles and 
 caresses failed to soften my obdurate heart ; further 
 sufferings had to be endured before I submitted to 
 the chastening rod. The friends to whose kindness 
 I was indebted for a shelter were shocked at my 
 impiety. I was even ungrateful to them, and often 
 spoke reproachfully and hastily when they attempted 
 to console me. At length I believe they thought I 
 was mad. Truly my reason was perverted, my mind 
 unenlightened, and my heart unrenewed by the soften- 
 ing influences of grace. A letter at length arrived 
 addressed to my husband ; it was from a lawyer, 
 informing him of his father's death suddenly, and 
 
212 Waves 07i the Ocean of Life, 
 
 begging to know if he would return, and what was to 
 be done with the property, &c. 
 
 " Here was a cause for thankfulness — a prospect of 
 a home and provision for myself and child ; but I did 
 not feel so. I dreaded going home, and hoped I 'd 
 die on the passage. What signified a home and the 
 means of living comfortably to me, now bereft, as I 
 said, of all hope, and without prospect of any happi- 
 ness ? 
 
 "In this awful state of mimd I went on board ship 
 to return to my native land. When ten days at sea 
 my babe sickened. My mother's feelings were then 
 aroused. As day by day he grew worse, my heart 
 yearned affectionately over him ; and when I found 
 the disease was small-pox, and likely to prove fatal, 
 I prayed, I entreated, I implored God to spare him. 
 I acknowledged that I had sinned in saying I had 
 been deprived of every comfort while my child had 
 been spared me, vowing that if this last object of 
 affection were not taken from me, I would never 
 again repine ; but death called away my child, and 
 his body was committed to a watery grave. 
 
 " By this bereavement my eyes were opened to see 
 the enormity of the crime I had committed in not 
 humbling myself at first, and submitting to the trials 
 my heavenly Father had thought fit to lay on me. I 
 felt that by my rebellion I had challenged Him to 
 assert His power to do as it seemed right with the 
 creatures He had formed. I then saw His goodness 
 and long-suffering mercy in not acceding to my wish 
 of being taken out of this world till I had been brought 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 213 
 
 to acknowledge that He ordereth all things wisely 
 and for our everlasting well-being ; that ' He knoweth 
 best what is for our good ;' that we must all bear the 
 cross laid on us here, if we would wear the crown 
 hereafter. 
 
 " I learned to think of my husband and babes as 
 angels in heaven. I would not, if I could, recall them 
 to earth. I still remember them with love, and hope 
 to be welcomed by them in the regions of bliss, where 
 sorrow, tears, and parting are unknown ; and I trust 
 your dear father, you, my Lucy, and all my other 
 children, will also be there, to sing the praises of 
 redeeming love, and to acknowledge that all our suf- 
 ferings on earth were wisely permitted, and see the 
 reason why we were called upon to bear them. 
 
 " Pause, my dear child, before you again entertain 
 such hard thoughts of God ; do not permit your 
 tongue, which was given you to praise Him, to mock 
 Him with your reproaches ; be assured ' He is too 
 wise to err, too good to be unkind.' Learn from your 
 mother's example to look for consolation where it 
 alone is to be found ; humble yourself, and pray to 
 be enabled, not only to say, but to feel, ' Father, Thy 
 will be done.' " 
 
 During this recital poor Lucy had forgotten her 
 own affliction, had raised herself up in bed, and gazed 
 intently at her mother. When she had concluded 
 the last sentence, she jumped hastily off the bed, 
 threw herself into her arms, exclaiming, " Forgive 
 me, oh forgive me, my darling mother, for giving you 
 so much pain. Indeed, indeed I will try to control 
 
214 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 my feelings, and shall pray to God to assist me to 
 resign myself to this trying dispensation ; and I hope 
 I '11 be enabled to prove to you that your confidence 
 has not been misplaced, in relating to me your 
 griefs, and that I will endeavour to profit by your 
 advice." 
 
 " I pray, my child, that you may be strengthened 
 in your good resolutions. I shall now leave you for 
 a little, to bring you a cup of tea. Your father, the 
 girls, and John will be anxious to hear how you are. 
 You know we all sympathise with you, and bear a 
 part of your grief. Between your father, you, and I, 
 there is now a bond of union. We alone are the 
 repositories of the early sufferings, sins, and trials of 
 your mother." 
 
 When left alone, Lucy pondered deeply on her 
 mother's words, and the knowledge that others were 
 called upon fo suffer trials and afflictions assuaged 
 her grief. Strange it is that we are prone to think 
 no sorrow is equal to our own, and when we hear of a 
 greater we take comfort from the knowledge ; but 
 such is human nature. Presently Mrs Rutherford 
 returned with tea, and found poor Lucy in a more 
 composed frame of mind ; but after a time her lamen- 
 tations broke out afresh. 
 
 " My child, why will you grieve so immoderately ? 
 Have you not many comforts left ? Why will you dis- 
 tress me so much by seeing you thus. I shall assist 
 you to undress ; and when you lie down, I shall sit 
 beside your bed. It is better Agnes should not come 
 to you to-night. You must, indeed you must not 
 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 215 
 
 allow your unruly tongue to give utterance to such 
 rebellious expressions." 
 
 " Mother, I will indeed try to restrain my feelings ; 
 but it is so hard to bear the thought that dear Ed- 
 ward was engulfed in a watery grave. Oh, it would 
 not have been so bad if he had died, and been buried 
 where I could have gone to mourn over his dear 
 remains." 
 
 " Again," urged Mrs Rutherford, " you are upbraid- 
 ing God, and you are proving your selfish nature in 
 wounding and grieving me. Do you forget already 
 what I told you of my suffering ? " 
 
 " Pardon, oh pardon me, my beloved mother. Will 
 you sit by me, and sing some of the verses you often 
 sang to me when I had the measles, and was so way- 
 ward and fretful ? Your sweet voice used to lull me 
 to sleep then, and it would now, I am sure, soothe and 
 quiet my agitation. Kiss me, darling mother." 
 
 She then laid her head on the pillow, and closed 
 her eyes. Mrs Rutherford bent over and caressed 
 her like an infant, and in her low musical voice sang — 
 
 " Sweet baby, sleep! what ails my dear, 
 
 What ails my darling thus to cry ? 
 Be still, my child, and lend thine ear 
 
 To hear me sing thy lullaby. 
 My pretty lamb forbear to weep, 
 Be still, my dear ; sweet baby, sleep. 
 
 " A little infant once was He, 
 
 And strength in weakness then was laid 
 
 Upon His virgin mother's knee, 
 
 That power to thee might be convey'd. 
 
 Sweet baby, then forbear to weep, 
 
 Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. 
 
2 1 6 Waves on the Ocean 0/ Life. 
 
 " In this thy frailty and thy need 
 
 He friends and helpers doth prepare, 
 Which thee shall cherish, clothe, and feed, 
 
 For of thy weal they tender are. 
 Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; 
 Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. 
 
 " The King of kings, when He was born, 
 Had not so much for outward ease ; 
 By Him such dressings were not worn, 
 
 Nor such-like swaddling-clothes as these. 
 Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; 
 Be still, my babe; sweet baby, sleep. 
 
 " Within a manger lodged thy Lord, 
 
 Where oxen lay, and asses fed ; 
 Warm rooms we do to thee afford, 
 
 An easy cradle, or a bed. . * 
 Sweet baby, then forbear to weep ; 
 Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep. 
 
 " The wants that He did then sustain 
 
 Have purchased wealth, my babe, for thee ; 
 
 And by His torments and His pain, 
 Thy rest and ease secured be. 
 
 My baby, then forbear to weep ; 
 
 Be still, my babe ; sweet baby, sleep." 
 
 During the time Mrs Rutherford was singing these 
 verses, she rejoiced to find poor Lucy had fallen 
 asleep. 
 
 
o 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 FTEN during that night did the anxious mother 
 came on tip-toe to watch over her child, who 
 slept ; but it was evident from her restlessness, mut- 
 tered words and so]?s, that even in her slumbers her 
 sorrow was not forgotten. 
 
 Next morning poor Lucy was in an utter state of 
 prostration; her nervous system had undergone a com- 
 plete shock. For many days she remained in this 
 state ; every sound in the house was hushed, and 
 every face was pale with anxiety about her. 
 
 After many weary days and nights of watching and 
 tending, Mrs Rutherford's care was rewarded by hear- 
 ing Lucy say, while a sweet smile played over her 
 young, pale face, " Mother, dearest mother, I am 
 better, the bitterness is passed away." 
 
 "Thank God, my child," responded Mrs Ruther- 
 ford, stooping down and kissing her warmly. 
 
 " I '11 not grieve you any more with my querulous- 
 ness or with my sinful remarks, mother. I have vowed 
 to God here on my bed of agonising suffering, that 
 until I can say in sincerity, and with all my heart and 
 soul, ' Father, Thy will be done/ I '11 not speak from 
 this day a single word on any subject to any one." 
 
218 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 " O Lucy, Lucy, I thought you said the bitterness 
 was passed." 
 
 " And so it is, mother ; but as I find I cannot con- 
 trol my tongue, I am determined, with God's assist- 
 ance, not to speak at all, till I can have more command 
 over it." 
 
 Mrs Rutherford was quite stunned with Lucy's 
 resolution, but having a deep sense of the sanctity of 
 a vow, replied, " I am grieved, my child, to find you 
 have been so hasty in your resolution, as 'conversation 
 is the nourisher of content ; ' however, if you have made 
 a vow to God, I shall not throw any hindrance in the 
 way of your fulfilling it. It will be a sad trial to your 
 father, John, and your sisters, but we will all pray 
 that your mind may soon be brought into the way of 
 peace." 
 
 When the tidings were conveyed to the family 
 they all felt, as Mrs Rutherford had said, that another 
 affliction had fallen on them ; but they also regarded 
 the sanctity of a vow made to God, and they were 
 obliged to submit. 
 
 Having for many weeks been precluded from hold- 
 ing any intercourse with Lucy, or even entering her 
 chamber, owing to the nervous state she was reduced 
 to, they did not at first realise the privation it would 
 be to them all not to be able to have an interchange 
 of thoughts with her, and to be replied to by her sweet 
 ringing voice. 
 
 The winter had passed over wearily to the inmates 
 of Thornbrae ; John did not go to college, but 
 remained moping indoors, or walked about the fields ; 
 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 219 
 
 Mary and Agnes attended to the household duties 
 mechanically and silently ; Mrs Rutherford was sel- 
 dom absent from Lucy's chamber; Mr Rutherford had 
 his parish or farm duties to attend to ; and perhaps of 
 all the family he was least affected by the gloom 
 which hung over the cottage. 
 
 When Lucy's resolution was communicated to her 
 father, he was in truth surprised ; he had hoped that 
 her former volatile youthful spirits had not altogether 
 forsaken her, and that time, the great consoler, would 
 assuage her sorrow, and trusted that her grief would 
 soon exhaust itself ; but he now feared that the course 
 she was taking would cause her mind to prey more 
 on her bereavement ; however, he thought it best to 
 acquiesce cheerfully, fearing if chided it would agitate 
 her, and only more strongly confirm her in her deter- 
 mination. 
 
 During her illness he had always, previous to retir- 
 ing to rest for the night, gone and knelt down at her 
 bedside, silently imploring God to give her peace, and 
 if His will, to restore her to health, and grant her 
 resignation. 
 
 Lucy seldom observed him, but latterly she had 
 murmured " Father" or " Good-night," and sometimes 
 held out her hand, or turned round on the pillow to 
 have a kiss imprinted on her forehead or lips. 
 
 On entering as usual, on the evening of the day she 
 had declared what was her intention, he was surprised 
 to see her stretch out both arms to embrace him, and 
 with a bright pleading look say in firm, but gentle 
 tones, " Father, I hope you are not angry with me for 
 
220 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 the vow I have made. O father, pray that I may 
 be forgiven for the sinful feelings which prompted 
 me to give utterance to such reproaches, and for dar- 
 ing to blaspheme with my tongue, accusing God of 
 want of love and injustice towards me ; won't you 
 bear with me, dearest father, I have been the cause of 
 great sorrow and anxiety to you, and through my 
 selfish recrimination harrowed the feelings of the best 
 of mothers." 
 
 " May God bless and forgive you, my dear Lucy, 
 and pour down His Spirit to enlighten your under- 
 standing, to apply to your case the many promises of 
 consolation He has given in His Word to those who 
 call upon Him in the day of trouble. I would much 
 rather you had not taken a vow of silence, as grief is 
 only nurtured by it ; but I trust it will not be long till 
 my child will gratify her father by joining in the 
 morning and evening hymns of praise/' 
 
 u My dear father, if that will comfort you, so soon 
 as I am able to rejoin the family circle at prayers, I 
 shall as formerly sing and play." 
 
 Mr Rutherford then knelt down, and repeated, in a 
 voice almost inaudible from emotion, " Almighty God, 
 our heavenly Father, who of His great mercy has 
 promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with 
 hearty repentance and true faith turn unto Him, 
 have mercy upon you ; pardon and deliver you from 
 all your sins ; confirm and strengthen you in all good- 
 ness, and bring you to everlasting life ; through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord." To which Lucy fervently responded, 
 Amen. Father and child embraced affectionately, and 
 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 221 
 
 this was the last word she uttered for many many 
 months. 
 
 Although Mr and Mrs Rutherford had alone of all 
 the family access to Lucy's chamber, Hector had 
 always found an opportunity of slipping in, and gaz- 
 ing wistfully at the bed ; he seemed to comprehend 
 that there was something wrong. When Lucy felt so 
 much better as to be able to stretch out her hand to 
 him, he licked it in a quiet subdued manner, and looked 
 at her sympathisingly and pitifully. As spring ad- 
 vanced, and Lucy gained strength to go for a walk in 
 the garden, leaning on the arm of some of the family, 
 Hector was always her attendant ; but with measured 
 pace, so unlike his former rapid motions and playful 
 gambols, he followed her slow footsteps, quietly and 
 sedately, often turning, and with earnest, trustful gaze, 
 sought to be recognised by his beloved young mis- 
 tress. John took especial care of Lucy's flower knot, 
 for which he was rewarded by a pressure of the hand, 
 a sweet smile, or a gentle pat on the shoulders from 
 Lucy, when he was stooping down, tending her dearly 
 loved flowers. 
 
 Her canary, parroquet, and the doves which Edward 
 had given her, were removed from her apartment 
 when she first became ill ; but as she got convalescent 
 they were brought back again. Agnes had carefully 
 attended to them, but Lucy was able to take charge 
 of them herself during the summer; and as she gained 
 strength daily, it was hoped before winter she would 
 gladden them further by joining in their conversation. 
 Christmas, however, came and passed over, also the 
 
222 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 New Year, but further than singing at the morning 
 and evening devotions her voice was not heard. She 
 seldom looked unhappy, and was constantly occupied 
 attending to her birds, reading, or working ; and many 
 a blessing was invoked by the old women of the par- 
 ish on the dear afflicted young lady for the warm 
 garments she had made, and sent with her sisters to 
 them. 
 
 At first she retired to her room when any one 
 except the family were present ; but when the next 
 spring came round, she began to attend church regu- 
 larly on Sundays, shook hands with and nodded to 
 her friends whom she met there, and cffterwards re- 
 mained in the room when they visited Thornbrae. 
 
 The family for a time had not addressed their 
 conversation to her, but now they did so, and she 
 listened, and in return smiled or bowed her head, or 
 waved her hand, in token of assent or otherwise, so 
 that her load of sorrow seemed gradually to be wear- 
 ing away, and her health quite restored. But her 
 appearance was greatly changed ; her elastic step, 
 bright colour, rounded cheeks, sparkling eyes, and 
 luxuriant curls, were gone ; the illness had caused 
 her hair to fall off, so that it was cut short, and she 
 was obliged to wear a cap ; her white teeth, and occa- 
 sional sweet smile, were all that remained to remind 
 any one of the former Hebe-like beauty of Thornbrae. 
 Again spring came round, bringing its lovely flowers, 
 and sweetly singing birds ; but she who had been as 
 blooming as the flowers, and her voice as sweet and 
 joy-inspiring as the lark, now more resembled the 
 
 f 
 
 I 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 223 
 
 drooping snowdrop, and her sweet voice was still 
 silent, as, with the exception of singing the morning 
 and evening hymns, she uttered not a word. 
 
 During the summer Lucy spent the greater part of 
 the day in an arbour formed of laburnum and lilac 
 trees, wreathed over with honeysuckle and eglantine ; 
 it was at the foot of the garden, which was at some 
 distance from the house. One day towards the end 
 of August Mrs Rutherford was going in that direction, 
 and heard a voice as if in prayer ; she knew it was 
 Lucy's. Breathlessly she listened, and heard her pour- 
 ing out her soul to God, thanking Him for mercifully 
 sparing her till she had accomplished her vow, and 
 could now with heart and tongue acknowledge the 
 loving-kindness and justice of God, and meekly 
 and uncomplainingly say, " Father, Thy will be 
 done." 
 
 Mrs Rutherford turned away with tears of joy over- 
 flowing her eyes ; sought her husband, who was in 
 another part of the garden, to convey the cheering 
 intelligence that their child had obtained consolation, 
 and was now resigned to the will of her heavenly 
 Father. 
 
 Presently Lucy approached, bearing traces of tears 
 on her cheeks, but with a calm expression in her eyes, 
 and a sweet smile illuminating her pale features. She 
 embraced her parents, saying, " By the grace of God 
 I will praise the Lord with my best member, and with 
 my tongue, which reproached my God, I can now say 
 it was in wisdom and in mercy He afflicted me ; that 
 He ordereth all things wisely, and hath a right to do 
 
224 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 as He pleaseth with His creatures on earth. Before I 
 was afflicted I went astray, but now His consolations 
 rejoice my soul ; like Thomas a Kempis, I have found 
 silence my best friend, and prayer its auxiliary." 
 Entering the house she met her sisters, and warmly 
 embraced and thanked them for all their forbearance 
 and love. 
 
 When John drew near the house on his return in 
 the evening, the unusual sound of the spinnet attracted 
 his attention, and pausing before entering the room 
 he was rejoiced to hear Lucy sing to the air of u The 
 Sicilian Mariners Hymn," 
 
 " Now my soul its triumph raises, 
 Bless Jehovah's gracious care ; 
 He will not disdain my praises, 
 For His grace has heard my prayer. 
 He has all His power reveal'd, 
 He my strength, and He my shield ; 
 When in faith on Him I waited, 
 Then the Lord to help me sped. 
 Now my heart with joy elated, 
 Now my tongue His praise shall spread." 
 
