FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   387   388   389   390   391   392   393   394   395   396  
397   398   399   400   401   402   403   404   405   406   407   408   409   410   411   412   413   414   415   416   417   418   419   420   421   >>   >|  
and looked like one, already half-across the river, watching her friend as he passed her towards the opposing bank. The old man lay with his eyes closed. As soon as he knew that he was dying he had closed his eyes, that the dead orbs might not stare into the faces of the living. It had been a whim of his for years. He would leave the house decent when his lease was up. And the will kept pressing down the lids which it would soon have no power to lift. "Ye're come in time," said Auntie Meg, and whispered to the old woman--"My brither Jeames's bairn." "Ay, ye're come in time, lassie," said the great-aunt kindly, and said no more. The dying man heard the words, opened his eyes, glanced once at Annie, and closed them again. "Is that ane o' the angels come?" he asked, for his wits were gone a little way before. "Na, weel I wat!" said the hard-mouthed ungracious Meg. "It's Annie Anderson, Jeames Anderson's lass." The old man put his hand feebly from under the bed-clothes. "I'm glad to see ye, dawtie," he said, still without opening his eyes. "I aye wantit to see mair o' ye, for ye're jist sic a bairn as I wad hae likit to hae mysel' gin it had pleased the Lord. Ye're a douce, God-fearin' lassie, and He'll tak care o' his ain." Here his mind began to wander again. "Marget," he said, "is my een steekit, for I think I see angels?" "Ay are they--close eueuch." "Weel, that's verra weel. I'll hae a sleep noo." He was silent for some time. Then he reverted to the fancy that Annie was the first of the angels come to carry away his soul, and murmured brokenly: "Whan ye tak' it up, be carefu' hoo ye han'le 't, baith for it's some weyk, and for it's no ower clean, and micht blaud the bonnie white han's o' sic God-servers as yersels. I ken mysel there's ae spot ower the hert o' 't, whilk cam o' an ill word I gied a bairn for stealin' a neep. But they did steal a hantle that year. And there's anither spot upo' the richt han', whilk cam o' ower gude a bargain I made wi' auld John Thamson at Glass fair. And it wad never come oot wi' a' the soap and water--Hoots, I'm haverin'! It's upo' the han' o' my soul, whaur soap and water can never come. Lord, dight it clean, and I'll gie him 't a' back whan I see him in thy kingdom. And I'll beg his pardon forbye. But I didna chait him a'thegither. I only tuik mair nor I wad hae gi'en for the colt mysel'. And min' ye dinna lat me fa', gaein' throu the lift." He went o
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   387   388   389   390   391   392   393   394   395   396  
397   398   399   400   401   402   403   404   405   406   407   408   409   410   411   412   413   414   415   416   417   418   419   420   421   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

closed

 

angels

 
Jeames
 

lassie

 
Anderson
 

servers

 

yersels

 

bonnie

 

silent

 

reverted


eueuch

 
carefu
 

brokenly

 

murmured

 
forbye
 
thegither
 
pardon
 

kingdom

 

hantle

 
anither

stealin
 

haverin

 

Thamson

 

bargain

 
dawtie
 
pressing
 

decent

 

brither

 

kindly

 

whispered


Auntie
 

living

 

watching

 

friend

 

passed

 

looked

 

opposing

 

opening

 

wantit

 
clothes

pleased

 
wander
 
Marget
 

fearin

 

opened

 
glanced
 

feebly

 
ungracious
 

mouthed

 
steekit