? there, in its own cradle, the primal order is
still nursed, still restored; thence is still sent forth afresh, to
leaven with new life the world ever ageing! Shadowy and vague they
were--but vaguely shadowed were thoughts like these in Janet's mind,
as she stood half-stunned, regarding for one moment motionless the
prostrate child and his wrongs. The next she lifted him in her
arms, and holding him tenderly to her mother-heart, carried him into
the house, murmuring over him dove-like sounds of pity and
endearment mingled with indignation. There she laid him on his side
in her bed, covered him gently over, and hastened to the little byre
at the end of the cottage, to get him some warm milk. When she
returned, he had already lifted his heavy eyelids, and was looking
wearily about the place. But when he saw her, did ever so bright a
sun shine as that smile of his! Eyes and mouth and whole face
flashed upon Janet! She set down the milk, and went to the bedside.
Gibbie put up his arms, threw them round her neck, and clung to her
as if she had been his mother. And from that moment she was his
mother: her heart was big enough to mother all the children of
humanity. She was like Charity herself, with her babes innumerable.

"What have they done to ye, my bairn?" she said, in tones pitiful
with the pity of the Shepherd of the sheep himself.

No reply came back--only another heavenly smile, a smile of absolute
content. For what were stripes and nakedness and hunger to Gibbie,
now that he had a woman to love! Gibbie's necessity was to love;
but here was more; here was Love offering herself to him! Except in
black Sambo he had scarcely caught a good sight of her before. He
had never before been kissed by that might of God's grace, a true
woman. She was an old woman who kissed him; but none who have drunk
of the old wine of love, straightway desire the new, for they know
that the old is better. Match such as hers with thy love, maiden of
twenty, and where wilt thou find the man I say not worthy, but fit
to mate with thee? For hers was love indeed--not the love of
love--but the love of Life. Already Gibbie's faintness was gone--and
all his ills with it. She raised him with one arm, and held the
bowl to his mouth, and he drank; but all the time he drank, his eyes
were fixed upon hers. When she laid him down again, he turned on
his side, off his scored back, and in a moment was fast asleep. She
stood gazing a