 John this season returned to college, and the in- 
 mates of Thornbrae spent the winter occupied with 
 their various duties. Mr Rutherford had his parish 
 and the farm to attend to, and Mrs Rutherford, the 
 thrifty housewife, 
 
 " O'er house and o'er home 
 Behold her preside ! 
 With prudence she governs, 
 And orders and aids, 
 Exhorts or upbraids, 
 Rebuking the boys 
 And instructing the maids." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 225 
 
 The girls enlivened the time with books, and music, 
 and occasionally visiting and being visited by friends ; 
 among whom none more heartily rejoiced in Lucy's 
 recovery to health and spirits than her uncle, aunt, 
 and cousins, the Wilsons of Ballynacraig, but in 
 Lucy's presence they never referred to her former 
 period of silence. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 WE must now follow Hilary to Madeira, and see 
 what he is about. It is upwards of three 
 years since we left him going there as medical at- 
 tendant to the Hon ble . Mrs V . 
 
 His treatment was most judicious, and under his 
 care the invalid reached Madeira in improved health. 
 He received the warmest thanks and a large fee from 
 the lady's mother, accompanied by a request that he 
 would remain their guest as long as he pleased. 
 
 Botany was a science in which Hilary (or rather we 
 should style him Dr Rutherford) specially delighted ; 
 here was a good opportunity for gratifying his taste 
 by collecting specimens. The salubrious climate of 
 Madeira, with its undulating surface of alternate hill 
 and dale causing so many different aspects, is favour- 
 able to the growth of plants belonging both to the 
 tropical and temperate zones ; it is therefore an 
 ample and most varied field for botanical study and 
 research. Week after week slipped away in his 
 favourite pursuit without his feeling the lapse of time. 
 Often had he come to Funchal with the determina- 
 tion of returning home, but on hearing of rare plants 
 which were to be had in other parts of the island, he 
 was induced to visit those localities to procure them. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 227 
 
 He had always a hearty welcome at the Hon ble . 
 Mrs V 's, where he was sure to meet with agree- 
 able society. On one of these occasions he was in- 
 troduced to an officer and his lady who had come 
 from India to recruit their health. They told him 
 that a number of their friends were only remaining 
 in Madeira till they could get a ship in which there 
 would be a medical man. Here was an opportunity 
 for Hilary to accompany them, and be well remu- 
 nerated for his services. It had been his most anxious 
 wish to go botanising on the Neilgherry Hills, but 
 the expense of the voyage had hitherto prevented 
 him from attempting to do so. Arrangements were 
 made with the first merchant vessel which called at 
 Madeira, to convey the party to Madras. Nothing 
 of consequence occurred on the voyage ; all arrived 
 safely. Hilary shortly afterwards left on his botan- 
 ising expedition, throwing his whole energies of both 
 body and mind into the pursuit, caring not for fatigue 
 nor danger, if rewarded by the acquisition of a fresh 
 specimen. " What a waste of time and labour !" some 
 of my readers will exclaim ; but as the wisest of men 
 has said, " In all labour there is profit," and it literally 
 turned out so with our friend. His botanical re- 
 searches had discovered many hitherto unknown 
 plants, which were highly valuable to the sciences of 
 chemistry and medicine. A botanic garden was then 
 forming in Calcutta : he was appointed curator and 
 general manager. 
 
 One day he was walking about the gardens super- 
 intending some work soing n ; when his attention 
 
228 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 was arrested by a sailor stopping not far from where 
 he stood, and exclaiming, " By all that 's lovely, a 
 shamrock ! Oh what would I not give to be again 
 on the green sod of dear Ireland ! " Something in 
 the tone of the sailor's voice struck Hilary as not un- 
 familiar to his ear ; so, stepping up to him, he said, 
 " Friend, it seems to give you pleasure to recognise 
 that little plant ; are you an Irishman, as well as 
 myself?" During this introduction the stranger 
 looked wildly at the speaker, then gasped forth, 
 u Hilary, am I so changed that you do not know 
 me ? " 
 
 " No, oh no, Edward ! " and rushing forward, they 
 grasped each other's hands most heartily and warmly, 
 and for some minutes neither was able to speak a 
 word. Hilary first recovered his composure, and 
 said, " But where have you been for so long, Edward ? 
 We thought you were dead." 
 
 " I '11 tell you all," replied the sailor, (who my 
 readers doubtless have recognised as Edward Talbot ;) 
 "but tell me, are they all well at Thornbrae ? Is 
 Lucy" here emotion choked his utterance. 
 
 " All are well, and all will be right when you go 
 home." 
 
 Hilary then took him by the arm and led him into 
 his house, where he partook of some refreshment, 
 during which there were frequent interrogatory ques- 
 tions on either side ; but in cases of this kind, where 
 the feelings have been so excited, little lucid infor- 
 mation was given or received by either party : suffi- 
 cient, however, was told to let Edward know how 
 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 229 
 
 deeply his loss was mourned ; how poor Lucy had 
 suffered ; how long and severe was her trial, till she 
 could acquiesce in submission to her fate. " And," 
 said Hilary, "they write me, 'she is so changed I 
 would not recognise her to be the Lucy I remember.' 
 Her beautiful luxuriant curls had to be cut off, and 
 she is quite pale and thin " 
 
 " But no matter," interrupted Edward, " how 
 changed she is in appearance, her heart is still the 
 same ; her love for me has not changed." 
 
 Edward then told his friend, that after leaving Bel- 
 fast Lough the vessel had encountered a gale, which 
 was so severe as to completely disable the " Bloom- 
 ing Sally/' " While in this condition they were seized 
 by a French vessel which was hovering off the coast 
 of Ireland. Perhaps they expected to take on board 
 some of the disaffected persons who were going to 
 communicate with the French government about 
 sending supplies, to enable Ireland to become a re- 
 public ; or perhaps, as we were at war with France, 
 we were seized as a prize. At any rate we w-ere un- 
 able to do anything but submit to be towed into 
 the harbour of Brest. On arrival there the captain 
 and crew were taken ashore, guarded by gensdarme ; 
 I suppose they were taken to prison, as I never saw 
 any of them again. 
 
 " I was the only passenger on board, and I must 
 have been regarded as a personage of some import- 
 ance, probably a spy, as a double guard of gens- 
 darme were sent with me, and I was taken to prison. 
 My pockets were then examined, and every article of 
 
230 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 my apparel underwent a strict scrutiny, but papers 
 or anything treasonable were not found on me. 
 Words cannot, dear Hilary, give you the slightest 
 conception of the agony I endured, when I found 
 myself a prisoner in a country we were at war with, 
 whose language I scarcely knew a word of, and not 
 having any one to whom I could apply to assist me, 
 to make my case known, or communicate with my 
 friends at home. 
 
 " Previous to leaving the vessel, the captain of 
 1 The Blooming Sally ' had kept up my spirits by 
 telling me that all we had to fear was imprisonment 
 for a few weeks ; that then there would be an ex- 
 change of prisoners, and we would be sent to London. 
 He had no idea, however, we would be separated. 
 Several days passed over. You remember my hasty 
 impetuous temper when I was thwarted in anything, 
 and here I had no Lucy to check me with her sweet 
 look ; nor your dear mother, with her gentle voice, to 
 whisper, ' Better is he who ruleth his spirit than he 
 that taketh a city ;' or, ( The patient in spirit is better 
 than the proud in spirit ; ' or, ' Anger resteth in the 
 bosom of fools,' Edward. 
 
 " My pent-up passions vented themselves furiously. 
 I shouted, stamped, raved, flung my arms about, tore 
 my hair, knocked my head against my prison walls ; 
 in fact, acted like a maniac. But at last I could 
 struggle no longer ; I was seized with brain fever, 
 and what occurred while I was in this state, or how 
 long it lasted, I know not. My first remembrance 
 was being conscious of suffering great bodily pain : 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 231 
 
 then gradually I remembered where I was ; and as I 
 saw no hope of release, I contemplated the prospect 
 of my death with satisfaction. Often did I murmur 
 Lucy's name ; and I thought if I could get a letter 
 conveyed to her, telling her that, in my last moments 
 I still remembered her, it would soothe my departing 
 spirit. But notwithstanding all my affliction, I daily 
 got better. I then formed the resolution that I would 
 endeavour to acquire as much of the language as my 
 situation would permit, hoping it would aid me to 
 escape. I listened attentively to every word, and 
 this diverted my mind. I found that I was in the 
 hospital connected with the prison. As I got conva- 
 lescent, I was allowed to walk in a courtyard where 
 there were other invalids. We were not prohibited 
 from speaking to each other ; and I took every oppor- 
 tunity of entering into conversation with my com- 
 panions ; but they were of the lower classes, and I 
 could learn little from them. Just as I was about 
 to yield to despondency again, a happy circumstance 
 occurred, which roused me. The daughter of the 
 jailer, a child of about ten years old, came out 
 frequently to sit with her book, or work in the court- 
 yard. I assisted her to wind her silks, fastened her 
 embroidery in the frame, and in many other little 
 ways made myself agreeable to her. I told her Eng- 
 lish words, and she, in return, told me French. She 
 lent me books, and made me feel happier, more cheer- 
 ful, and hopeful. She was an only child, and mother- 
 less. Her father was devotedly attached to her ; it 
 gratified him to perceive the progress his child was 
 
232 Waves on the Ocean of Life ; 
 
 making in acquiring the English language ; he pur- 
 chased her books, and she became regularly my 
 pupil. I soon — thanks to your dear father for ground- 
 ing me so well in Latin — gained a knowledge of 
 French, so that I could converse tolerably well. M. 
 le Borde informed me that, as I had no documentary 
 or other evidence to prove that I was otherwise than 
 what the captain said, (a passenger,) I might have been 
 allowed to depart when the vessel and prisoners were 
 exchanged ; but fever had prevented me accompany- 
 ing them when they left. That the English were 
 still at war with France ; that Bonaparte was carry- 
 ing all before him by force of arms in Europe ; that 
 he entertained a great hatred to the English, and 
 cherished the hope of invading and humbling the 
 power of England ; so there was little hope for me to 
 get free. 
 
 " Among the various topics of conversation M. le 
 Borde and I entered into, freemasonry was intro- 
 duced. I don't think you ever heard I had joined 
 their society shortly after I went to London. My 
 uncles thought it was very foolish ; but now it 
 proved the best thing ever happened to me. I com- 
 municated to M. le Borde that I was one of that 
 fraternity, and at once recognised him as a brother 
 freemason. Here was indeed a grand discovery. 
 From this time I was treated as a friend, and given 
 to understand that, if opportunity offered, proofs of 
 brotherly affection would not be wanting. Shortly 
 after this, while seated with Lisette, giving her the 
 daily lesson, we were interrupted by Monsieur le 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 233 
 
 Borde dancing into the room where we were sitting, 
 singing, at the same time, his usual song, the subject 
 of which had at first amused me greatly — it being a 
 description of the death and burial of the Duke of 
 Marlborough, and I had rendered it into English. It 
 had been introduced to notice by the peasant nurse of 
 the Dauphin singing it while rocking the royal cradle ; 
 and Marie Antoinette having been struck by the sim- 
 plicity of the words, the singularity of the refrain, and 
 the melodiousness of the air, felt interested in it, and 
 frequently sang it ; and hence Marlborough became 
 the fashionable air in the state apartments of Versailles. 
 Being caught up by the attendants, it was then sung in 
 thekitchens and stables. From the court, it was adopted 
 by the tradespeople of Paris, and passed thence from 
 town to town, till it was heard all over France. Even the 
 revolution, the fall of the Bastile, and the Marseillaise 
 hymn, were insufficient to smother the sounds of that 
 never-ceasing song. It is even told of Bonaparte 
 that, despite his general antipathy to music, he often, 
 when getting on horseback to start on a campaign, sang, 
 
 ' Marlborough s'en va-t-en guerre, 
 Mironton, Mironton, Mirontaine ; 
 Marlborough s'en va-t-en guerre, 
 Ne sait quand reviendra, 
 Ne sait quand reviendra, 
 Ne sait quand reviendra.' 
 
 " It was wafted over to England, where it soon 
 became as popular as in France ; you know it as 
 Malbrook. From hearing the air so frequently, it 
 fell unheeded on my ear ; but when Monsieur, after 
 
234 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 pirouetting round me several times with great vi- 
 vacity, and more than his usual share of shrugs and 
 grimaces, stopped opposite me, and sang, 
 
 ' Monsieur de Marlborough est mort, 
 Mironton, Mironton, Mirontaine ; 
 Monsieur de Marlborough est mort, 
 Est mort et enterre, 
 Est mort et enterre, 
 Est mort et enterre,' 
 
 I wondered what could have excited him so much, 
 and endeavoured to interrupt him ; but he still con- 
 tinued in his mock-heroic style — Econtez Anglais — 
 
 ' I 've noting more to say, 
 Mironton, Mironton, Mirontaine, 
 I 've noting more to say ; 
 Von't you say 'tis 'nuff? 
 Von't you say 'tis 'nuff? 
 Von't you say 'tis 'nuff? ' 
 
 " c Hold, hold, my dear friend,' said I, ' it is truly 
 enough. What does this all mean ?' 
 
 " Lisette was dismissed, and after grimaces and 
 gesticulations, I heard what had caused all this 
 tumultuous joy. 
 
 " I then learned that the doctor who had the super- 
 vision of the prison had been ordered off to join the 
 army in Italy ; that he was to be replaced by a young 
 man from one of the medical colleges in Paris ; that 
 the said youth should have been here before his prede- 
 cessor left ; but he had not made his appearance yet ; 
 that the doctor was so hurried on leaving, he had 
 omitted to wait to see the particulars registered of 
 those who had died during the night, but had merely 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 235 
 
 signed his name, and left Monsieur le Borde to fill up 
 the description of the deceased. 
 
 " Here again his spirits got up, he caught me in his 
 arms, shed tears, vowed he 'd never forget me ; but it 
 would break his heart to part with Monsieur Talbo, 
 &c. &c. 
 
 " ' But/ said I, ' what has all this to do with me, 
 my friend ? ' 
 
 " ' Everything, mon Dieu ! You no comprehend ? 
 I write you what you call mort ; you go to your own 
 enterrement n'est ce pas aussi a l'enterrement des 
 defuncts to the cimetiere outside la prison ; mon 
 Dieu ! you walk away, leave pauvre moi et Lisette 
 au desespoir.' 
 
 u Here was an unexpected prospect of deliverance. 
 I need scarcely say I was elated ; but when I thought 
 over the many difficulties in the way of my getting 
 out of the country, and the dread of being unsuccess- 
 ful, it checked my ardour. 
 
 " I communicated to Monsieur le Borde my fears 
 as to the result of my escape. 
 
 " 'Ah, bah !' replied he ; ' Monsieur Talbo ne vous 
 affiigez pas ; a cceur vaillant rien d'impossible ! Je 
 donne une lettre pour un ami, un franc macon a 
 L'Aigle d'Or pres le quai ; a table-d'hote vous 
 voyez plusieurs capitaines peut-etre donnez-vous une 
 traversee.' 
 
 " ' But,' interrupted I, ' there will not be any vessels 
 for England. Oh, this horrid war, what affliction is 
 it not bringing on thousands, as well as on me ! ' 
 
 " Here I was stopped by Monsieur le Borde remind- 
 
236 Waves 07t the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 ing me we had little time to spare ; that the funeral 
 was to take place in the evening, and that I must be 
 ready to accompany it. 
 
 " I need scarcely say I was rejoiced at the prospect 
 of regaining my freedom. I caught the spirit of my 
 kind friend the jailer, and felt quite elated. I pic- 
 tured to myself the happiness of returning home, the 
 pleasure of getting to Thornbrae, the joy of meeting 
 all, and of clasping my beloved Lucy in my arms. 
 I had few preparations to make, as the clothes which 
 had been in my portmanteau were nearly worn out ; 
 besides, I could not carry anything with me but a 
 change of linen and my toilet requisites. My watch 
 had not been taken from me, and my purse still con- 
 tained eleven guineas. I offered these to Monsieur le 
 Borde, but he indignantly refused them. ' Monsieur 
 Talbo, ne vous inquietez pas. A la bonne heure ! Mon 
 ami et le votre qui fait partie de la fraternite pourra 
 peut-etre obtenir l'argent francais en echange de la 
 monnaie anglaise. Voici la lettre ; il n'est pas difficile 
 de decouvrir l'Aigle d'Or ; c'est un cafe sur le quai.' 
 
 " He then produced a workman's blouse for me to 
 wear. He further explained that, when I accompanied 
 the funeral, the sentinels would think I was either 
 one of the undertaker's men, or a workman who had 
 been employed about the prison. 
 
 " Poor Lisette ! I dare not see her to say farewell. 
 She could not be told of our plans, so I was obliged 
 to allow her to think I was unkind. Monsieur le 
 Borde I hoped to see again ; but it grieved me greatly 
 to think of parting without the hope of ever again 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 237 
 
 meeting the dear child who had first soothed my 
 agitated feelings, and been as a ray of hope and life 
 illuminating my prison. However, I had been obliged 
 to submit to greater trials than this ; so hastily em- 
 bracing my kind friend, I stationed myself in a pass- 
 age near where the cofhns were to be carried out. 
 When they were passing, I joined the procession, and 
 with a throbbing heart followed through the inner, 
 and then through the outer gates of the prison, and 
 gained the street. Oh, with what different feelings I 
 found myself here again ; I almost felt inclined to 
 kiss the ground I trod on. When I had entered the 
 prison, I had taken no notice of the streets we passed 
 along from the vessel, as my heart was too full. I 
 now dreaded asking any questions, lest I should 
 attract attention ; so I walked on silently, pursuing 
 the direction Monsieur le Borde had told me, and 
 presently found myself at L'Aigle d'Or. I stepped 
 in, and seating myself at a table, called le garcon to 
 bring me une petite verre eau-de-vie. Presently the 
 maitre d'hotel came beside where I was seated. I 
 presented my letter, accompanying it with the masonic 
 sign. He motioned me to follow him to his bureau. 
 'This is rather a troublesome commission, my friend, 
 M. le Borde has given me, but we '11 see what can be 
 done. You must lie here perdu. But have you no 
 other dress, my friend V 
 
 " ' Oh yes !' I replied ; ' under this blouse are ordi- 
 nary garments.' 
 
 " For three days I was doomed to experience the 
 sickness of heart consequent on hope deferred ; but 
 
238 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 on the fourth, worthy Monsieur Dubois informed me 
 that he had a prospect of getting me taken by a 
 captain who was going to the East Indies. 
 
