al lands. To this
other gratuities were added, to an amount that amply compensated him, as
he often himself said, for all that he had suffered in the royal cause.
Some will say, perhaps, and with too much truth, that Charles was not so
grateful to all his friends; but, in the present instance, we have only
to do with the case of the Laird of Lucky's How.

THE ABDUCTION.

The farm of Kelpiehaugh, at a short distance from Lessudden, was, at an
early period of the St Boswell's meetings, occupied by Giles Ramsay--a
man who, as often happens in Scotland, was not loth to admit that "his
grey mare was the better horse." He liked the philosophy of the old
ballad quoted by Shakspere, and received it as a general maxim, that
"nought's to be had at a woman's hand" unless, in every case, "ye gie
her a' the plea." And, verily, Matty did not love him the worse for his
correct notions of woman-kind, though, as for anything like gratitude
for his easy submission to her entire authority, she knew nothing of the
sentiment, if she did not heartily despise it. The reason was indeed
plain enough; for she had the capacity to know that, whatever
superiority nature intended her husband should possess over her, in his
character of one of the lords of the creation, he had none whatever in
the capacity of her husband. In this there was a secret which she
communicated to no one; and that was simply, that Giles was, in all
respects, a stupid, simple, honest "cudden," and she was one of the
cleverest dames that ever made a good-natured husband cry "barlafummil"
in a matrimonial skirmish. Yet, with all the guidwife's cleverness, she
had not been able either to prevent Giles from getting behind with his
rent--the more by token as, we fancy, that Kelpiehaugh was too dear--or
to get "the glaikit hizzy," Mary, her daughter, well buckled to a canny
laird, who might help them to pay up their arrears. The first was
clearly no marvel; but the second might have been termed some what
extraordinary, seeing the young woman was as fair as Dowsabell.

Something as regarded the rent depended upon the next sale of cattle at
St Boswell's, for which honest Giles had ready six as good stirks as
ever grazed on a green lea; and it was arranged between him and the
better partner of the matrimonial firm, that he must get six pounds for
every head of them, otherwise he might have small chance for "love's
roundelay" on his return.

"It will mak thirty-six pounds,