Margaret M. Robertson

“ But I am thinking that, in His sight who sees further than men can see, to suffer may be greater than to do. But have patience, Archie, lad. He who has given you to suffer now, may give you to do before you die. You may have to fight the battles of the Lord in high places. Who knows?”
“That would be near as well as to fight with the dragoons: would it not, Archie?” said Lilias, laughing. “I’m sure it would be far easier.”
“Maybe not, my lassie,” said her aunt, gravely. “There may be battles fierce and sore that are bloodless battles; and Scotland may not be through all her warfare yet. ”

“ Your wish must bring good to one like me. Bid me God-speed.”
“God speed you!” said Lilias, reverently, and wondering much. “And God avert the evil that you dread!”
She watched while he continued in sight, forgetting, for the time, her own troubles in pity for his.
“There are so many troubles in life,” she thought; “and each one’s own seems worst to bear. When will it all end?”
Poor, drooping Lily! She had sat so long in the shadow of care that she was in danger of forgetting that there were lightsome places on the earth; and “When will it end?” came often to her lips now. ”

“ Dark firs and yew-trees grew around the kirk-yard, and here and there over the grave of a friend the hand of affection had planted a weeping-willow. On a low slab beneath one of these the brother and sister sat for a time in silence, broken at last by Archie.
“Oh, Lily! this is a bonny quiet place. How I wish they were lying here!”
“Yes,” said Lilias, softly, “among their friends. But it makes no difference. I never think of them as lying there.”
“Oh, no! they are not there. I suppose it is all the same to them. ”

“ She had no fears for Lilias, nor when her brother was a cripple had she fears for him. But now that he was strong and well,—now that he must necessarily be exposed to other influences, some of which could not but be evil, her heart grew sick with a feeling of self-distrust as to her own power to guide him.
It was this which made her listen with something like regret when Archie told of new friends made among the hills. His frank, open nature made him altogether unsuspicious of evil in others; and, knowing him to be easily influenced, she could not but fear that he might be led astray. ”

“ Her aunt let her weep freely for a few minutes, and then she said:
“It’s not wrong for you to weep for your mother, Lilias; you must do that. But you know ‘He doth not afflict willingly;’ and you can trust His love, though you cannot see why this great sorrow has been sent upon you. You can say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’”
“I am trying, Aunt Janet,” said Lilias, looking up with a wavering smile on her lips, almost sadder to see than tears, as her aunt could not help thinking. She said no more, but kissed her and let her go. ”

“ The child’s unfailing energy and patience were a source of never-failing admiration to her; yet she always spoke to her as if she thought she needed a great deal of encouragement, and not a little reproof and advice, to keep her in the right way.
“You mustn’t grumble, Lilias, my dear, that you have to bear the yoke in your youth. I dare say you need all you’re getting. Many a better woman has had more to bear. We all have our share of trouble at one time or another. Who knows but you may see prosperous days yet,—you and your aunt together? ”

“ She would have laid her head beneath Alex Elder’s feet, if it would have pleasured him; and you are none behind her. Such ways are neither for your good nor his. There are plenty of folk that’ll say to-day that your father would have been a stronger man if he hadn’t been so much spared as a laddie.”
“If Archie grows up to be such a man as my father was, I shall have no more to wish for him!” exclaimed Lilias, rising, with more of spirit in her voice and manner than Mrs Stirling had ever witnessed there before.
“Eh, sirs! did you ever hear the like of that in all your born days?” ”

“ But it ill becomes you to be offended with the like of me.”
“I’m not angry. I didn’t mean to be angry,” said Lilias, meekly enough now; “but I can’t bear to think you should suppose I would do anything that is not for Archie’s good. I’m sure I wish to do what is right.”
“I’m as sure of that as you are,” said Nancy; “but Lilias, my dear, you must mind that it’s not the sapling that has the closest shelter that grows to be the strongest tree. With you always to think and do for him, your brother would never learn to think and do for himself. It is not real kindness to think first of him. ”