 "'Oh! can you not get me sent nearer home?' 
 exclaimed I. 
 
 " ' My friend must bear in mind that, if he would 
 get into any of the European ports at this moment, 
 he could not get out of a French vessel to England ; 
 but from Calcutta there likely will be a chance/ 
 
 " I had no alternative but to submit myself wholly 
 to his direction. Shortly afterwards I was introduced 
 to the captain of the vessel, who agreed to take me, 
 on condition I would work for my passage. This I 
 gladly consented to ; and I gave him the contents of 
 my purse to pay the maitre d'hotel and my outfit. 
 
 "Previous to leaving Brest, I had the gratifica- 
 tion of seeing my kind and ever-to-be-remembered 
 friend, Monsieur le Borde ; but the pleasure was 
 deeply mingled with pain at having to bid him adieu. 
 I wished so much to have seen Lisette, but prudence 
 forbade it ; and as the only recompense I could make 
 her for my seeming unkindness in leaving her without 
 a parting word, I requested her father to convey to 
 her, with my best wishes for her welfare, the only 
 trinket I possessed. You may remember the locket 
 I had, which contained a lock of my mother's hair, to 
 which I had added a curl of dear Lucy's just previous 
 to leaving Thornbrae. On my return, when I had 
 declared my love, and she promised to become my 
 wife, I wished her to accept the locket ; but she 
 playfully refused, saying, ' I '11 not take it till I get 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 239 
 
 the owner along with it ;' but now she'll have to do 
 without the locket when she gets myself. 
 
 " See, here is the hair I took out of it. I have worn 
 it next my heart, notwithstanding that I parted with 
 what it was contained in. 
 
 " My night of darkness and grief seems now to have 
 passed away, and a bright morning of joy dawning 
 on me. Rejoice with me, my dear Hilary, for the 
 Lord has heard my desires. Oh let us therefore 
 praise Him for His goodness, and declare the won- 
 ders that He hath done, and still doeth, for the 
 children of men." 
 
 Hilary gladly supplied Edward with the means of 
 purchasing clothes and all other necessaries for his 
 homeward voyage. 
 
 The firm of the Messrs Talbot being well known, 
 there was no difficulty in getting a passage in a vessel 
 bound to England. 
 
 With mingled feelings of sorrow and joy, Edward 
 departed, bearing with him the love and best wishes 
 of Hilary, also a large packet of letters to be posted 
 on his arrival in England. 
 
 The voyage was long ; to Edward it seemed inter- 
 minable. There were not any other passengers, and the 
 captain and mate were unsocial and uneducated men ; 
 so he was left to his own thoughts and resources. 
 
 When with Hilary it made him feel that he was 
 not so far away from Thornbrae and his beloved 
 Lucy. But now that he was so situated as not to be 
 able to talk about her, and mention her loved name, 
 his spirits became dull ; and as day after day the 
 
240 Waves on the Ocean of Life > 
 
 vessel was becalmed, he experienced the bitterness of 
 hope deferred. 
 
 Oh how he rejoiced when the vessel got into the 
 trade winds, and the heaving of the log told the good 
 news that they were making ten knots an hour ! But 
 there were still thousands of miles between him and 
 his destination. Often did he contrast the slow flight 
 of time now with the seemingly short fleeting month 
 which he last spent at Thornbrae. Like an impri- 
 soned bird he chafed at his confinement ; he even felt 
 more miserable than he did while in the prison at 
 Brest ; here he had no Lisette to revive and cheer 
 his lonely hours. There was no alternative but pa- 
 tience, which, we already have seen, was not a virtue 
 Edward possessed. One weary week after another 
 passed away. The Cape of Good Hope was at length 
 reached ; this was a tangible proof of being homeward 
 bound, and raised his drooping spirits for a time. 
 
 From this the voyage was speedy ; and having got 
 well through the Bay of Biscay, England was neared, 
 and the cry of " land a-head" greeted Edward's de- 
 lighted ear. Then came a revulsion of feeling. What 
 if Lucy had drooped under her trial, and was now so 
 far exhausted as to be sinking into an early grave ? 
 Or oh, torturing thought, she might already be dead ! 
 The Channel gales were then encountered ; and 
 after three days beating up under contrary winds, the 
 long-wished-for port was reached. The Messrs Talbot 
 received Edward as if risen from the dead ; his return 
 gladdened their hearts, and seemed to infuse new life 
 into their veins. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 241 
 
 Hilary's letter to his father was posted immediately, 
 Edward followed it the next day, love and ardent hope 
 throbbing in every pulse ; but as it will take him six 
 days, or perhaps longer, to reach Thornbrae, we shall 
 leave him on his journey, and in next chapter learn 
 what is going on in the abode where Edward's hopes 
 and wishes centred. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 ALL at the cottage was going on in the usual rou- 
 tine. Mr Rutherford had ample occupation in 
 his duties as a curate, and in the supervision of the 
 farm. John had not yet decided on his choice of a 
 profession, and spent his time in going about the 
 farm, reading, and riding, or walking with his mother 
 and sisters. The girls were constantly occupied, 
 either in assisting their mother in the household 
 management, in sewing for themselves and the poor, 
 in visiting or receiving visits from their friends, and 
 in ministering to the wants of the sick and afflicted. 
 
 Nor was the culture of their tastes and minds for- 
 gotten ; music and drawing, books, and conversations 
 on literary and scientific subjects, formed a pleasing 
 part of their occupations. To use Woolner's words : 
 
 " A cool repose lay grateful through the place ; 
 And pleasant duties, promptly, truly done ; 
 And every service, touch'd with hidden springs, 
 Oil'd with intelligence, moved smoothly round." 
 
 John returned one evening from Slievedhu, bring- 
 ing a letter to his father, addressed in well-known 
 writing. It was from Hilary, whose letters were 
 always most welcome. He was not only regarded 
 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 243 
 
 with affection, but looked up to with pride by every 
 member of the family as being talented and clever. 
 All were soon assembled, and every eye riveted on 
 Mr Rutherford, who read as follows : — 
 
 "Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, \^th October 17 — . 
 
 " My DEAR FATHER, — The wish of my heart has 
 been realised. I am now enjoying to the fullest ex- 
 tent the pursuit of my two favourite studies, botany 
 and medicine, (and remuneratively too,) as I am in 
 receipt of a salary of 8000 rupees yearly, besides a 
 free house, perquisites, and permission to practise as 
 a physician whenever it does not interfere with my 
 duties as curator here. 
 
 " I know it will rejoice you all to hear this ; and 
 selfish though it may seem, I write it first. I trust 
 this will find you all quite well. I now come to news 
 which will make you all happy. Our dear Lucy's 
 trials are over. Edward has most unexpectedly 
 turned up ; he is now beside me ; and is just about to 
 sail for England, and takes this to post to you. I 
 leave him to tell his adventures. Where his heart is, 
 he will soon appear in propria persona!' 
 
 Here a deep sigh from Lucy arrested general atten- 
 tion. She was ashy pale, and instantly swooned 
 away. John laid her on a couch, and restoratives 
 were applied ; presently she recovered, and, with a 
 hesitating voice, asked, " Can I credit my senses ; 
 did Hilary write my beloved Edward was alive, and 
 would soon be here V 
 
 Congratulations and caresses soon assured her that 
 
244 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 it was true, and that all around participated in her 
 happiness. Then, bursting into tears, and burying 
 her head in her mother's bosom, she murmured, 
 " Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my 
 prayer, nor His mercy from me, for He hath delivered 
 me out of trouble, and put gladness in my heart. 
 Bless the Lord, O my soul." 
 
 Two days afterwards Edward arrived ; but as our 
 readers are already acquainted with his adventures, 
 we need not recapitulate them as he did to the in- 
 mates of Thornbrae. 
 
 Hilary had told Edward that Lucy's appearance 
 was altered, but still he could not imagine that such 
 a change was possible. He had left her a blooming, 
 sprightly young girl ; now she was pale and thin, and 
 looking so much older ; her fair, wavy, luxuriant hair 
 had been cut off during her illness ; it had grown 
 darker, and she now wore it plainly braided ; her 
 manner was subdued and quiet, and her expression 
 melancholy. But changed though she was, Edward 
 thought her more beautiful than before. Her sweet 
 smile still remained the same ; and when her eyes 
 rested on Edward, they beamed with tenderness and 
 love. He would have wished her to look more robust, 
 but he was hopeful that now that he had returned, 
 the blushes of health might again overspread her 
 countenance. It was arranged that they should be 
 married on the first of August, the anniversary of the 
 day Edward had left Thornbrae four years ago ; to 
 them it seemed an age, so many events had occurred 
 within that period. 
 
A Dalriadiaii Talc. 
 
 2 45 
 
 It was now the middle of July, and all were engaged 
 in preparations for the coming event. The sun shone 
 brightly on the wedding party as they walked to 
 church, accompanied by Margaret, Agnes, John, and 
 their cousins, Nannie, Mary, Francis, and James Wil- 
 son. This was the whole bridal party ; and although 
 not merry or joyous, they were perhaps happier in 
 reality than where jest and mirth prevail. 
 
 Edward looked with pride and tenderness at Lucy, 
 who confidingly and lovingly leant on his arm. Mr 
 Rutherford had walked on before them, and in his 
 surplice received the party at the church. The ser- 
 vice was read by him in a solemn, impressive manner ; 
 but when he came to the words, " Almighty God, 
 who at the beginning did create our first parents, 
 Adam and Eve, and did sanctify and join them 
 together in marriage, pour upon you the riches of 
 His grace, sanctify and bless you, that ye may please 
 Him both in body and soul, and live together in holy 
 love unto your lives' end. Amen," the feelings of 
 the father nearly choked his utterance ; but a glance 
 at Edward convinced him that he would be a true 
 and faithful husband to his Lucy, and that instead of 
 losing he was gaining a child. 
 
 On returning from church, Mrs Rutherford received 
 the party in her gentle kind manner, and Edward was 
 so overjoyed, that he forgot her stately bearing, and 
 this time kissed her over and over again to the great 
 amusement of the young folks. 
 
 After luncheon, a post-chaise arrived from Slieve- 
 dhu to convey the happy pair to Belfast. Mrs 
 
246 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Rutherford up to this time had kept calm, but now 
 the mothers feelings proved too strong to be re- 
 pressed ; there had been a greater bond of union and 
 sympathy between her and Lucy than the rest of 
 the family were aware of, and she wept piteously at 
 the thought of parting. 
 
 Mary Wilson seeing her aunt so affected hastily 
 pulled off her slipper and flung it at Edward 
 when he was entering the chaise ; this provoked a 
 general outburst of laughter. Edward turned round 
 and said, " Miss Mary, I bargained with you at 
 Tullyhoge that you were only to fling the token of 
 sovereignty after me, but here you have hit your liege 
 lord on his august shoulders." 
 
 London was safely reached ; Edward and his bride 
 were received by their uncles Talbot in the kindest 
 and most cordial manner, and everything that 
 affection could devise and wealth procure was be- 
 stowed on their niece Mrs Talbot. 
 
 It afforded them the greatest pleasure to observe 
 a marked improvement in her appearance from week 
 to week ; but as they feared the effects of the Nov- 
 ember fogs on her still delicate constitution, they 
 suggested to Edward to go to Madeira for the winter, 
 and this falling in with Edward's own wishes, the 
 young couple sailed for that lovely island early 
 in the month of October, and after a pleasant passage 
 arrived safely. 
 
 Bowles had not at that time penned the lines that 
 "the woods of Madeira trembled to a kiss;" if ever 
 woods did so, their vibrating might now have been 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 247 
 
 visible, as sure we are a kiss was often exchanged 
 between Lucy and Edward there. 
 
 One day after Lucy's marriage, Mr Rutherford and 
 his son John were returning from Slievedhu, and Mr 
 Rutherford proposed coming a short cut across the 
 fields. The conversation at first was on the happy 
 termination of Edward and Lucy's sorrows ; John, who 
 had relapsed into silence for some time, said abruptly, 
 " Father, don't you think Mary Wilson would make 
 a good wife ?" 
 
 Mr Rutherford, who had noticed the growing love 
 between the cousins, would rather it had been other- 
 wise, as he had more ambitious views for his son ; but 
 fearing that opposition would only strengthen their 
 affection, he had avoided speaking on the subject, 
 hoping that it was merely a youthful fancy, because 
 they had been thrown so much together, and that it 
 would vanish when John got into the society of other 
 girls, and Mary, when he was absent, might be 
 addressed by some other suitor. This feeling caused 
 him to reply curtly, " Perhaps she would." 
 
 " Perhaps/' echoed John ; " could there be any 
 doubt of it?" 
 
 " Certainly there would," was the reply ; " Mary's 
 temper would not do with every one." 
 
 " I do not think, father, she has a bad temper." 
 
 " Well, I did not say she had a bad temper, but she 
 is hasty and impulsive, and from being unaccustomed 
 to restraint, and having unlimited control at home, she 
 could not be expected to be a submissive wife, and it 
 is not every man she would suit on that account." 
 
248 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 " Oh, is that all ?" said John ; " I am sure Mary and 
 I would not disagree." 
 
 This was, Mr Rutherford thought, drawing too much 
 towards the subject he wished to avoid, which caused 
 him to answer petulantly, " Of course all girls are 
 good-tempered before they are married, but what 
 makes all the bad wives ? I presume the husbands 
 must all be to blame ; but we are wasting time on 
 this useless subject; I came this way expressly to 
 talk to you on a more important matter. It has 
 annoyed and grieved both your mother and me 
 greatly that you have not attended to your studies, 
 or made the progress we expected you would have 
 done, and you are so wavering in the choice of a 
 profession ; you are now come to manhood, and it is 
 exceedingly foolish in you not to decide on the course 
 of life you mean to pursue. Hilary did not act as you 
 have done ; he had completed his studies, and entered 
 on his profession, before he was your age." 
 
 John felt that he deserved reproof, but urged that 
 grief for Edward's supposed death and Lucy's un- 
 happy state had unsettled his mind for study, but 
 he was determined to act differently for the future. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE parish of Termonabrack at this time became 
 vacant by the death of the incumbent ; the 
 living was a good one ; it was in the gift of the 
 Southend family, who still esteemed their former 
 tutor, and remembering their promise to him, they at 
 once offered him the living, saying that perhaps after 
 a time his son John might succeed him in the parish. 
 The Bishop of Derry had promised his interest in 
 getting Mr Rutherford appointed dean, (on the de- 
 mise of the present dean,) to whom there could not, 
 in their opinion, be a more worthy successor than 
 their late tutor. Here were now the early dreams of 
 Alexander Rutherford about to be realised ; this 
 would also decide John in adopting a profession, 
 about which he was unsettled. Mrs Rutherford felt 
 sorry at the prospect of leaving Thornbrae, and so 
 did Margaret and Agnes ; but youth is generally fond 
 of change, and the prospect appeared a pleasant one. 
 The parsonage was large, the neighbourhood had 
 many resident gentry, who were sociable, and their 
 position higher, so that there would be more visiting, 
 consequently more variety for the girls, who, since 
 Lucy's marriage, felt occasionally dull ; so with feel- 
 
250 Waves on the Ocean of Life, ' 
 
 ings of sorrow, softened by hopes of the future, 
 Thornbrae was left in charge of Jamie M'Gwiggan 
 and family, and all hands were busy fitting up the 
 parsonage to be ready to receive visitors ; but although 
 we have seen Mrs Rutherford's card basket, it is not 
 our intention to give a list of her visitors, the motives 
 which caused the visits, the conversations which took 
 place then, and the observations made afterwards, 
 and the " Thought I to myself," and " Did you re- 
 mark the dress or address of so and so?" who was 
 thought genteel, who vulgar, and the hundred and 
 one other topics generally discussed and descanted 
 on in similar circumstances. Suffice it to say, all 
 went on satisfactorily at Termonabrack parsonage, 
 and the family began to think it was home, and time 
 passed pleasantly. 
 
 Lucy came to pay a visit at the parsonage. Her 
 renewed health and spirits were a source of great plea- 
 sure to them all, and the looks, words, and actions of 
 baby Charles Francis were duly registered and com- 
 mented on. There never was such a child ! so good ! 
 so handsome ! so intelligent ! During the six weeks he 
 was at the parsonage he was the principal personage. 
 He was the alpha and omega of everything ; each 
 one in the house seemed to think they were guilty of 
 some misdemeanour if they attempted to settle to do 
 anything but attend his little lordship. It was now a 
 usual sight to see John on all fours, on the lawn, with 
 Margaret on one side and Agnes on the other, hold- 
 ing the baby on his back, while Lucy sat on the grass 
 beside Hector, who, though not sobered by trials, 
 
A Dalnadian Tale. 251 
 
 yet by age was made sedate and quiet ; while Mr and 
 Mrs Rutherford would stand, arm in arm, on the hall 
 door steps watching the happy group, — Mr Rutherford 
 reiterating the feelings generally expressed by grand- 
 parents : " I never thought I would feel so foolishly 
 fond of a child. Why, I love him as dearly as I do 
 Lucy!" and Mrs Rutherford's sweet smile and pressure 
 of the hand re-echoed her husband's sentiments. 
 
 Edward now joined the party, and after a short so- 
 journ, he, wife, and child, accompanied by Agnes, 
 returned home. Margaret being the eldest should 
 have gone to London, but her father said he could 
 not spare her till he got better settled in the parish ; 
 and as John was obliged to go back to college to 
 finish his course of studies, preparatory to taking 
 orders in the Established Church, Mr Rutherford had 
 to visit Thornbrae occasionally, but in another year 
 he could dispense with her services for a time. " But 
 who knoweth what a day or an hour may bring 
 forth ? " and yet we plan what we will do next year, 
 or for many years to come. 
 
 At this time the Episcopalian, or church established 
 by law in Ireland, engrossed a great part of the pro- 
 fits and honours of the country, .besides a large share 
 of the landed property. 
 
 The majority of the peasantry of Ireland were 
 Roman Catholics, and in a state of wretchedness and 
 poverty. The payment of tithes to support a church 
 which was so opposed to their wishes and belief in 
 every way, and from which they believed they did 
 not derive any benefit, either spiritually or tempo- 
 
252 Waves on the Ocean of Life \ 
 
 rally, became a very great hardship and burden, and 
 was the cause of numberless outbreaks in various 
 parts of the country. This feeling of discontent had 
 been rankling in the minds of the people, and year by 
 year it gained strength. As the poverty of the 
 country increased, the payment of tithes and church 
 rates became more obnoxious to the lower classes, as 
 they were the most numerous tithe-payers. 
 
