按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
hand to Hugh； shook his hard； and said：
〃Mr。 Sutherlan'； I'm sair obleeged to ye for giein' that vratch；
Jamie Ogg； a guid doonsettin'。 He's a coorse crater； but the warst
maun hae meat； an' sae I didna like to refeese him when he cam for
wark。 But its a greater kin'ness to clout him nor to cleed him。
They say ye made an awfu' munsie o' him。 But it's to be houpit
he'll live to thank ye。 There's some fowk 'at can respeck no
airgument but frae steekit neives； an' it's fell cruel to haud it
frae them； gin ye hae't to gie them。 I hae had eneuch ado to haud
my ain han's aff o' the ted； but it comes a hantle better frae you；
Mr。 Sutherlan'。〃
Hugh wielded the scythe the whole of the harvest； and Margaret
gathered to him。 By the time it was over； leading…home and all； he
measured an inch less about the waist； and two inches more about the
shoulders； and was as brown as a berry； and as strong as an ox； or
〃owse；〃 as David called it； when thus describing Mr。 Sutherland's
progress in corporal development； for he took a fatherly pride in
the youth； to whom； at the same time； he looked up with submission；
as his master in learning。
CHAPTER XI。
A CHANGE AND NO CHANGE。
Affliction； when I know it； is but this
A deep alloy； whereby man tougher is
To bear the hammer； and the deeper still；
We still arise more image of his will。
Sicknessan humorous cloud 'twist us and light；
And death； at longest； but another night。
Man is his own star； and that soul that can
Be honest； is the only perfect Man。
JOHN FLETCHER。Upon an Honest Man's Fortune。
Had Sutherland been in love with Margaret； those would have been
happy days； and that a yet more happy night； when； under the mystery
of a low moonlight and a gathering storm； the crop was cast in haste
into the carts； and hurried home to be built up in safety； when a
strange low wind crept sighing across the stubble； as if it came
wandering out of the past and the land of dreams； lying far off and
withered in the green west； and when Margaret and he came and went
in the moonlight like creatures in a dreamfor the vapours of sleep
were floating in Hugh's brain； although he was awake and working。
〃Margaret；〃 he said； as they stood waiting a moment for the cart
that was coming up to be filled with sheaves； 〃what does that wind
put you in mind of？〃
〃Ossian's Poems；〃 replied Margaret； without a moment's hesitation。
Hugh was struck by her answer。 He had meant something quite
different。 But it harmonized with his feeling about Ossian； for the
genuineness of whose poetry； Highlander as he was； he had no better
argument to give than the fact； that they produced in himself an
altogether peculiar mental condition； that the spiritual sensations
he had in reading them were quite different from those produced by
anything else； prose or verse； in fact； that they created moods of
their own in his mind。 He was unwilling to believe； apart from
national prejudices （which have not prevented the opinions on this
question from being as strong on the one side as on the other）； that
this individuality of influence could belong to mere affectations of
a style which had never sprung from the sources of real feeling。
〃Could they；〃 he thought； 〃possess the power to move us like
remembered dreams of our childhood； if all that they possessed of
reality was a pretended imitation of what never existed； and all
that they inherited from the past was the halo of its strangeness？〃
But Hugh was not in love with Margaret； though he could not help
feeling the pleasure of her presence。 Any youth must have been the
better for having her near him； but there was nothing about her
quiet； self…contained being； free from manifestation of any sort； to
rouse the feelings commonly called love； in the mind of an
inexperienced youth like Hugh Sutherland。I say commonly called；
because I believe that within the whole sphere of intelligence there
are no two loves the same。Not that he was less easily influenced
than other youths。 A designing girl might have caught him at once；
if she had had no other beauty than sparkling eyes； but the
womanhood of the beautiful Margaret kept so still in its pearly
cave； that it rarely met the glance of neighbouring eyes。 How
Margaret regarded him I do not know； but I think it was with a love
almost entirely one with reverence and gratitude。 Cause for
gratitude she certainly had； though less than she supposed； and very
little cause indeed for reverence。 But how could she fail to revere
one to whom even her father looked up？ Of course David's feeling of