“ At her death, Elsie had come to the neighbourhood of Kirklands, to live with her grandfather and her aunt. She thus passed from one extreme of misfortune to the other. From roaming at large in whatever place and in whatever company she chose, she became at once the in-door drudge of her aunt and the out-door drudge of her grandfather. The father and daughter agreed perfectly in one respect. Their ruling passion was the same,—the love of money. It was believed in the neighbourhood that they had laid by a considerable sum; but nothing could be more wretched than their usual mode of life. ”

“ She was always cheerful, and strove to comfort Lilias by telling her that, though her illness was painful, it was not dangerous, and when the spring came round she might hope to be strong and well again. But months must pass before then, and the heart of Lilias sickened at the thought of all her aunt must suffer. Even Archie’s absence came to seem but a small matter in comparison with this greater trial. By every means in her power she strove to soothe her sufferings; but, alas! it was little she could do, and slowly the winter passed away. ”

“ No one rejoiced more heartily than did Mrs Stirling at the coming home of Hugh Blair and the consequent change of circumstances to his mother and his little cousins; but her joy was expressed in her own fashion. One might have supposed that, in her opinion, some great calamity had befallen them, so dismal were her prophecies concerning them.
“It’s true you have borne adversity well, and that is in a measure a preparation for the well-bearing of prosperity. But there’s no telling. The heart is deceitful, and it is no easy to carry a full cup. You’ll need grace, Lilias, my dear. ”

“ My aunt doesn’t say much, but she sees clearly. But why should you not be happy here? I can’t understand it.”
“No; I trust you may never be able to understand it. Archie, lad, it is one of the penalties of an evil life that it changes the nature, so that the love of pure and simple pleasures, which it drives away, has but a small chance of coming back again, even when the life is amended. It is a sad experience.”
“But an evil life, Cousin Hugh! You should not say that,” said Archie sorrowfully. ”

“ They’ll be wondering what has kept me,” said Archie to himself, as he saw the firelight gleaming from the cottage-window. “I wonder where Lily can be, that she didn’t come to meet me? I wonder if anything has happened?”
Something had happened. He paused a moment at the door to listen, as a strange voice reached his ear. It was a man’s voice. Going in softly, he saw his aunt in her accustomed seat, and close beside her, with his head bowed down on his hands, sat a stranger. There was a strange look, too, on his aunt’s face, the boy thought, and the tears were running down over her cheeks. ”

“ But I ought to do all I can; and I would like herding best.”
Nancy’s patience was ebbing fast.
“Well, lass, you’ve sought advice from me, and you shall get it. You’re just as fit for herding as you are for breaking stones. Now, just be quiet, my dear. What do you ken about herding, but what you have learnt beneath Elsie Ray’s plaid on a summer’s afternoon? And what good could you do your aunt,—away before four in the morning, and not home till dark at night, as you would need to be?” ”

“ And Mrs Stirling was right. Lilias was not changed. Prosperity did no unkind office for her. Those happy days developed in her no germ of selfishness. Still her first thought was for others, the first desire of her heart still was to know what was right, and to obtain grace and strength to do it. In some respects she might be changed, but in this she was the very same.
She grew taller and wore a brighter bloom on her cheeks, and she gradually outgrew the look that was older than her years ”

“ But I’ll never see Glen Elder, nor Aunt Janet, nor anything but these dark walls and yon bit of the kirk-yard.”
“Whisht, Archie,” said his sister, soothingly. “Aunt Janet has gone from Glen Elder, and she’s maybe as ill off as any of us. I doubt none of us will ever go there again. But we won’t think of such sad things now. Lie still, and I’ll sing to you till my mother comes home.”
She drew a low stool to the side of the bed, and, laying her head down on the pillow beside him, she sang, in a voice low and soft but clear as a skylark’s, the sweetest of all the sweet Psalmist’s holy songs. ”