 The bailiffs who collected the tithes and church 
 rates were generally persons of low character, coarse 
 and brutal in their manners and language. They 
 spoke in a taunting way to the persons they came to, 
 demanding payment in a peremptory, overbearing 
 manner ; and if their demands were not immediately 
 complied with, threats of distraining and driving off 
 the cattle were held out, and in too many instances 
 carried into effect without more than a day or two's 
 delay after the refusal of payment. 
 
 If the sum demanded by the collector was not paid 
 immediately, either from absolute want of cash, ab- 
 sence from home, or a wish to give him the trouble 
 of calling again, threats, supplemented with oaths 
 and opprobrious epithets, which led to abusive retorts 
 and imprecations, and most frequently ended in the 
 tithe collector's being beaten, or thrown into, or 
 dragged through, a bog hole. Then followed the 
 capture by soldiers of the offending parties, — a trial 
 before one or two magistrates, (if trial it could be 
 called, where no witnesses were allowed except on 
 the one side.) 
 
 A committal to jail for some months might be the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 253 
 
 penalty, or the offenders were confined in the stocks, 
 to be pelted and hooted at by the rabble, who were 
 urged on by the soldiers and tithe proctors. 
 
 The clergy were often strangers in Ireland, who 
 had got their livings, not for their virtues or their 
 knowledge. They felt no interest in the people, and 
 looked down on them as serfs and inferior beings. 
 The clergymen as a body were far from zealous in the 
 observance of their duties, being more addicted to the 
 pleasures of the table, hunting, shooting, gambling, 
 &c, but were strict in demanding the full amount of 
 their tithes and incumbents' dues, and, in many in- 
 stances, permitted and encouraged payment to be en- 
 forced in a most insulting, aggravating manner. It 
 was, moreover, a very great grievance to the small 
 farmers to have their fields ridden over by the hunting 
 parson and his associates, or the fences broken to ac- 
 commodate them when out shooting, or riding steeple- 
 chases through the country ; and when they happened 
 to meet the owner of the farm there was too frequently 
 a haughty bearing, and proud, insolent manner dis- 
 played towards him, and on his part he felt neither 
 respect nor esteem for the parsons, who were looked 
 upon as heretics and robbers ; and as the farms were 
 so small, and the tenants miserably poor, it cannot be 
 denied that it was sufficient to rouse them to resist 
 payment out of their little stock which they had 
 earned by their hard labour. It was indeed a hard- 
 ship for them to have to support men in luxury, while 
 they had great difficulty to keep themselves and 
 families in food which the parsons would not have 
 
254 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 considered fit in quality or sufficient in quantity to 
 feed their hounds. Added to this, the overbearing 
 pride of many of the incumbents exasperated their 
 poor parishioners to retort disrespectfully, to curse 
 them, (not always inaudibly,) and to feel a deep- 
 rooted hatred, which in many instances led them to 
 take a terrible revenge. 
 
 The parish of which Mr Rutherford was now the 
 rector was owned principally by extensive landed pro- 
 prietors, and was chiefly used by them for pasturage, 
 which according to the tithe laws were not chargeable 
 with incumbents' dues ; these landowners rented off 
 small patches of land which were cultivated princi- 
 pally by Dissenters and Catholics, and it aggravated 
 their feelings to be obliged to pay tithes for the crops 
 which by their hard labour they had raised on their 
 smalls farms, or for a cottier, who had only one rood 
 of potatoes, which was all a family from seven to 
 twelve persons had to subsist on during the winter, 
 to be compelled to give a tithe of them, while the 
 large owners were exempt from payment for their 
 pasture lands. 
 
 John had redeemed his promise, had studied closely, 
 obtained his degree at Trinity College, taken orders, 
 and was now the recognised curate of Termonabrack, 
 assisting his father in all his parish duties, as well as in 
 superintending the farm at Thornbrae. Occasionally 
 he went to see his cousins at Ballynacraig ; but they 
 did not come so frequently to the parsonage as they 
 had to Thornbrae. A kind of tacit understanding 
 seemed to have sprung up between them, that the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 255 
 
 rector and his family considered they were now in a 
 position, and moving in a circle above their relatives, 
 who kept an inn. This change was felt by both 
 parties, though not openly expressed, and led to an 
 estrangement between them. John felt it keenly ; 
 but it only made him love Mary more dearly. He 
 met with many matrons who had shown him plainly 
 that they would not object to having him for a son- 
 in-law, and whose daughters gave him to understand, 
 by winning smiles and looks, that if wooed they could 
 be won. Still his heart was his cousin Mary's ; and now 
 that he was curate, with the prospect of being rector 
 when his father would get a larger parish, or succeed 
 to the Deanery of Derry, he determined to ask his 
 father's consent to marry her, and live for the present 
 at Thornbrae. 
 
 Mr Rutherford scarcely knew how to refuse ; but as 
 Mary had a number of admirers, he hoped by delay- 
 ing the union she might be induced to accept some 
 one else ; besides, he wished to get his two daughters 
 married to persons of rank and position, and thought 
 it would militate against them if their brother, who 
 was so caressed by all the families in the neighbour- 
 hood, should marry beneath his present rank. He 
 did not however think it prudent to acquaint his son 
 with all these motives, but pleaded that as he was 
 younger than his sisters it would make them seem 
 old if he married before they were settled in life, 
 urging as encouragement for delay that Mary and he 
 were both young, and could wait for some time ; he 
 was induced to adopt this mode of reasoning, having 
 
256 Waves on the Ocean of Lije, 
 
 ascertained from John that he had never spoken 
 openly of love to his cousin. 
 
 John was therefore reluctantly compelled to accede 
 to his father's wishes ; but as he was devotedly attached 
 to his sisters he expressed himself willing to submit 
 to any personal hardship, rather than do anything to 
 be a hindrance to their forming eligible matrimonial 
 alliances. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 FOR some years before the late incumbent's death, 
 he had great difficulty in getting even a part 
 of his tithes and church rates paid, and when Mr 
 Rutherford succeeded him in the parish of Termona- 
 brack, it was an additional cause of discontent, as the 
 Dissenters, who disliked the family for leaving their 
 communion, united with their Catholic neighbours to 
 resist the payment of tithes even with more obstinacy 
 and determination than they had displayed on former 
 occasions. It was with great difficulty that a part of 
 the tithes and dues were got the first year of Mr 
 Rutherford's incumbency; the second year the re- 
 ceipts were less, and the opposition more strong and 
 more openly expressed. 
 
 Previous to the third harvest a letter was received 
 by Mr Rutherford signed by all the Catholic and dis- 
 senting parishioners in the form of a " Round robin," 
 couched in respectful but strong language, that unless 
 the parson would send to the fields and remove the 
 grain, (every tenth " stook" of which would be left for 
 him,) they would not give tithes in any other way. 
 
 R 
 
258 Waves on the Ocean of Ltfe y 
 
 We have already seen that Mr Rutherford was not a 
 man to be coerced into measures, and now that he 
 had the law of the land to support him, backed by the 
 influence of Lord Southend and the magistrates, he 
 treated the proposal with scorn and silent contempt, 
 and continued getting in his own abundant harvest at 
 Thornbrae. 
 
 The parishioners with one accord left grain in each 
 field, to be taken away by the rector ; but he seemed 
 not to notice it, and when the season came round for 
 raising the potato crop, a similar proposal and warn- 
 ing by the same parties was sent, but this also was un- 
 heeded, so that not only was the grain left to be blown 
 about and go to loss, but the potatoes to rot in the 
 fields. The letters being shown to the magistrates 
 and influential gentlemen of the neighbourhood, it 
 was universally agreed that it would be setting a 
 dangerous precedent to allow the plebeian ranks to 
 dictate and compel the clergy to come into their mea- 
 sures ; and they commended Mr Rutherford for with- 
 standing these attempts, promising to uphold him 
 with their influence, and assist him by the aid of a 
 military force to collect the tithes to which by law he 
 was entitled. Accordingly, when the time came round 
 for the bailiff to call on the parishioners for the tithes, 
 he went as usual to their houses, but accompanied 
 this time by a detachment of soldiers to prevent him 
 from being maltreated. In every case they were 
 peremptorily refused payment, and no threats or 
 abusive language could provoke in return more than 
 a black withering look, a muttered imprecation, or 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 259 
 
 where the more impulsive natures were roused by 
 taunts, the reply was, " Do as you please, we have 
 been so oppressed and wretched, we can't be 
 worse." 
 
 The next step allowed by law was a complaint to 
 be made of non-payment before two justices ; this was 
 done, and immediate steps taken against the de- 
 faulters. Each parishioner had summonses from the 
 magistrates served on him to make his appearance 
 before the bench, or in case of non-compliance there 
 would be a warrant of distress issued to seize what- 
 ever was available to pay the demands. These sum- 
 monses were unregarded by the parties on whom they 
 were served ; they well knew they would not get re- 
 dress, so after the sitting of the magistrates on the ap- 
 pointed day, and when no defendants appeared, writs 
 were issued against all the parties, and the tithe proc- 
 tors and bailiffs, protected by a strong body of mili- 
 tary, and accompanied by several magistrates, all 
 well armed, proceeded to each farm and cottier 
 house, and having brought with them carts, horses, 
 and men, they seized and carried away grain and 
 potatoes, or where those were not available, cattle 
 and horses ; the grain was carted to one of the rec- 
 tory fields and the potatoes taken to another, the 
 cattle and horses driven to Slievedhu, and impounded 
 there to be held over till they were sold. For several 
 days the seizures continued, the people during the 
 time maintaining a dogged silence. 
 
 Almost all the parishioners of Termonabrack, and 
 a large assemblage of persons, came to Slievedhu en 
 
260 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 the market-day to attend the sale of the horses and 
 cattle, which had been advertised to be auctioned in 
 the parson's name. A considerable force of soldiers 
 were present with bayoneted muskets, charged with 
 ball cartridge. Lord Southend's agent and several 
 of his tenants were also there ; the latter were the only 
 bidders at the sale. It is useless to add that the 
 cattle sold considerably below their value. 
 
 When the auction was over the pent up feelings of 
 the poor sufferers could no longer be restrained ; 
 oaths, curses, and threats of vengeance, poured out 
 vehemently, followed by a shower of stones among 
 the cattle, which losing all restraint rushed madly 
 among the people, scattering and knocking down the 
 crowd in their fury. A magistrate present attempted 
 to read the Riot Act, but groans and imprecations 
 interrupted him. The English officer who had com- 
 mand of the soldiers, ordered them to fire among the 
 crowd ; six persons were shot dead on the spot, and 
 a number wounded. 
 
 A scene now occurred which defies description ; 
 the frantic gestures of the crowd ; the screams of des- 
 pair uttered by the women and children ; the groans 
 of the wounded ; the threats of defiance and ven- 
 geance ; the explosions of the muskets ; the com- 
 mands from the officers ; the orders from the 
 magistrates, combined with the smoke, dust, and 
 blood flowing on the pavement, made up a fearful 
 picture. 
 
 Thirteen men were seized and dragged off to 
 prison, and finally the crowd was dispersed, and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 261 
 
 driven at the point of the soldiers' bayonets for miles 
 out of the town, amidst the horrid yells and lamenta- 
 tions of those who were compelled to leave the dead 
 and dying ; the former were allowed to remain w T here 
 they were till coffins w T ere provided for them ; they 
 were then thrown into a sunk ditch at the north end 
 of the burying-ground attached to the church of 
 Slievedhu, and slightly covered over with earth. Dur- 
 ing the dispersion of the crowd, many of the wounded 
 were carried surreptitiously away by friends in the 
 town, who tended and cared for them ; some died of 
 their wounds, others found means to get out of the 
 country. 
 
 The wounded who had been left on the street were 
 removed to a house which had been fitted up as a 
 temporary hospital for the soldiers ; their wounds 
 were dressed, but several died, and those who survived 
 were reserved to stand their trial by court-martial. 
 
 During this time the wretched insurgents returned 
 to their miserable homes; many of them were deprived 
 of a father, husband, or brother, and all had to mourn 
 the death or imprisonment of a relative, friend, or 
 neighbour. Is it, therefore, to be wondered at that 
 vengeance should be the one prevailing feeling 
 amongst them ? 
 
 The soldiery, who had previously guarded the 
 grain and potatoes in the rectory fields, had been 
 taken away to Slievedhu in the morning, and, in the 
 affray which occurred there, their former guardian- 
 ship was forgotten. Here was now an opportunity 
 for revenge. 
 
262 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 That night the inmates of the parsonage were 
 awoke by a crackling noise and lurid flames penetrat- 
 ing through the closely-barred shutters. At first they 
 thought the house .was on fire, but presently found it 
 was the grain which had been stored in the field had 
 been set on fire in several places at once, so that in half 
 an hour all was consumed. 
 
 Next morning all that remained to be seen was a 
 heap of black ashes. The field in which the potatoes 
 had been was also rifled of its store ; only a few re- 
 mained scattered on the ground, and the marks of 
 footsteps over the earth, and a potato dropped here 
 and there, pointed out the direction in which they 
 had been carried away to a bog, where they had been 
 thrown into a deep pit filled with the morass water. 
 The footprints on the soil proved that not only men 
 with heavy shoes, but women with shoeless feet, girls, 
 and even children, had lent their aid in this work 
 of destruction. 
 
 The day appointed for the trial of the poor wretches 
 (who had now sufficiently recovered so as to be able 
 to attend the court) drew on. It was but too well 
 known what would be their fate. 
 
 At this crisis, the following letter was addressed to 
 Mr Rutherford, dropped into Slievedhu post-office, 
 and duly received at Termonabrack parsonage : — 
 " Ye blackavised villain ; ye imp and lim' o' Sattan ; 
 ye turn-coat robber ; ye murthering rapscallion ; we 
 give ye du notis that if ye let the hair o' the head o ? 
 one o' the boys fall, that ye hav in limbo now, all 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 
 
 263 
 
 through yer extorshuns, we swear by the holy + yer 
 doom is writ below : 
 
 Rote and sined wi' the blud o' thim that '11 do for ye, 
 if ye don't get a release for the boys that 's to come 
 to a sham trial the day after the morro'. 
 
 " So min' yerself, we warn ye." 
 
 Reader, do not think this a fictitious epistle; the 
 writer of these pages has seen numbers of letters in 
 the same style, and even more strongly worded. 
 
 Tithes and church rates are now collected in a less 
 obnoxious manner, so that outrages on this account 
 are now happily unknown in Ireland. Party outrages 
 have unfortunately of late broken forth ; but it is to 
 be hoped that the " memory of the pious, glorious, 
 and immortal King William the Third" will not 
 again call forth disgraceful scenes, such as were en- 
 acted during the Belfast riots in August 1864. Oh ! 
 when will the sons of Old Erin learn that their coun- 
 try will never be peaceful, prosperous, and happy, until 
 
264 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 party feelings and party colours are abandoned, and, 
 in the words of our national poet, 
 
 " Till like the rainbow's light 
 Thy various tints unite, 
 And form in heaven's sight 
 One arch of peace." 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 THE rector and his family had a very cheerless 
 prospect for the future. Mrs Rutherford had al- 
 ways advised pacific measures, and submission rather 
 than resistance, but was overborne by her husband, 
 son, and Margaret. They all coincided in opinion 
 that when the rebellious ones saw that they were the 
 weaker party, and that the law was against them, 
 they would be obliged to submit, and all would go 
 on well afterwards ; but if the insurgents should be 
 allowed to escape unpunished now, it would only lead 
 to a worse state of affairs in future. 
 
 When the day came round on which the prisoners 
 were to be tried, it was necessary for Mr Rutherford 
 and his son to attend personally. They examined 
 the loading of the brace of pistols with which they 
 were armed, to defend themselves ; and they also 
 carried heavily-loaded walking-sticks ; but what would 
 these avail, if they were attacked by a number of 
 infuriated men. With tearful eyes and sorrowful 
 hearts Mrs Rutherford and her two daughters saw 
 them prepare to depart for Slievedhu. 
 
 While they are getting ready to depart, we shall 
 describe the situation of the parsonage, as it will serve 
 to elucidate events which follow. 
 
266 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 A smooth level lawn of beautifully verdant sward 
 stretched across the greater part of the front of the 
 parsonage, and at one side a semicircular carriage 
 drive swept along towards a massive iron gate, (hung 
 between two strong stone pillars,) which opened on the 
 highroad leading to Slievedhu. On one side of this 
 avenue was a close plantation of trees, and on the 
 other side a belt of evergreens about ten feet in 
 width, behind which was a high, thick hawthorn 
 hedge ; at the end of this hedge, and nearly opposite 
 the hall door, were two yew trees, and in front of 
 them a weeping ash, under which was a rustic seat 
 made of gnarled branches ornamented with fir cones. 
 This had been constructed by John, shortly after the 
 family had come to the parsonage, previous to Lucy's 
 visit. It was a spot hitherto full of pleasant memories. 
 Here Lucy had sat with her first-born in her lap, 
 gazing on him with a young mother's radiant, loving 
 looks ; again Edward had been seated beside her, 
 while Hector and baby rolled about on the grass at 
 their feet, forming a picture of love and domestic 
 happiness, suitable for the pen of a poet, or the pencil 
 of an artist. Here the rector had sat during many a 
 sultry afternoon, and while digesting his comfortable, 
 plentiful dinner, digested the sermon he was to de- 
 liver in the church on the following Sunday to his 
 flock ; and here he and his beloved wife often held 
 many a conference on family and domestic affairs ; 
 here the girls sat during the summer forenoons 
 occupied with books or needlework, and occasionally 
 on a summer evening " Black-eyed Susan," " Highland 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 267 
 
 Mary," or " My dark haired girl," might be heard 
 proceeding from this spot. Of course these celebrated 
 females did not appear in propria persona, but the 
 pathetic airs which have immortalised their names, 
 were played on the flute by John — " Master John" 
 he was designated by the household and farm-servants, 
 and " the curate" by the parishioners. Henceforth the 
 pleasant memories of this place will be effaced by the 
 recollection of the horrible events with which it was 
 indelibly connected in the minds of the Rutherford 
 family. However, let us not anticipate, but accompany 
 the father and son on their walk down the avenue. 
 Unmindful of the bright sunshine, the song of birds, 
 the gay flowers, and the many objects in nature which 
 usually called forth feelings and expressions of plea- 
 sure from both Mr Rutherford and John, they walked 
 on absorbed in silence. When they came to the gate 
 and emerged on the highroad leading to the town, 
 they expected to see a number of persons, but the 
 way was quite deserted, and they soon found that a 
 short time previously a mounted troop of dragoons 
 had chased every one away, and were now returning 
 to station themselves at the entrance to Slievedhu. 
 