respect for Hugh must have sprung chiefly from intellectual grounds；
and he could hardly help seeing； if he thought at all on the
subject； which is doubtful； that Hugh was as far behind Margaret in
the higher gifts and graces； as he was before her in intellectual
acquirement。 But whether David perceived this or not； certainly
Margaret did not even think in that direction。 She was pure of
self…judgmentconscious of no comparing of herself with others；
least of all with those next her。
At length the harvest was finished； or； as the phrase of the
district was； clyack was gottena phrase with the derivation； or
even the exact meaning of which； I am unacquainted； knowing only
that it implies something in close association with the feast of
harvest…home； called the kirn in other parts of Scotland。
Thereafter； the fields lay bare to the frosts of morning and
evening； and to the wind that grew cooler and cooler with the breath
of Winter； who lay behind the northern hills； and waited for his
hour。 But many lovely days remained； of quiet and slow decay； of
yellow and red leaves； of warm noons and lovely sunsets； followed by
skiesgreen from the west horizon to the zenith； and walked by a
moon that seemed to draw up to her all the white mists from pond and
river and pool； to settle again in hoar…frost； during the colder
hours that precede the dawn。 At length every leafless tree sparkled
in the morning sun； incrusted with fading gems； and the ground was
hard under foot； and the hedges were filled with frosted
spider…webs； and winter had laid the tips of his fingers on the
land； soon to cover it deep with the flickering snow…flakes； shaken
from the folds of his outspread mantle。 But long ere this； David
and Margaret had returned with renewed diligence； and powers
strengthened by repose； or at least by intermission； to their mental
labours； and Hugh was as constant a visitor at the cottage as
before。 The time； however； drew nigh when he must return to his
studies at Aberdeen； and David and Margaret were looking forward
with sorrow to the loss of their friend。 Janet； too； 〃cudna bide to
think o't。〃
〃He'll tak' the daylicht wi' him； I doot； my lass；〃 she said； as she
made the porridge for breakfast one morning； and looked down
anxiously at her daughter； seated on the creepie by the ingle…neuk。
〃Na； na； mither；〃 replied Margaret； looking up from her book； 〃he'll
lea' sic gifts ahin' him as'll mak' daylicht i' the dark；〃 and then
she bent her head and went on with her reading； as if she had not
spoken。
The mother looked away with a sigh and a slight； sad shake of the
head。
But matters were to turn out quite different from all anticipations。
Before the day arrived on which Hugh must leave for the university；
a letter from home informed him that his father was dangerously ill。
He hastened to him； but only to comfort his last hours by all that
a son could do； and to support his mother by his presence during the
first hours of her loneliness。 But anxious thoughts for the future；
which so often force themselves on the attention of those who would
gladly prolong their brooding over the past； compelled them to adopt
an alteration of their plans for the present。
The half…pay of Major Sutherland was gone； of course； and all that
remained for Mrs。 Sutherland was a small annuity； secured by her
husband's payments to a certain fund for the use of officers'
widows。 From this she could spare but a mere trifle for the
completion of Hugh's university…education； while the salary he had
received at Turriepuffit； almost the whole of which he had saved；
was so small as to be quite inadequate for the very moderate outlay
necessary。 He therefore came to the resolution to write to the
laird； and offer； if they were not yet provided with another tutor；
to resume his relation to the young gentlemen for the winter。 It
was next to impossible to spend money there； and he judged that
before the following winter； he should be quite able to meet the
expenses of his residence at Aberdeen； during the last session of
his course。 He would have preferred trying to find another
situation； had it not been that David and Janet and Margaret had
made there a home for him。
Whether Mrs。 Glasford was altogether pleased at the proposal； I
cannot tell； but the laird wrote a very gentlemanlike epistle；
condoling with him and his mother upon their loss； and urging the
usual common…places of consolation。 The letter ended with a hearty
acceptance of Hugh's offer； and； strange to tell； the unsolicited
promise of an increase of salary to the amount of