“ The swollen waters of the burn hid the stone seat where the children had loved to sit, and the sere leaves of the rowan-tree lay scattered in the glen. Even when a blink of sunshine came, they could not venture out among the dripping heather, but were fain to content themselves with sitting on the turf seat at the house-end. ”

“ They had other pleasures, too—gardening, and rambles among the hills, and cottage-visiting. But the chief business and pleasure of Lilias was in caring for the comfort of her aunt, and in the guiding of the household affairs at Glen Elder. Matters within and without were so arranged that, while she might always be busy, she was never burdened with care; and so the quiet days passed on, each bringing such sweet content as does not often fall to the lot of any household for a long time together. ”

“ Firm as was their trust in God, the future seemed dark indeed, and each shrank from paining the other by speaking her fears aloud. Of her husband Mrs Elder spoke with thankfulness and joy, though with many tears. He had known and loved the Saviour, and had died rejoicing in His salvation. She had prayed that God would give her submission to His will as the end drew near;—and He had given her not only submission, but blessed peace; and no trouble, however heavy, should make her distrust His love again. ”

“ And when’s your time coming?” asked Nancy, drily.
“Oh, it is quite different with me,” said Lilias, with a feeble attempt at a laugh. “A woman can slip through the world quietly, you know. I shan’t need learning as Archie will. And, besides, I can do a great many things; and I can learn though I don’t go to the school.”
“Learn, indeed! and slip through the world quietly!” exclaimed Mrs Stirling, with an expression of mingled pity and contempt. “These may be your doctrines, but they’re not mine. But it’s easy seen what will be the upshot of this. It’s just your aunt and your father over again. ”

“ There are few folk but would be glad to forget, and to make others forget, ‘the hole of the pit.’ And look at these flowers, now! Who but Lilias Elder would think of a poor body like me caring for what is good neither to eat nor to drink? She’s like no one else. ”

“ No wild flower by the wayside, no bird or butterfly, no new development of life in any form, but won from them a joyful greeting.
And so there were again the pleasant wanderings among hills and glens, and the pleasanter restings by the burn-side. But they were not so frequent now, for Lilias’ life was a very busy one, and she could not, even if she had wished, have laid aside the duties she had taken upon herself. But her freedom was all the sweeter when her duties were done ”

“ Lilias sighed. The same thought had come into her own mind many and many a time within the last few months.
“Did my cousin Hugh do anything so very bad?” she asked, looking anxiously into Mrs Stirling’s face.
“I dare say the folk that blame him most have done far worse things than anything they can lay to his charge,” said Nancy; “but there’s little doubt he did what made him fear to look on his mother’s face again, or wherefore should he not have come back? His name has never, to my knowledge, passed her lips from that day till this.” ”

“ Archie will never want a mother’s care while he has you; and for his sake, love, you must not grieve too much for me. It will only be for a little while; and, then, think how happy we shall be.”
There was a pause.
“Will you promise, Lily?”
“Yes, mother; I promise. It will only be for a little while.”
“I do not fear to leave my darlings. God will keep them safe till we meet again.”
There was a long silence after that; and then she called her sister by name, and Mrs Blair bent over her.
“Kiss me, Janet. God sent you to us now. Comfort—Alex’s bairns.” ”

“ Well, Mrs Blair, the short and the long of it is this. I have a favour to ask from you. You see, it’s dull enough down at my house at this time of the year, and I find it long sitting by myself when the bairns have gone home. I have a certain solace in my books, it’s true; but I begin to think there is some sense in the wise man’s declaration, that ‘much study is a weariness to the flesh.’ At any rate, it comes to that at my time of life. ”

“ You are by no means fit for the work you would have to do there; though you could have no better place than the manse. No, no, my lassie, you must bide here among the hills, and gather health and strength for the struggles that life must bring to you as well as to others. All you could gain would but ill repay you for the loss of health; and you are not very strong, dear.”
“But I am stronger than one would think to see me; and I’ll be getting stronger, living in a country place. I think I might be strong enough for Mrs Graham.” ”