 The insurgents were sentenced by court-martial to 
 be shot immediately. They were escorted by the 
 dragoons to a field at one end of the town. The four 
 unfortunate men were ordered to kneel down in a 
 row, opposite to a file of soldiers; they were then blind- 
 folded, and the word given, " Fire." When the smoke 
 of the muskets cleared away, the work of destruction 
 was found to have been done effectually, as in every 
 
268 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 case life was extinct, or the life-blood flowing so freely 
 that recovery was impossible. 
 
 At this juncture the Mr Rutherfords had left Slieve- 
 dhu, and were on the road returning home ; but the 
 volley of musketry too plainly revealed what had 
 taken place. If possible, their return was even 
 more melancholy than their morning walk had been. 
 They both pondered how it would be best to com- 
 municate the dreadful result of the trial to wife, 
 mother, daughter, sisters; but, save by groans, a 
 shake of the head, or a sympathising look, they 
 seemed to forget each other's presence, and they 
 walked mechanically and abstractedly along till they 
 came nearly to the end of the avenue, when John 
 hastened his pace, and ran on before his father, to 
 announce to his mother and sisters their safe arrival. 
 Just at the moment he had entered the hall, and was 
 clasped in Agnes's arms, and about to be greeted in 
 the same way by Margaret, the report of a gun was 
 heard issuing from behind the arbour, and turning 
 hastily round, to his exceeding horror, he saw his 
 father fall prostrate on his face against the flight of 
 stone steps. John bounded down and attempted to 
 move him, but as latterly Mr Rutherford had got 
 very stout, and poor John was so agitated he could 
 not lift him, Margaret immediately joined him, and 
 they succeeded in raising him up ; but a glance was 
 sufficient to show that the vital spark had fled. The 
 fall against the steps had split his head open, his 
 brains were scattered about, his nose smashed, and 
 his face covered with blood, made him a most awful 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 269 
 
 spectacle. By this time Agnes's screams and shouts 
 of " murder" had brought the servants from the house 
 and yard, and, with the assistance of two men, the 
 mangled remains of the rector were carried into the 
 parsonage. A messenger was instantly despatched to 
 Slievedhu for a doctor. 
 
 During all this fearful scene, poor Mrs Rutherford 
 did not scream or shed tears ; she seemed as if be- 
 wildered and horror-stricken, but, save a groan, no 
 sound escaped her lips. Agnes wept and screamed 
 alternately ; Margaret, for a time, did not seem to 
 realise in its full extent what had . occurred, but 
 walked about silently, wringing her hands, pres- 
 sing her temples, and covering her eyes, as if to 
 hide some horrid sight, then fainted away. The 
 doctor just then arrived, and after administering 
 some restoratives, left her, and accompanied John to 
 examine his father's mutilated body. There was not 
 the slightest sign of life. The fall, he said, had been 
 sufficient to cause death ; the bullet had entered the 
 left side close to the spine, pierced his heart, and 
 lodged in the abdomen, causing the wounds to bleed 
 inwardly. 
 
 Presently two magistrates arrived, escorted by a 
 party of soldiers, to make an official examination of 
 the spot where the murder had been committed, and, 
 if possible, to gain some information which might 
 lead to the discovery of the perpetrator of the bloody 
 deed. 
 
 All that could be ascertained was what has already 
 been told. They then proceeded to examine the 
 
270 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 spot from which the deadly shot was fired, and there 
 they found lying on the ground, between the two 
 yew trees, the murderous weapon, which, on exami- 
 nation, proved to be a double-barrelled gun, still 
 containing an undischarged ball. The back of the 
 rustic seat bore traces that it had been rested on it, 
 and, from the flattened marks on the grass, the assassin 
 had evidently knelt while he discharged the musket. 
 Footmarks were traced to the road, and there lost. 
 
 On the gun being shown to John, he immediately 
 recognised it as his, which he used occasionally when 
 out with his volunteer corps. He had just cleaned 
 and loaded it that morning, and left it in the harness- 
 room adjoining the coach-house, intending to remove 
 it to his sleeping apartment, where he kept it when 
 not in use ; but being called away, he neglected to 
 do so. and had forgotten all about it till the circum- 
 stance was painfully brought to his recollection by 
 its now being produced. 
 
 It must have been carried away during the time 
 the men were absent for dinner, as they affirmed, on 
 oath, that they had not seen any one come into the 
 yard, nor had they seen the gun, except in Master 
 John's hands. 
 
 Of course the news spread rapidly over the country, 
 and before noon the day following, Mary Wilson was 
 with her aunt and cousins. Prompted by her warm 
 affectionate heart, she wept and sympathised with 
 the poor sufferers, and, with her ready willing hands, 
 tended them, and made herself useful in discharging 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 271 
 
 the last sad duties to an uncle she had so dearly 
 loved, and now so sincerely lamented. 
 
 The houses of the disaffected parishioners were 
 entered, and each individual questioned by the officers 
 of justice when they had last seen the parson, but 
 nothing could be elicited to lead to the discovery of 
 the murderer. A reward of £$ 00 was offered to any 
 one who would give information that would lead to 
 his apprehension, but all was in vain. 
 
 The parish was placed under martial-law, and a 
 strict watch kept over all persons in it, in hopes that 
 the delinquent would try to leave the country, and 
 by that means fall into the hands of the authorities ; 
 but no clue was ever obtained to point out who had 
 discharged the fatal shot. 
 
 Immediately after the funeral the heart-stricken 
 family removed to Thornbrae ; and oh ! with what 
 altered feelings did they again enter their former 
 happy home. 
 
 In the time of happiness and comfort, Mrs Ruther- 
 ford had often lifted up her heart in thankfulness to 
 God for the many blessings He had bestowed on her ; 
 and now in the time of her sore trial and bereave- 
 ment, she drew closer to her heavenly Father, relying 
 implicitly on the promises given of drying up the 
 mourner's tears, and being a husband to the widow, 
 and a father to the fatherless. In this frame of mind 
 she experienced consolation, which the world could 
 not give or take away from her. 
 
 The living of Termonabrack was offered to John, 
 
 fHAfl 
 
272 Waves on the Ocean oj Life. 
 
 who at once decisively refused it, declaring that he 
 would never officiate in that church again. 
 
 We shall for the present take leave of this mourning 
 family, hoping that the soothing influences of time, 
 and the consolations of religion, will calm and soften 
 their grief, and enable them to bear with resignation 
 their heavy trial. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 IN addition to being in a good situation for a post- 
 ing-house, Ballynacraig had weekly and monthly 
 markets, half-yearly fairs, and was the centre of a 
 good agricultural and flax-growing neighbourhood. 
 
 The linen buyers were a hardy set of robust men, 
 who travelled about from one town to another in 
 troops on horseback, with saddle-bags, containing 
 gold to pay for their purchases, slung across their 
 horses necks, and a valise containing their changes 
 of shirts and toilet necessaries, strapped behind their 
 saddles. They had not a covered market to purchase 
 the linen webs in, but placed in the public street were 
 high narrow tables with a step attached to stand on, 
 so as to raise the buyer over the heads of the crowd 
 who thronged round, and handed up their webs to be 
 examined and valued. The buyer then marked each 
 web he bought, and the seller took the goods away 
 to where they were to be measured and paid for. 
 
 At the " Royal Arms" there was a large room which 
 was used for this purpose ; on each side were ranged 
 tables, and the products of the wheel and loom paid 
 in spade guineas and thirteens. Twopence each web 
 was paid for the accommodation of the room ; then 
 there were refreshments which both buyer and seller 
 
 s 
 
274 Waves 071 the Ocean of Life, 
 
 required, the substantial dinner after the business 
 of the day was over, the provender for the horses, 
 the sleeping accommodation, drink, &c. All this 
 was a considerable source of revenue to the " Royal 
 Arms," and gave the family and domestics ample 
 occupation ; so that although there were no striking 
 incidents in their lives, there was such a constant 
 variety, that time slipped away almost impercep- 
 tibly. 
 
 We have already mentioned that Mrs Wilson's 
 health was delicate, and that Nannie was not ener- 
 getic, therefore Mary had taken an active part in the 
 management of the house ; her exertions were now 
 further taxed as her father's brother, who had attended 
 to the farm and posting department, died, and Mr 
 Wilson's time was so occupied that the entire man- 
 agement of the inn devolved on Mary. In this way 
 she was thrown among many strangers, and heard so 
 much of what were the topics of the time, that she was 
 quite au courant dujour. 
 
 Ireland at this period was in a state of ferment ; 
 the misgovernment of many years began to make 
 itself known visibly. It was felt to be a great 
 grievance that Roman Catholics could not hold 
 leases of land, receive a liberal education, or be 
 represented at the bar or in parliament. The union 
 of all denominations and classes as volunteers in 
 defence of their native country, made a liberality 
 of sentiment, and a fraternity of feeling, which 
 caused a sympathy to be called forth that Roman 
 Catholics should be allowed equal privileges with 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 275 
 
 their Protestant fellow-countrymen. This universal 
 wish for emancipation was further fostered by a cor- 
 respondence with friends in America, who had emi- 
 grated from Ireland, many of whom had taken part 
 in the war of independence. 
 
 But it is not our place to enter into a minute history 
 of the time preceding, and the rebellion of 1798, but 
 merely to narrate sufficient to make our story under- 
 stood. Various societies had sprung up to organise 
 plans for the regeneration of their country ; but these 
 associations either dissolved through quarrels among 
 the members or split up into other societies. " De- 
 fenders" were succeeded by "Hearts of Steel," they 
 again by " Hearts of Oak," " Right Boys," "White 
 Boys," and others ; at the time we write about the 
 " United Irishmen " was the title the disaffected 
 took ; and affairs got into such a turbulent state 
 that strong military reinforcements were quartered 
 all over the country. The " Royal Arms," from 
 having such good accommodation, seldom was with- 
 out a number of the military billeted on them, much 
 to the annoyance of Mary, who sympathised with the 
 wrongs of her countrymen, whose thoughtless conduct 
 only brought punishment on themselves, increasing 
 instead of lessening their woes or mitigating their 
 grievances. 
 
 As the Habeas Corpus Act was suspended, and the 
 country under martial law, any suspicious or turbulent 
 person could be seized, imprisoned, flogged, or even 
 shot or hanged. 
 
 Then came the disarming of Ulster, when all fire- 
 
276 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 arms were obliged to be given up ; this the volunteers 
 thought hard on them, as it was at their own cost 
 they had supplied their arms and equipments. The 
 seizure of a gun often so exasperated young men 
 that they became disaffected against the government, 
 joined the society of " United Irishmen," and with 
 characteristic recklessness threw themselves into col- 
 lision with the military. 
 
 Previous to matters coming to this state, Francis 
 Wilson had finished his apprenticeship, and college 
 courses. Had undergone a favourable examination, 
 and got an appointment on board a man-of-war, which 
 had gone out to the West Indies. His brother James 
 was now with Dr Conway, the chief medical practi- 
 tioner in Ballynacraig. 
 
 James was delicate in constitution, timid and re- 
 served ; his brother Francis was quite different, being 
 robust, candid,, and courageous. Often his parents 
 were thankful that Francis had left home before Ulster 
 was disarmed, fearing that the order to deliver up his 
 prized volunteer musket would have irritated and 
 roused him to become a disloyal subject. 
 
 Mary entered into his feelings ; she well knew how 
 it would grieve her brother if, on his return home, he 
 found that his gun had been taken away, so she de- 
 termined to conceal it. Without making known her 
 plans to any person, one moonlight night, when the 
 officers and men had gone out to relieve guard, she 
 carried the gun into the large room which they 
 had just left, and placing it on a table, with a key 
 opened the door of a room in which was stored linen 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 277 
 
 webs ; she carried them out two at a time, forming a 
 pile on the table, which with the addition of a chair 
 to stand on, raised her sufficiently high to open with 
 the gun a trap door in the ceiling ; she then shoved 
 the gun across the rafters and closed the door, re- 
 moved the chair, replaced the webs, and hurriedly 
 left the apartment just as the military entered. 
 
 When the house was searched, and an old blunder- 
 buss and a pistol taken possession of, the soldiers did 
 not suspect that a gun was concealed just over their 
 heads in the room which they occupied. 
 
 James Wilson had a fellow-apprentice at Dr Con- 
 way's named Andrew Gordon, his brother Henry, who 
 was several years his senior, was nearly out of his 
 apprenticeship with lawyer Conway, brother to the 
 doctor. The father of these young men was the 
 Reverend Andrew Gordon, the esteemed and respected 
 minister of a Presbyterian congregation in the county 
 Down ; he was popular among all sects and denomi- 
 nations, and liberal and tolerant in his sentiments. Of 
 course, as the manner of his persuasion is, he occasion- 
 ally inveighed against Church and State, and warned 
 and pointed out to his hearers the evils and errors of 
 Popery and Prelacy ; but he was on intimate terms 
 with members of all creeds, paid his tithes regularly, 
 went out to fish with the rector, and often dined in 
 the parsonage ; spent an evening occasionally with 
 the priest, taking a glass of punch, and playing a game 
 of backgammon with him. 
 
 He did not interfere in politi cs — in fact it was a 
 subject on which he was rather indifferent and reticent. 
 
278 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 His mind was not narrowed down by sectarian opin- 
 ions ; he thought that each individual of every deno- 
 mination should be allowed to worship God according 
 to the dictates of his own conscience. He wished 
 heartily that instead of being estranged from one 
 another, all Christians would emulate each other in 
 love and good works, for Jesus Christ's sake. " Ire- 
 land," he often said, " will never be as she ought until 
 Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics, 
 forget all their differences, and consider ( that they 
 are only three leaves forming one shamrock/ " 
 
 Mr Gordon was indeed " a man to all the country 
 dear and passing rich, (with a little over) forty pounds 
 a year." 
 
 His meeting-house was in the town of S , but 
 
 he lived rather more than a mile out of the town, in a 
 cottage, on a farm of thirty acres, which he got by his 
 wife. At this time the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 
 did not receive the Regium Domini, and Mr Gordon 
 had little revenue coming in from his pew rents, (or 
 stipend,) and having eight children, he was obliged to 
 divide his attention between the pulpit, the farm, and 
 the education of his children, which gave him ample 
 occupation. Besides visiting the sick and other duties, 
 there were christenings to attend in the houses of his 
 flock, it not being at this period a rule of the Presby- 
 terian Church that baptisms should take place only 
 in the meeting-houses. 
 
 Marriages were also celebrated in the house of the 
 bride, or among the poorer classes in the minister's 
 house ; there was no stated time of the day for the 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 279 
 
 ceremony to take place, nor any notice required ; so 
 that it was not an unusual occurrence for the clergy- 
 man to be roused out of his bed " to marry a couple ;" 
 the ceremony often being performed in the kitchen, 
 the minister in deshabille leaning against the dresser 
 while he joined a pair in the holy bands of matri- 
 mony ; for doing so a fee was given which was deter- 
 mined by the means, generosity, or warmth of feeling 
 of the bridegroom. 
 
 The cottage from time to time, as the family in- 
 creased, required enlargement; in front it still retained 
 its former appearance ; but behind, from the additions 
 at various periods, and at all possible angles, it re- 
 sembled a Chinese alphabetical character. 
 
 Mrs Gordon had been a celebrated beauty, but 
 hard work, and the care and anxiety attendant on 
 nursing and rearing a numerous family, had prema- 
 turely aged and worn her down, so that there was 
 little left to tell the tale of former beauty. Still intel- 
 ligence beamed in her eyes, and although the pearly 
 teeth were gone, the kindly smile ever welcomed the 
 friend as of yore, so that the absence of the bloom 
 of youth was forgotten. She was truly a good 
 kind wife, and a devotedly attached Christian mother, 
 pointing out to her children the way to heaven, and 
 encouraging them, both by precept and example, to 
 walk in the ways of righteousness. Patrick Henry, 
 Mrs Gordon's brother, who had emigrated to America 
 before her marriage, had become a leading orator of 
 the time ; in eloquent soul-stirring words, and with 
 all the fire of an Irishman, he addressed the senators, 
 
2 So Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 in a speech which, to the present day, is regarded as 
 a finished specimen of oratory, and still borne in re- 
 membrance by being inserted in books on elocution. 
 
 A strong attachment existed between brother and 
 sister ; they kept up a correspondence, and it was for 
 him that her eldest son was named, but Patrick being 
 then considered vulgar, it was dropped, and Henry 
 only used. 
 
 Mrs Gordon had a small fortune when she was mar- 
 ried, but from time to time it had been encroached 
 on for apprenticing her two eldest sons, and other 
 exigencies, till only sufficient remained to fit out with 
 the strictest economy Andrew for the navy, and to 
 pay the fees, &c, for Henry to be sworn in an at- 
 torney. 
 
 Both boys were now nearly out of their apprentice- 
 ship ; Andrew had given great satisfaction to Dr 
 Conway, who had formerly been in the British navy, 
 and who had prepared his own sons and several other 
 lads for the service. 
 
 Henry had completed his apprenticeship creditably, 
 and was to accompany for the first time Mr Conway 
 to Dublin. Mary Wilson and Henry were often to- 
 gether ; they had mutual tastes. He read to her, lent 
 her books, and often attended her in walks or rides ; he 
 had many commissions to execute for her in Dublin, 
 purchase books, et cetera. It had been a pleasure for 
 Henry to read, and Mary to listen to " The Pleasures 
 of Hope," " She stoops to Conquer," and other publi- 
 cations of the day ; but on Henry's return from 
 Dublin all these were laid aside to read the speeches 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 281 
 
 of Grattan and Curran, some of which he had heard 
 delivered. These he read, and thought over so 
 frequently, that they became part of his daily conver- 
 sation. Under these influences he formed acquaint- 
 ance with some disaffected persons who easily 
 persuaded him to join the society of United Irishmen. 
 Being ardent and impulsive, he gave vent to his 
 sentiments incautiously, became suspected of dis- 
 loyalty, and his movements watched. 
 
 One of the places of rendezvous was at an old stone 
 quarry, a little distance out of Ballynacraig, the time 
 of meeting being night, and the hour of assembling 
 varying according to the moonlight or other circum- 
 stances. On the evening that Mary hid her brother's 
 gun, and almost at the same hour Henry left Mr 
 Conway's, and had proceeded part of the way when 
 he became aware that he was dogged by two men 
 who kept in the shade ; he slackened his pace, they 
 did so too ; he stopped, they turned off as if going 
 away ; he then quickened his steps, and in a few 
 minutes heard footfalls again behind him. This 
 proved to him he was right in his suspicions, that the 
 persons following were actuated by a determination to 
 discover where he was going. Having now got within 
 a short distance of the quarry, and fearing least he 
 should betray where his associates were assembled, he 
 turned quickly round and encountered two soldiers, 
 who immediately commanded him to halt and show 
 his pass, permitting him to be out after the nine o'clock 
 beat of drum. He was then made prisoner, and taken 
 to the guard-house, where he was kept all night. 
 
282 Waves 071 the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Next morning Mr Conway's house and Henry's 
 sleeping-room were examined by the military, but 
 nothing treasonable was found. He was then brought 
 before the officers, and was addressed by the captain 
 in a haughty, supercilious manner : " Give an account 
 of yourself, you young rebel. What took you out last 
 night ? and where were you going ? " 
 
 To this Henry merely replied by a contemptuous 
 look at the assembled group. He was further ad- 
 dressed in a more threatening tone, and told by the 
 officers that he was their prisoner, and that they had 
 it in their power to compel him to tell what he was 
 about. 
 
 Tauntingly he replied, asking them to prove that 
 he was about any harm, and sarcastically asked them 
 how his taking a solitary walk along a deserted road 
 could make him a sufficiently noble object for them 
 to show off their valour by heroically capturing him. 
 He was then pronounced by them an unmistakable 
 incorrigible rebel, and ordered to be imprisoned till 
 sentence should be pronounced on him by court- 
 martial. 
 
 A detachment of soldiers marched him off hand- 
 cuffed to Dungannon, and lodged him in jail. 
 
 As Henry was a great favourite, not only with Mr 
 Conway, but with the greater part of the inhabitants 
 of Ballynacraig, his seizure and imprisonment caused 
 universal sorrow. 
 
 Mary did not attempt to conceal the sympathy 
 that she felt for him, and thinking that she could 
 break the sad news to his father and mother in a less 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 283 
 
 grating manner than if conveyed to them by the 
 hundred tongues of rumour, which were sure to exag- 
 gerate, and perhaps make the circumstance appear in 
 the worst possible light against Henry, she imme- 
 diately sent off a messenger on horseback with a letter 
 to Mr Gordon, detailing the events, and suggesting 
 if he would appear along with his son at the trial, 
 plead his youth, and the esteem and regard in which 
 he was held by his master and all who knew him, he 
 might perhaps escape the degradation of being 
 flogged, and get off with a few days' imprisonment, 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 OH, how altered and unlike dear Thornbrae ! " 
 thought Mary Wilson, (when riding up to 
 the cottage to visit her aunt and cousins for the first 
 time since their return to it ;) " the very place seems 
 gloomy, as if the sorrow within had cast a shade over 
 everything without/' 
 
 " How improved is this place ! " thought a young 
 man of the neighbourhood who was passing at the 
 time ; " the trees and shrubs have grown up, and it is 
 such a bright, lovely spot ; surely happiness, health, 
 and contentment dwell here/' 
 
 The contrast between the thoughts of each proves 
 that the appreciation or admiration of objects is often 
 caused either by the tone of feeling at the time, or 
 the associations called forth when scenes and objects 
 are gazed upon. 
 
 Mary missed being hailed by Lucy's joyous shout, 
 " Oh, here is cousin Mary !" and the hearty " Wel- 
 come, welcome ! " uttered by all assembled at the 
 hall door. Her uncle, John, or Jamie M'Gwiggan, 
 formerly was there to assist her off the pillion or side 
 saddle, but now she was indebted to Denny M'Durk, 
 one of her father's men, (who had accompanied her,) 
 to help her to dismount. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 285 
 
 The door was opened by Bessie, who showed she 
 was heartily glad to see her cousin ; but she looked 
 so grave, aged, and careworn, as if sorrow had done 
 the work of years. 
 
 " My aunt ! " — exclaimed Mary, and hesitated, 
 fearful to finish the sentence, " how is she, Margaret, 
 and John ?" 
 
 " You 11 see them all presently," replied Bessie, 
 and led her into the sitting-room. John was seated 
 in an arm-chair ; languidly he stretched out his thin 
 hand, caught Mary's, and slowly imprinted a kiss on 
 it, while a faint smile lit up his countenance. Though 
 prepared by letters from Bessie and Margaret to see 
 John altered, Mary could not imagine the change to 
 be so great ; her feelings overcame her, and she burst 
 into tears. Poor John also wept like a babe. 
 
 Margaret now entered, supporting her mother. 
 Both showed plainly by their looks that sorrow and 
 bereavement had made sad havoc on their health. 
 Every eye was bathed in tears. Scenes of former 
 meetings passed rapidly and vividly before the me- 
 mory of each ; sobs and broken sentences were all 
 that for some time could be heard. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford was the first to regain composure, 
 in her usually kind manner she welcomed her niece, 
 and thanked her for coming to see them, as she well 
 knew her services were much required at home ; 
 asked particularly for her father, mother, and all the 
 rest of the family. She had felt the shock of her 
 husband's death more deeply than could be known 
 by a casual observer, her manner being uniformly 
 
286 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 quiet and gentle, she seldom gave utterance to her 
 feelings. We already know from her former life the 
 ordeal she had passed through before she attained to 
 a state of perfect resignation to the will of God in 
 all things. Human nature, however, would some- 
 times assert its rights ; and often were tears repressed 
 in society to be more freely indulged in when in the 
 solitude of her own chamber. 
 
 After a slight show of emotion, Margaret's force 
 of character fully displayed itself in struggling to 
 prove, not only to Mary now, but to all whom she 
 came in contact with previously, that she would not 
 succumb to adverse circumstances, nor would she 
 ever acknowledge that her father's death had been 
 caused by animosity to himself personally, but as- 
 cribed it to hatred of the system of levying the tithes, 
 and to the unsettled state of the country. As she so 
 closely resembled her father in energy and decision 
 of character, all the household looked up to her, as 
 they had done to him. Her mother, Bessie, and even 
 John leaned on her for counsel, consolation, and 
 assistance. Well would it have been for John had he 
 inherited stability and firmness of character like Mar- 
 garet ; but instead of trials rousing him to combat 
 and bear up against them, he was so crushed and 
 prostrated as to become totally unfitted for either 
 bodily or mental exertion. 
 
 Mary's attention was now attracted to Hector, who 
 came to her, and testified his joy at seeing her. He 
 also was altered and subdued ; instead of his former 
 rapid pace and loud bark, he moved along slowly and 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 287 
 
 quietly. She found that he was Mrs Rutherford's 
 constant attendant during the day, and her faithful 
 guardian, lying at her bedroom door at night, or when 
 she was confined there by illness. 
 
 Mary's presence and conversation on the startling 
 events which were daily occurring began to excite 
 John's attention, and had a wonderful effect in rous- 
 ing him out of the lethargy into which he had sunk. 
 He listened to the events which she related as passing 
 around them, and from that time began to read the 
 newspapers and take an interest in politics, so that 
 her visit had a beneficial effect on him. Mrs Ruther- 
 ford, Margaret, and Bessie were so pleased at the im- 
 provement in John's health and spirits, that they often 
 proposed for him to accompany them, or go alone to 
 Ballynacraig. Being in Mary's society awoke all his 
 former love for her, which he thought he had (in 
 obedience to his father's wishes) for ever banished 
 from his heart. He determined for her sake to make 
 every effort to overcome his morbid feelings, and 
 shake off his weakness, still hoping that she would yet 
 be his wife. Instead of moping about the house and 
 farm, he began to visit Slievedhu occasionally, and so 
 far succeeded in shaking off the incubus which was 
 weighing him down as to mingle in the society of 
 the neighbourhood. 
 
 Once a week, and sometimes oftener, John went on 
 the ostensible pretence of inquiring how his aunt and 
 cousins got on during such troublous times. Each 
 visit only made him more aware that his happiness 
 depended on being united to his cousin Mary ; but 
 
288 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 as he thought it might hurt his mother's feelings to 
 broach such a subject at the present time, when the 
 wounds caused by the painful circumstance of his 
 father's death were still unhealed, he spoke of all at 
 Ballynacraig in general terms, and sometimes did not 
 mention his being there at all. 
 
 The embers of discontent which had smouldered 
 for so long in Ireland now burst into the lurid flames 
 of disloyalty and open rebellion. The political cal- 
 dron hissed, bubbled, and boiled over, hoping to quench 
 the turmoil ; but still the country was disturbed by 
 outrages, and disaffection largely prevailed. All classes 
 of the community were interested in the struggle, and 
 the inmates of Thornbrae, though steeped in sorrow, 
 were roused from brooding over their own trials by 
 the stirring events passing around them. Although 
 John was deeply interested in the politics and start- 
 ling incidents of daily occurrence he did not interfere 
 in them ; his mind regained its former healthy state, 
 and he was a comfort and solace to his mother and 
 sisters. 
 
 Our old friend Lucy, now Mrs Talbot, still resided 
 in London, and had a young family rising around 
 her ; but though blest with renewed health, a loving 
 husband, kind friends, and every comfort which 
 wealth could procure, she often grieved at being so 
 far away from her beloved mother and sisters ; and 
 as it was not thought safe to visit Ireland, she was 
 obliged to condole and comfort the inmates of Thorn- 
 brae by writing to them as frequently as possible. 
 
 Hilary still continued in Calcutta, increasing know- 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 289 
 
 ledge and amassing wealth, with the aim in view of 
 returning home at no very distant day, and settling 
 down for the remainder of his life in his native 
 country. 
 
 " Then tell me why do Erin's sons in sorrow often mourn ? 
 Tho' blest with wealth in foreign lands, their thoughts on home 
 
 return ; 
 Their love of country is the cause which they will freely own, 
 They mope and pine for Erin's isle, as Erin was their home." 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 WHEN Henry was brought before the court- 
 martial and interrogated if he was a United 
 Irishman ? where he was going when he was made 
 prisoner ? &c., he either gave evasive answers, bitter 
 replies, or maintained a dogged silence. 
 
 Promises were made to him of escaping the punish- 
 ment of flogging due to his being out at night without 
 a pass, if he would reveal all he knew about the 
 United Irishmen. This he indignantly refused, and 
 in insolent language braved them to do their worst. 
 The sentence was then passed on him to get fifty 
 lashes in the market-place for the first offence, and on 
 the following market-day ninety for his abusive lan- 
 guage at the court-martial. 
 
 With feelings of the deepest sorrow Mr Gordon 
 had read the letter from Mary, and he and Mrs 
 Gordon agreeing with her suggestion, he at once pre- 
 pared to act on it, and rode quickly and by the 
 nearest route to reach Dungannon. But who can 
 describe the anguish which wrung the heart of the 
 father on hearing that his son had been flogged in 
 the public market-place an hour before his arrival. 
 At once he proceeded to the jail, expecting to gain 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 291 
 
 admission to see his son; but the jailer could not 
 permit him to do so without an order from the com- 
 manding officer. 
 
 He then went to the barracks, and was informed 
 that Major P had gone to dine with the Honour- 
 able Mr W , and on his return it would be too 
 
 late to get an order for admission to the jail. Mr 
 Gordon had no alternative but to wait till the morn- 
 ing. With a sorrowful heart he retraced his steps to 
 the inn where he had left his horse. Entering into 
 conversation with the landlord, he heard that the 
 punishment inflicted on the youth (whose appearance 
 and bearing had called forth great sympathy) was 
 only a part of the sentence ; that more lashes were to 
 be given him on the next market-day. 
 
 At first it was not known that Mr Gordon was the 
 father of the poor sufferer ; but parental love soon 
 betrayed relationship by the keen interest he took in 
 all the particulars. 
 
 On making further inquiry, he heard that during 
 the time Henry was undergoing flogging he suffered 
 without allowing a moan to escape his lips. His fair 
 smooth shoulders quivered when the lash was applied, 
 but the most attentive observer could not detect a 
 chancre of muscle in his rigid features, nor was the 
 slightest groan of anguish uttered by him ; but the 
 vibration of the triangles he was tied to showed the 
 tortures he was enduring. 
 
 After passing a sleepless night, Mr Gordon called 
 
 at Major P 's quarters, but was told he was at 
 
 breakfast, and could not be seen until after parade. 
 
292 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Mr Gordon waylaid him in the street, and was waved 
 off. " It was impossible for him to be detained at 
 that hour." 
 
 After parade Mr Gordon was admitted to where 
 the council of officers were sitting, and at once, in a 
 peremptory manner, he was refused admission to his 
 son. He then applied to one of the magistrates in 
 the neighbourhood with whom he was acquainted, 
 but was informed by him that he could not interfere 
 with a court-martial case. 
 
 On the next market-day, at twelve o'clock, Henry 
 was brought out of jail, escorted by a strong body of 
 soldiers to the market-place. A hollow square was 
 formed by the infantry, the outside rank standing 
 with charged bayonets ; the triangles were then set 
 up inside the square, and Henry (stripped of coat, 
 shirt, and waistcoat) bound to them. The army- 
 surgeon, officers, corporal, drummer, and drum-major 
 stood around and beside the prisoner. 
 
 The drummer beat a tattoo, then took off his coat, 
 turned up his shirt sleeves, and having been handed 
 the cat-o'-nine tails, commenced to inflict the lashes, 
 the drum-major standing beside him calling out 
 slowly each lash as it was administered. The first 
 forty-five lashes did not elicit a word from the suf- 
 ferer. Then came the corporal's time to give the 
 remainder. At the first stroke Henry's blood began 
 to flow, and after a few more lashes his shoulders 
 were all one mass of blood and raw flesh. Still his 
 strength and nerve held out, and although smothered 
 groans could not be suppressed, his lips were sealed, 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 293 
 
 but the final number had not been told when Henry- 
 fainted away. The surgeon applied restoratives, and 
 pronounced he was not at that time able to bear any 
 more flogging. 
 
 With blanched cheeks, compressed lips, and tot- 
 tering limbs, Mr Gordon stood among the assembled 
 crowd. As lash after lash resounded on his son's 
 shoulders, a groan would escape his lips, or a shudder 
 pass over his frame. For a few minutes there was 
 a pause while the cat-o'-nine tails changed hands, 
 and the doctor made his examination if the prisoner's 
 strength was sufficient to bear more punishment. 
 Mr Gordon breathed a sigh of relief; but when the 
 corporal (who was a strong muscular man) took 
 the lash into his hands, and he saw the first blow 
 draw blood, his anguish could not be repressed, nor 
 his voice silent any longer. With a piercing, heart- 
 rending cry, he exclaimed, " My son ! my son ! would 
 God I could suffer for you!" and frantically pushing 
 through the crowd, ran a short distance, then fell 
 fainting on the street, not far from the inn. He was 
 carried into the house, and every attention paid to him 
 by the landlord and landlady. How can words con- 
 vey an idea of the harrowing torture endured by this 
 poor father ; every stroke of the lash on his son seemed 
 to lacerate his own flesh, to cut into his brain, and 
 rend his heart. No wonder that fever succeeded such 
 an awful ordeal. For some days Mr Gordon was in- 
 sensible, then followed weakness and debility conse- 
 quent on such a tension of the brain and nerves. 
 
 As conveyances often went from the Royal Arms 
 
294 Waves 011 the Ocean of Life, 
 
 to Dungannon, Mary Wilson had frequent opportu- 
 nities of hearing about Mr Gordon and Henry. When 
 the former was thought able to bear the fatigue of 
 the journey, Mary went in a post-chaise to bring him 
 to Ballynacraig. Before leaving Dungannon she went 
 to the prison, hoping to get an interview with Henry. 
 Having failed in this, she gained admission to the 
 jailer's wife, who took a hearty interest in the poor 
 young man, felt deeply for his parents, and sympa- 
 thised with Mary in her disappointment. From her 
 she learnt that Henry had recognised his father among 
 the crowd, and hearing his voice had quite overcome 
 his courage. His shoulders and back were so lace- 
 rated, that he could not lie in bed ; and only getting 
 prison fare, his strength was fast sinking. 
 
 Mary handed her some guineas, accompanying 
 the gift with a request that everything nourishing 
 and strengthening should be given to Henry, and 
 that intelligence should be conveyed to him of his 
 father being better, and removed to Ballynacraig, 
 where he would be sure to receive every care and 
 attention. 
 
 Dr Conway exerted all his skill in bringing about 
 Mr Gordon's recovery, which was greatly aided by 
 the attendance of his son Andrew, and the sympathy 
 and assistance of Mary. In a short time the poor 
 sufferer was able to return home to his unhappy, 
 almost heart-broken wife, who in his absence had 
 prematurely brought a delicate babe into existence. 
 
 We have already mentioned that Mr Gordon had 
 not hitherto taken any interest in politics, nor had he 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 295 
 
 interfered or tampered with any of the laws of his 
 country; but now "the iron had entered into his 
 soul." He felt not only aggrieved, but deeply indig- 
 nant at the treatment which he and his son had 
 received. He joined the society of United Irishmen, 
 and from being a passive, loyal British subject, be- 
 came an active, fearless rebel, and cast off for ever 
 fealty and subjection to the king of England and 
 his government. 
 
 Mary Wilson also felt so exasperated that she 
 urged her father to discontinue business, and by so 
 doing get rid of the military being quartered there. 
 
 Mr Wilson was unwilling to compromise himself, as 
 he was considered a staunch loyal subject. A large 
 bill being now due to him by the military, and a 
 statement of it having frequently been forwarded to 
 Charlemont, and personal application made without 
 its being liquidated, Mr Wilson began to think that 
 Mary was right in wishing to close the inn. " Why," 
 argued she, " should we have our substance wasted 
 and our services given without remuneration ?" 
 
 Still her father hesitated before giving his consent ; 
 but Mary was determined to effect her purpose, and 
 an opportunity soon offered itself to her. The mili- 
 tary who had for some time been quartered in Bally- 
 nacraig, were ordered off to another town. Mary 
 took advantage of their absence, and previous to the 
 arrival of the others, who were to replace them, got the 
 sign of the " Royal Arms " removed off the front of 
 the house, wrote notices that the business was given 
 up, and pasted them on the closed gate and door. 
 
296 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 Mr Wilson returned from his farm in the evening, 
 and finding what was done, said, " Perhaps it may all 
 turn out for the best/' and being fatigued, after sow- 
 ing oats all day, he retired early to bed. 
 
 Shortly after nightfall, the trampling of horses and 
 the heavy tread of men announced the arrival of fresh 
 troops. The street was quite deserted, as every one 
 was afraid to be seen out at that hour. Presently the 
 word tl Halt " was heard, and the inn door was loudly 
 knocked at, but no notice was taken of it. Again and 
 again the knocking was repeated. Mary heard it, but 
 determined to seem not to do so. Her father and 
 mother were awoke out of their slumbers, and en- 
 treated her to open the door. " Wait a little, father ; 
 leave all to me." After putting on a nightcap, and 
 throwing a shawl about her, (to look as if just roused 
 out of bed,) she went up-stairs, and opening the win- 
 dow, demanded why the house was so assailed ? " Is 
 not this the Royal Arms ? How does it come that it 
 is closed, and that there is no light or any accommo- 
 dation for the king's troops ?" was the reply. 
 
 Mary hastily answered, " This was an inn ; but 
 we have given up business now. Look at the notices 
 on the door and gate ; we have taken down the sign ; 
 it is now a private dwelling ; we are willing to accom- 
 modate the number of men billeted on us, but we 
 have not accommodation for horses." 
 
 After a long parley and conversation, the military 
 dispersed muttering vengeance on the inmates of the 
 house. Two officers and six privates were billeted 
 on them ere an hour had elapsed. Fires had then to 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 297 
 
 be kindled and provisions cooked for them, which we 
 may be sure was not done con amove. 
 
 When Henry was released out of prison, he pro- 
 ceeded immediately to Ballynacraig. Mr Conway 
 was afraid to admit him into his house again, and 
 many of his former acquaintances (though in their 
 hearts sympathising with him) were also afraid to be 
 seen in his society, or to receive him into their houses. 
 
 Mary Wilson, however, was not one who would 
 forsake a friend in a time of trial, nor was she to be 
 restrained from bestowing kindness from fear of per- 
 secution ; by her Henry was received cordially, and 
 Mr and Mrs Wilson taking pity on his dejected looks 
 and emaciated appearance, invited him to remain 
 with them till his health was improved, and till he 
 would hear from his father. Henry's delicate health, 
 and Mary's influence, deterred him from running the 
 risk of venturing out of doors. The inn being closed 
 made his presence there unnoticed ; and as he was 
 not seen, it was supposed he had gone to his father's. 
 Mary had been the sharer of his joys and pleasures, 
 his sunshine in prosperity, his benefactor, solace, 
 and comfort in affliction ; the prop and consoler of his 
 father, she was now the star of hope and the ray of 
 light to guide him. While in her presence he forgot 
 all his former sufferings, and his gloomy prospects for 
 the future ; she w r as to him become inexpressibly 
 dear. This he did not venture to tell her ; but love 
 such as his, founded on esteem and gratitude, could 
 not fail to make itself known by looks as expressive 
 as words. To Mary he was also very dear ; but she 
 
298 Waves 011 the Ocean of Life, 
 
 did not acknowledge it to herself, ascribing her 
 regard for him to pity ; she only loved him she 
 thought in a brotherly way. 
 
 During this time the insurgents waxed bolder, and 
 the soldiery more harsh and precipitate in their 
 punishments. Mary heard that Mr Gordon was now 
 an avowed rebel ; and as his influence and example 
 had strengthened many in rebellion, he was a marked 
 man by the government, and there was reason to 
 think his life would be sacrificed. This was not told 
 to Henry ; but it made the Wilson's more anxious 
 to get him to leave the country. When advised to go 
 off at once to his Uncle Patrick Henry in America, 
 he urged his desire to see his father and mother be- 
 fore going, and his inability to leave the country till 
 he got means from them to pay his passage. 
 
 Some weeks passed in this uncertain state ; but 
 matters were brought to a crisis by an unforeseen 
 incident, which caused him to see that it was abso- 
 lutely necessary he should leave, as his remaining 
 might endanger the safety of his friends in Ballyna- 
 craig. Mrs Rutherford having often expressed a wish 
 to see her sister-in-law and Mr Wilson, and her 
 health not being sufficiently strong to permit her to 
 visit them, it was arranged that they and Nannie 
 should £0 to Thornbrae, when Mr Wilson's farming" 
 operations allowed him to leave for a couple of days. 
 It being necessary to remain over night, unless a pass 
 w T as got from the commanding-officer, permitting 
 them to return after night-fall, which it was thought 
 advisable not to ask for, lest it should be known that 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 299 
 
 Mary was left alone. On the evening of the day they 
 left, as Mary and Henry were sitting at the fireside in 
 the parlour, they were surprised at hearing the door 
 opened, some one step in, and in a husky voice de- 
 mand, " Who's here ?" 
 
 Mary at first did not recognise who it was, as the 
 room was only dimly lighted by the fire ; she soon 
 found that the intruder was one of the officers who 
 had been previously billeted there. He had been 
 returning from the mess, and seeing the hall door 
 partially open, and one of the maids looking out, 
 had rushed past her and walked in. Mary rose, and 
 
 curtseying said, " Captain L , you have mistaken 
 
 the house ; it is a few doors farther on where you are 
 quartered, and not here." She then perceived by his 
 unsteady gait that he was intoxicated. 
 
 With a stammering voice he hiccupped forth, 
 " Wrong house ! if I am in the wrong house, why are 
 you not all in bed ? it is after beat of drum. 
 Wrong house ! I tell you I am a British officer — a 
 gentleman of family and fortune — I '11 not be shut 
 out of any place, in your cursed country — I '11 prove 
 to you, his Majesty's officers have a right to enter 
 any of your houses at all hours." Then darting a 
 look at Henry, he asked, " Who is this ?" 
 
 " A friend from the country," replied Mary. 
 
 "A friend," sneeringly replied he, "likely a rebel. 
 Get a light at once, I'll see if I know him — traitors 
 must not be allowed escape." 
 
 " I am sure you do not know him," said Mary, 
 glancing imploringly at Henry, to keep him from 
 
300 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 speaking, and placing herself so as to put him in the 
 shade. 
 
 " A light — I say a light ; if not I '11 dragoon you." 
 And he stamped and swore, still calling fiercely for a 
 light 
 
 This did not terrify Mary, who, coming close to 
 him, said, " Captain L , you know we are not per- 
 mitted to have lights in the house, and therefore are 
 not provided with candles at present. My father is 
 absent from home ; you are aware he is a loyal sub- 
 ject. To whom, then, should his daughter, if in any 
 danger, apply for protection, but to a gentleman of 
 family and fortune, and a British officer, instead of 
 being threatened by him ? I now tell you I am here 
 a defenceless woman. I cast myself on your gene- 
 rosity, and call upon you, as a man of honour, to 
 protect me from outrage and insult." 
 
 This nonchalant appeal quite cooled the Captain's 
 valour, and he was flattered by Mary's words. Tot- 
 tering to a chair, he seated himself, and vowed he 
 would " stay and protect her with his life. But re- 
 bels," darting a glance at Henry, (who with difficulty 
 kept silence,) " rebels must be taken. I think this is 
 that rascal Gordon, son to that " 
 
 Here he was interrupted by a sergeant coming in 
 and delivering him an order from the colonel requir- 
 ing his immediate presence. 
 
 It was some time before he was prevailed on to 
 accompany the sergeant, often returning, and saying 
 he would not go ; " it was his duty to watch this rebel, 
 and guard and defend this amiable young lady." 
 
A Dahnadian Tale. 301 
 
 Mary thanked him, and said that now, as her mind 
 was quite at ease, feeling assured of his protection, 
 she would not trouble him to remain any longer. 
 After repeatedly assuring him that in case of neces- 
 sity she would not fail to apply to him, he left, greatly 
 to the relief of all. 
 
 The active part Mr Gordon took in the approach- 
 ing rebellion is already known to our readers ; and 
 Mary suspected that Captain L 's unfinished sen- 
 tence in connexion with the name of Gordon would 
 have been, " son to that rank traitor, who deserves to 
 meet a traitor's doom." She saw plainly that there 
 was no time to be lost in getting Henry out of the 
 way, as his presence, instead of being useful to his 
 father, would only make his position worse, and might 
 terminate in the lives of both being sacrificed. All this 
 and much more passed rapidly through her mind. 
 
 Henry also became alive to the idea that his re- 
 maining there might endanger the safety of his kind 
 friends and benefactors the Wilsons ; but how could 
 he bring himself to leave Mary, who every day was 
 becoming more and more the idol of his heart ? Mary 
 first broke silence. 
 
 " Henry," said she, " you are now so much stronger, 
 you can undertake a journey. You cannot with 
 
 safety stay here any longer. Captain L , in his 
 
 inebriated state, might not have recognised you, or in 
 the morning may have forgotten the interview ; but 
 from the significant look of the sergeant when leav- 
 ing the room, I fear your being here cannot longer 
 remain a secret. There is now no alternative but for 
 
 J^ Of 
 
302 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 you to go to America. You must not allow yourself 
 again to be made prisoner. You know you can still 
 be arrested on suspicion." 
 
 " Mary ! O Mary ! do you wish me to leave ? " 
 and Henry bowed his head, covered his face with his 
 hands, and he who had borne to be flogged without 
 betraying emotion now burst into a passionate flood 
 of tears. 
 
 " Henry," said Mary, while she stepped up beside 
 him, and put her hand on his shoulder, " this will not 
 do. You must not give way now ; for so far you 
 have acted nobly. Do not now give up to useless 
 inactivity, as there is not a moment to be lost." 
 
 " But Mary," passionately exclaimed he, " how can 
 I part from you ? Say, dearest, that you return my 
 love, that you will be mine. The prospect of your 
 becoming my wife, and of again meeting, only to be 
 parted by death, will nerve me to tear myself from 
 you for a time." Then in the warmest terms he 
 poured forth words rendered eloquent by the impulses 
 of his heart, vowing his resolution of living and work- 
 ing for her, if she would give him reason to hope that 
 his love was reciprocated. 
 
 Mary had so long associated with him as a friend 
 and companion, she could not bring herself to realise 
 that she loved him ; besides, her cousin John was still 
 uppermost in her thoughts. True, he had not spoken 
 plainly to her of his affection, and latterly he had not 
 visited as frequently as formerly, and when he did his 
 manner was constrained and cold, so that Mary felt 
 rather piqued. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 303 
 
 " Henry/' said she, " we are both young. This is 
 not a season to talk on these subjects. Your safety 
 must first be attended to. If you love me, prove 
 yourself a man by rousing yourself into action. Go 
 to your worthy uncle. Like him, make your name 
 honourable, and by so doing confer dignity on your 
 wife." 
 
 " But how can I, almost penniless, proceed to Ame- 
 rica at once ? I find I must leave this ; but until I 
 hear from my father I cannot go out of Ireland." 
 
 " Attend to me," replied Mary. " All this delay 
 can be avoided. To-morrow's dawn must find you 
 on your way to Londonderry. At the farm you can 
 get a horse from Denny M'Durk to carry you to 
 Dungiven. Mr M'Dougal, the landlord of the inn 
 there, will, on my recommendation, keep you for the 
 night, and supply you with a horse next morning to 
 carry you to the Tirkeeran Arms, Londonderry." 
 
 "But" said Henry. 
 
 " No interruptions. I shall supply you with funds 
 to pay your passage to America. Denny will follow 
 you to Londonderry, to return the horse to Dungiven 
 and bring ours back. You see all is arranged. Let 
 us hope for better times. All may yet be well." 
 
 " How shall I ever repay you, dearest and best ? " 
 and clasping her in his arms, he kissed her repeatedly. 
 " God will reward you for all your kindness to me 
 and my father." Here again he broke down. " Won't 
 you write to him, that it was not want of affection, 
 but by your advice and stern necessity I was com- 
 pelled to leave without going to ask the blessing of 
 
304 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 my parents, and bid them farewell. Oh. my father 
 and my kind mother, I may never see you again ! 
 But oh, Mary, don't send me away without hope ! 
 May I not write to you ?• and will not you reply to 
 me?" 
 
 " Certainly," said Mary, " I will, and my heart and 
 thoughts will often accompany you." And with con- 
 vulsive sobs she rushed out of the apartment. 
 
 After spending some time (he knew not how long) 
 absorbed in reverie, Henry roused himself, and went 
 to his apartment to collect the few articles that he 
 could carry with him. Morning was near at hand. 
 After partaking of a cup of coffee a packet was handed 
 to him. It contained a purse of guineas, a note to 
 Denny and Mr M'Dougal, and a scrap of paper, on 
 which was written, with a tremulous hand : — 
 
 " Farewell ! Go without delay. May God protect 
 you. Write on arrival. Your letter will be anxiously 
 looked for by your friends — and Mary." 
 
 Henry knew it was useless to ask Mary to see him 
 again ; so, with a sorrowful heart and agitated bosom, 
 he left the house, and walked to the farm without 
 meeting any one. 
 
 Delivering Mary's order to Denny, he was supplied 
 with a horse, and proceeded immediately to Dungiven. 
 
 After Henry left, Mary's pent-up feelings and as- 
 sumed composure gave way ; andin the privacy of 
 her chamber she relieved her bursting heart by shed- 
 ding floods of tears. Often while performing, almost 
 mechanically, the domestic duties of that day, did 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 305 
 
 Mary's thoughts revert to the poor wanderer in whose 
 fate she was so deeply interested. 
 
 We need scarcely add that her image was seldom 
 absent from Henry's mind and thoughts on his way 
 to Londonderry ; and during his passage across the 
 Atlantic he had ample time to think over and recall 
 her every word and look. Many plans were laid by 
 him for future happiness, of course always associated 
 with Mary in " Love's young dream." 
 
 U 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 WHEN Mr and Mrs Wilson returned, they were 
 pleased to hear that Henry Gordon had left. 
 They had heard that Government was taking more 
 energetic measures, being determined to quash the 
 rebellion by force of arms, and that strict inquiry was 
 being made so as to seize all disaffected persons. 
 
 From Henry's father Mary had a letter, couched in 
 the warmest terms, thanking her for inducing and 
 assisting his son to leave Ireland, and in no sparing 
 terms denouncing the government of the country, its 
 laws, rulers, and institutions. Months passed over, 
 and though unmarked by domestic events, the family 
 at Ballynacraig were kept constantly on the qui 
 vive, not knowing what a day might bring forth. 
 
 Francis and James Wilson were both on foreign 
 service as surgeons in the navy. Nannie had formed 
 an attachment to a young man in Ballynacraig, whom 
 her parents did not think steady, and refused their 
 consent to a correspondence being carried on. She 
 took a sulky fit, and would not speak to her father, 
 mother, or Mary, unless spoken to, but spent her 
 time in dressing, altering, and making her clothes, 
 and indemnifying herself for her silence to her family 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 307 
 
 by scolding the servants whenever they came in her 
 way. Between Mary and her sister there never had 
 been a reciprocity of tastes or pursuits, so that her 
 estrangement was not a cause of discomfort to either. 
 
 The looked-for letter from Henry came, announc- 
 ing his safe arrival, and filled with ardent expressions 
 of everlasting gratitude to his benefactors. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford's health was still very precarious ; 
 this/and the unsettled state of the country, prevented 
 intercourse between the families, except on very rare 
 occasions ; and when Mary and John met, there 
 seemed to be a tacit feeling of coldness or restraint 
 between them. John evidently avoided being left 
 alone with Mary, and never mentioned Henry Gor- 
 don's name, or alluded to his absence in her presence. 
 Mary's worst fears about Mr Gordon were soon veri- 
 fied. His daring opposition to the Government being 
 openly avowed, he was apprehended, confined in 
 jail, brought to trial, convicted of high treason, and 
 sentenced to death. Being popular with all classes, 
 a strong memorial in his favour was numerously 
 signed and forwarded to Lord Castlereagh, praying 
 that his sentence might be commuted to banishment ; 
 but to this petition there was no reply. 
 
 Mrs Gordon, although a timid, shrinking woman, 
 was nerved by strong conjugal love to force herself 
 into Lord Castlereagh's presence ; and attended by 
 her five children, and an infant in her arms, she cast 
 herself at his lordship's feet, and in agonising accents 
 implored him to spare the father of her children and 
 the husband of her love ; but she was spurned from 
 
308 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 his presence. She was told mediation was now use- 
 less. Mr Gordon had been engaged in active rebel- 
 lion, and by his advice and example many had been 
 induced to become United Irishmen. He had been 
 tried and convicted of high treason. It was necessary 
 for the public peace that an example should be made; 
 there was now no alternative but for the law to take 
 its course ; and as he had acted a traitor's part, he 
 must therefore meet a traitor's doom. The next day 
 Mr Gordon was taken out of prison, and, guarded by 
 a strong body of soldiers, was led to the green attached 
 to his own meeting-house. On one of the trees which 
 surrounded it dangled a rope, and under it stood a 
 cart, on which Mr Gordon was ordered to mount. He 
 was then pinioned and blindfolded, the rope adjusted 
 round his neck in a noose, the cart dragged away, 
 and, after struggling for a short time, his life became 
 extinct. 
 
 As a favour, his widow was permitted to have his 
 body conveyed to the cottage, on the condition that 
 the funeral must be strictly private, and to take place 
 that evening. 
 
 Andrew was apprised of his father's death ; but 
 being unexcitable, and of an apathetic temperament, 
 and his whole mind absorbed in his profession, to 
 which he was devotedly attached, he did not suffer so 
 acutely as Henry would have done. Mr Conway 
 permitted him to go to his mother ; and with the 
 advice of her friends, Mrs Gordon sold off the farm 
 implements, furniture, &c, and sailed to America, 
 accompanied by Andrew and the rest of her family. 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 309 
 
 About the same time, a letter was received by Mr 
 Wilson announcing that his son Francis had fallen a 
 victim to yellow fever in the West Indies ; a high en- 
 comium was passed upon his services, and his books, 
 apparel, and other articles forwarded to Ballynacraig. 
 All the family mourned his death, as he was an affec- 
 tionate son and brother ; but it was a solace to them 
 to know that he had done his duty in his profession, 
 and that his services were honourably mentioned. 
 Shortly after this, the father of the young man who 
 was anxious to be united to Nannie came to Mr Wil- 
 son to plead his son's cause, and offered to settle an 
 annuity on her in proportion to the fortune given 
 with her, if she became his son's wife. All was 
 arranged to the satisfaction of both parties, and 
 Nannie was married and settled down in Ballyna- 
 craig. Not having any children, she spent her life 
 much as she had done previously, dawdling in her 
 time. Years rolled over ; the country settled down 
 into quietness. Politics, although still deeply engross- 
 ing the public mind, did not occasion disturbance, 
 cause alarm, or prevent men from resuming their 
 ordinary occupations, or women attending to their 
 domestic duties, so that everything began to wear its 
 former aspect. The streets were no longer silent and 
 deserted at nightfall, but resounded with the voices 
 and mirth of children ; and neighbours went from 
 house to house to pass an hour in gossip at the fire- 
 side or tea-table, and retired to their beds without 
 fear of being roused by the beat of drum, the clan- 
 gour and discharge of arms, the tread of soldiers, or 
 
3 io Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 the crackling and smoke from the fire of the incendi- 
 ary, or the yells of an infuriated mob. 
 
 The linen trade and agricultural pursuits were 
 remunerative. Business was again resumed at the 
 Royal Arms, and all was going on pleasantly and 
 prosperously. 
 
 Mary had many offers of marriage, but rejected 
 them, without assigning any reason for doing so. 
 
 Lord Southend's agent died, and his situation was 
 offered to John Rutherford. By the advice and sanc- 
 tion of his mother and sisters he accepted it ; and as 
 it was more convenient to live in Slievedhu, he took 
 a house there, and all the family removed, leaving 
 Jamie M'Gwiggan's son Alick in charge, as his father 
 had been before. 
 
 This was an agreeable change for all, as the cottage 
 called forth too many reminiscences of former scenes 
 to make it pleasant. Besides, Mrs Rutherford thought 
 her daughters might be more likely to get established 
 in life ; and John had hopes that he might now bring 
 his cousin Mary to Thornbrae. After their arrival in 
 Slievedhu, the Rutherfords were called on by all the 
 gentry of the neighbourhood ; their health and spirits 
 returned, and they were again happy. 
 
 John thought this was a good time to speak to his 
 mother about his marriage. " My dear John," said 
 she, "your cousin Mary is a good, clever girl, but do 
 you not think she is engaged to some one ?" 
 
 " Engaged !" exclaimed John. " Who to ?" 
 
 " Oh, I never heard, but it is likely to be so ; we 
 have heard that she had many admirers." 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 3 1 1 
 
 " I have no doubt she has," said John, u but she 
 has refused them all. I know, although I have not 
 asked her, that her heart is mine." 
 
 " Well, my dear John, there is no hurry for you to 
 be married. Mary will no doubt make a good wife, 
 but your father and I had hoped you would have 
 
 wedded into a higher sphere. Mr B has lately 
 
 been paying marked attention to your sister Bessie, 
 and as it would in every respect be a most desirable 
 alliance for her, I will take it as a favour if you will 
 not for a time speak to your cousin about matrimony, 
 as your doing so might prevent your sister's settle- 
 ment in life. Mr B., you are aware, is of a high 
 family, and Bessie thinks he might object to being 
 connected with an innkeeper's daughter." 
 
 John felt indignant at a slight being cast on Mary 
 on account of her station in life ; and replied, hastily, 
 " Mother, I thought you all loved and respected Mary 
 for her own merits, and that you were above being 
 influenced by such paltry notions." 
 
 Mrs Rutherford was rather surprised at John mani- 
 festing such a spirit, and kept silence. Just then 
 visitors were announced ; and it was quite a relief to 
 Mrs Rutherford not to have the conversation on the 
 subject further prolonged. 
 
 The autumn weather proved very unfavourable for 
 harvest work, and there was great difficulty in getting 
 the crops saved. Mr Wilson took every opportunity 
 of attending actively and promptly to have the grain 
 stacked ; he had nearly succeeded in saving all, but 
 rain came on when he was finishing the thatching of 
 
312 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 a stack, and he was completely drenched. On his 
 return home he changed his clothes, and did not 
 think that the wetting would have any effect on him 
 further than perhaps a slight cold. Being fatigued, 
 he retired early to bed, having previously bathed his 
 feet and taken some whey ; but before morning he 
 was so very ill Dr Conway had to be sent for, and at 
 once he pronounced the case pleurisy of the worst 
 kind. Every remedy was used, and all that skill 
 could devise or love dictate was done to relieve the 
 pain and reduce the fever, but without effect ; within 
 a week he died. 
 
 John Rutherford acted like a kind son and tender 
 brother to his aunt and cousin during their affliction, 
 assisting in all the last sad funeral rites. 
 
 James Wilson had a few weeks before written that 
 he might soon be expected home ; but as the time of 
 his arrival was uncertain, the funeral was not delayed 
 in expectation of his attendance. Nannie's husband 
 and her cousin John were the only family mourners 
 present. 
 
 The prospect of James's arrival roused the minds 
 of the bereaved ones from brooding too much over 
 their loss ; but when weeks passed over, and he did 
 not come, they began to feel great anxiety about 
 his safety ; and when it was reported that a man-of- 
 war was missing, their suspense became torturing. 
 After the delay of some months their fears were con- 
 firmed ; the Admiralty had made every inquiry, and 
 as the vessel had never been heard of after she left 
 the Spanish main, they returned her as " lost at sea." 
 
A Dalriadian Talc. 313 
 
 It was decided that as Mrs Wilson and Mary had 
 sufficient means to keep them without business, they 
 would dispose of the inn and farm, wind up their 
 affairs, and retire into private life. 
 
 When cousin John heard this, he thought all was 
 in a fair way to fall in with his wishes, hoping that 
 when Bessie was married every obstacle would be 
 removed, and all his hopes of being united to Mary 
 realised. 
 
 Shortly after this, Mrs Rutherford was suddenly 
 seized with paralysis, lost her speech and the use of 
 her left arm. 
 
 When Mary Wilson heard of her aunt's illness, she 
 at once hastened to render her assistance. She found 
 Mrs Rutherford seemingly insensible to pain, but the 
 
 remedies which Dr H had prescribed had not 
 
 proved effectual. 
 
 With Mary's keen perceptions, she suggested the 
 use of more active stimulants and blistering. The 
 doctor said it might be a risk, as the patient was very 
 weak ; but Mary was so urgent, and so hopeful of the 
 result, that more powerful means were resorted to, 
 which, to the joy of all, proved in a degree beneficial, 
 as feeling was restored to the arm ; and although 
 speech was still wanting, it was evident, from an 
 incident which occurred, that consciousness had re- 
 turned and her mind was still active. 
 
 During the time of applying lotions and blisters, Mrs 
 Rutherford's rings had been removed ; she had never 
 worn any but on her ring finger, and on it were her 
 two plain wedding-rings, which, contrary to the usual 
 
3 H Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 rule, she had worn as mementos of her two husbands. 
 She was observed feeling over her left hand, and then 
 looking imploringly at her daughters and niece. At 
 first they thought it was pain which caused her to act 
 so ; but Margaret, who, from being so constantly her 
 companion of late, could almost interpret her wishes 
 from her looks, said, u I see what my mother misses ; 
 it is her rings." A gleam of intelligence and a slight 
 smile showed that the supposition was correct The 
 rings were produced, and when put on her finger, she 
 patted her hand with evident satisfaction, and looked 
 as pleased and happy as a child on recovering a 
 favourite toy which had been taken away for a time. 
 
 After a few weeks, speech returned to the invalid, 
 but her health was ever afterwards very precarious. 
 
 Mary Wilson was obliged to return home, as the 
 time was drawing near for the sale of the property. 
 Previous to leaving, she began to notice that instead 
 of being introduced as formerly to visitors as " cousin 
 Mary," it was now merely " a friend," or Miss Wilson ; 
 nor was she appealed to or brought forward into con- 
 versation. Mary's high spirit could not brook being 
 overlooked or slighted ; it hurt and grieved her deeply, 
 and rankled in her bosom, making her very indignant 
 and unhappy on her journey homeward. 
 
 On arrival there, she found a letter from Henry 
 Gordon, full of expressions of ardent love for her, 
 painting in the most vivid colours the happiness he 
 would enjoy if Mary would become his wife. His 
 name and talents had placed him in a high position 
 in America, and he could now offer her a comfortable 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 315 
 
 home and a prospect of affluence. His mother and 
 the younger members of the family were well pro- 
 vided for by his uncle. Andrew had gained a 
 reputation for skill and experience, and was a physi- 
 cian, whose practice was large and daily increasing. 
 
 Mary had seen plainly that her cousins, Margaret 
 and Bessy, thought her inferior to them in station; and, 
 as John had never frankly avowed his love to her, began 
 to accuse herself for loving when it was not returned ; 
 so she at once wrote off to Henry Gordon that she 
 consented to become his wife, and that after the dis- 
 posal of the property, and when suitable arrange- 
 ments should be made for her mother living with 
 Nannie, she would go to America to Mrs Gordon's 
 house, and there be married. 
 
 Mrs Rutherford still continued an invalid. Mr 
 
 B did not propose for Bessie, and poor John felt 
 
 that he had held out long enough ; and with more 
 decision and energy than he had ever shown in his 
 life, announced to his mother and sisters that he 
 would no longer be deterred from declaring his love, 
 and proposing to his cousin Mary to become his wife. 
 The sisters pouted, and Mrs Rutherford looked grave, 
 and remarked that there was no occasion for fceing 
 " precipitate." But John, for once in his life, was 
 resolute, and declared it was his determination to 
 make his cousin his wife. Accordingly, a few days 
 before the sale, he started off to Ballynacraig, buoy- 
 ant with hope, little suspecting the blow he would 
 receive. 
 
 Mary's announcement of her intentions fell on him 
 
3 16 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 so unexpectedly that he could not utter a word, but 
 rushed from the house a hopeless, crushed, prostrated 
 creature. He did not return home till late ; his 
 mother had retired for the night, accompanied by 
 Margaret ; and in reply to Bessie's questions about 
 his aunt and cousins, he merely answered, " Quite 
 well," took his bed-candle, and proceeded to his 
 room. 
 
 Next morning he left the house before breakfast, 
 leaving a message that he was going to Thornbrae, 
 and would not return till evening. His mother and 
 sisters concluded that all had gone according to his 
 wishes, and that he had hurried off to make arrange- 
 ments to receive his bride as soon as possible ; but 
 when he returned, it was plainly to be seen from his 
 moody, reserved manner that he had been refused. 
 
 In a few days a letter was received from Mary, 
 saying she presumed that John had told them of her 
 intention of going out to America to be married to 
 Henry Gordon ; but previous to her departure, she 
 would go to see her aunt and cousins. John was 
 present when the letter was read ; he merely looked 
 at his mother, heaved a deep sigh, left the apartment, 
 and presently the hall-door closed on him, not to be 
 entered by him again for many days. 
 
 He proceeded to Thornbrae, and wrote to his 
 mother not to expect him back for a little. His 
 sisters looked for his return on Sunday ; and when 
 he did not come, they went to him, and begged he 
 would accompany them to Slievedhu. This he de- 
 cidedly refused, but promised to go on the following 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 317 
 
 Sunday, escort them to church, and take dinner with 
 them ; but only on the terms that they were not to 
 ask him any questions about his own affairs. This 
 promise was given, and a taciturn hebdomadal visit 
 was all the intercourse between John and his family 
 for years. 
 
 Mary in the meantime had gone to America, had 
 been most fondly and ardently received by Henry 
 Gordon and his family. Mrs Gordon was all a kind, 
 considerate mother could be to her daughter-in-law. 
 Henry's anticipations were fully realised ; he and 
 Mary were blessed with affluence and health, enjoyed 
 the respect and esteem of a large circle of acquaint- 
 ance, loved each other dearly, and had a numerous 
 family of sons and daughters. 
 
 Mary (or, as we should now call her, Mrs Patrick 
 Henry Gordon) ever retained the greatest love for 
 her native land — the name of Irishman or Irishwoman 
 was a sufficient introduction to her, and called forth 
 her strongest sympathies and kindest wishes on all 
 occasions. By her the wants of the indigent, help- 
 less, sick, and infirm were liberally relieved ; the 
 hopeless and down-spirited cheered ; the struggling 
 immigrant encouraged, and assisted to get into a way 
 of earning a livelihood ; the careless, improvident, 
 and dissipated, warned, reproved, exhorted, and 
 watched over. By her advice, hundreds of her 
 countrymen and women had money remitted to them 
 by their transatlantic friends to pay their passage to 
 rejoin them in America, or to contribute to their com- 
 fort and well-being at home. 
 
31 8 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 While she was pursuing an active and benevolent 
 career, her sister Nannie and her husband went on 
 "the even tenor of their ways." Mrs Wilson had 
 died a few years after the emigration of her daughter. 
 She had been an invalid for such a lengthened period 
 that her death had often been expected ; her mind, 
 however, had been weaned off the world, and gentle- 
 ness and resignation became so incorporated in her 
 character that her "latter end was peace;" it was 
 truly " putting off mortality to be clothed upon with 
 immortality." 
 
 Mrs Rutherford made frequent attempts to win 
 John round to his former sociability with his family, 
 but found all means ineffectual. She did not long 
 survive his estrangement from them. Her departure 
 was so peaceful that her daughters Margaret and 
 Bessie, who stood by her bedside, bending over her, 
 anxiously and affectionately watching her every look, 
 motion, and respiration, knew not when she ceased 
 to breathe. Some minutes had elapsed before they 
 could realise that she was really dead. The beams 
 of the setting sun at that time illumined the chamber 
 of death with its bright rays ; and by the wonderful 
 law of association, which excites the brain by a casual 
 sight, sound, odour, or other trivial incident, caused 
 the sunset at the Giant's Causeway to flash into 
 Margaret's recollection. The glorious hues of the 
 clouds, the radiance cast on all the scene around, the 
 very expression of countenance of each member of 
 the happy group who so deeply enjoyed it, rose up 
 vividly to her imagination. Her mother's every word 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 319 
 
 recurred to her memory — all passed before her in a 
 few seconds in the words of the poet — 
 
 " How quick is a glance of the mind 
 Compared to the speed of its flight ; 
 The tempest itself lags behind, 
 
 And the swift-wing'd arrows of light." 
 
 11 Bessie," said she, " our beloved mother has passed 
 over the troubled waters, which have evidently been 
 smoothed to her ; she has now entered through the 
 bright portals to be united to our father, and her 
 other friends who have gone before. May our end 
 be peaceful and happy like hers ! " 
 
 After their mother's death John's sisters seldom 
 saw him, as he lived constantly at Thornbrae, which 
 he only left when his business required. He shunned 
 society, sank into a morbid state, and became a moody, 
 gloomy old bachelor. 
 
 Mr B had not proposed to Bessie, nor did she 
 
 ever receive an offer of marriage ; she and Margaret 
 removed to London to be near Lucy and her children. 
 
 Hilary married in India. His wife died without 
 having had any children, and having amassed a large 
 fortune, he returned to England with the intention of 
 purchasing an estate in his dearly loved native land ; 
 but death called him off in Portsmouth, before he 
 had reached his sisters in London. 
 
 Lucy also, since we last mentioned her, had be- 
 reavements and trials. She had lost several children. 
 She and Edward had " beheld the fair bud and the 
 beautiful blossom expand ;" but while they looked, 
 they saw it begin to droop, fade, and at last wither 
 
320 Waves on the Ocean of Life, 
 
 and die ; still they sorrowed not without hope, know- 
 ing that their lovely flowers had only been trans- 
 planted to the garden of glory above, there to expand 
 fully, under the bright beams of the Sun of Righteous- 
 ness ; and after time had assuaged the sorrow of 
 parting with their beloved children, they rejoiced at 
 the thought of being united soon to them, " where 
 parting is unknown." Lucy often sang to her hus- 
 band in her sweetest tones — 
 
 " Darlings we shall meet where the spoiler finds no prey ; 
 Where all lovely things and sweet pass not away. 
 Edward, this indeed is true ; speed, then speed the closing day ! 
 How blest from earth's vain show to pass away ! " 
 
 After lives spent in usefulness and benevolence, 
 Edward and Lucy died within a short time of each 
 other, and were interred in Kensal Green Cemetery. 
 Several of their sons and grandsons are now honoured 
 members of professions, or merchants on 'Change. 
 
 Possessed not only with liberal means, but also 
 with a liberal spirit, the Messrs Talbot are munificent 
 donors to every charitable and benevolent institution 
 in London, and their purse is ever open to relieve the 
 wants of the indigent and suffering, irrespective of 
 creed or denomination. 
 
 Mary never left America. She survived her hus- 
 band, Patrick Henry Gordon, whose death was sin- 
 cerely regretted, and his memory universally re- 
 spected. His three sons, members of the bar and 
 senate, followed his remains to the tomb, mourning 
 the loss of a kind, beloved father. Their mother 
 
A Dalriadian Tale. 321 
 
 attained an old age, which to the last was occupied 
 in works and labours of love for the comfort and hap- 
 piness of her fellow-countrymen and women. 
 
 The morning of her funeral, the square in which 
 she had dwelt was thronged with a weeping multi- 
 tude of persons of both sexes, and all ages, bear- 
 ing evidence by their appearance and speech that 
 Erin had been their birthplace. 
 
 " Och, wasn't she cruel kind ? " " Didn't she do 
 a power o' good ? " " An' so cliver, too ! " " Won't 
 she be horridly miss't ? " " She was a sant on airth ! " 
 These and similar Ulster expressions, uttered in the 
 flat tone of voice peculiar to the greater part of the 
 province by persons of staid looks and square impas- 
 sive features, proved their northern origin. 
 
 " Wirasthrue ! Wirasthrue ! Heaven be her bed ! " 
 and " God rest her sowl ! " was often fervently ejacu- 
 lated in the rich flowing brogue of the midland counties, 
 or in the plaintive, wailing accents of the southern part 
 of Ireland ; and many a dark bright eye from Galway 
 and Connemara was dimmed by floods of tears, while 
 in touching accents the mourners poured forth their 
 feelings in the expressive ancient language of their 
 country, saying, in a wailing chant, " Beanacht Leat 
 a ban usaila ! Beanacht Finbar, beanacht Brendan 
 agus a companae seacht ! " (Blessings go with you, 
 noble lady ! The blessing of Finbar, the blessings of 
 Brendan and his seven companions go with you !) 
 
 The reader who has so far followed the events re- 
 corded in " Waves on the Ocean of Life " is even now 
 
322 
 
 Waves on the Ocean of Life. 
 
 carried on by the never-ceasing billows of Time to- 
 wards the boundless ocean of Eternity. The earnest 
 wish of the writer is, that she and her friends and 
 readers "may so pass through the waves of this 
 troublesome world that finally they lose not the 
 hope of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen." 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Ballantyne and Company, Printers, Edinburgh. 
 
3 
 
Unl