The Clever Woman of the Family

Her smile awoke a responsive look, and she began to gaze round and

admire, feeling it safest to skim on the surface; and he could not

but be gratified by her appreciation of the pains spent upon this, her

especial home. He had recovered himself again by the time these few

sentences had passed; they discussed the few needful arrangements

required by his departure, and Tibbie presently found them so cheerful

that she was quite scandalized, and when Ermine held out her hands,

saying, "What Tibbie, won't you come and kiss me, and wish me joy?" she

exclaimed-"Wish ye joy! It's like me to wish ye joy an yer lad hurled awa frae

yer side i' the blink o' an ee, by thae wild telegrams. I dinna see what

joy's to come o't; it's clean again the Scripture!"

"I told you I had left it to her to decide, Tibbie," said the Colonel.

"Weel, an what wad ye hae the puir leddy say? She kens what sorts ye,

when the head of yer name is sick an lyin' among thae English loons that

hae brocht him to siccan a pass."

"Right, Tibbie," exclaimed Ermine, greatly amused at the unexpected

turn, purely for the sake of putting Maister Colin in the wrong. "If a

gentleman won't be content without a bride who can't walk, he must take

the consequence, and take his wedding trip by himself! It is my belief,

Tibbie, as I have just been telling him, that you and I shall get the

house in all the better order for having him off our hands, just at

first," she added, with a look of intelligence.

"Deed, an maybe we shall," responded Tibbie, with profound satisfaction.

"He was aye a camsteary child when there was any wark on hand."

Colin could not help laughing, and when once this had been effected,

Ermine felt that his depression had been sufficiently met, and that

she might venture on deeper, and more serious sympathy, befitting the

chastened, thankful feelings with which they hailed the crowning of

their youthful love, the fulfilment of the hopes and prayers that the

one had persisted in through doubt and change, the other had striven to

resign into the All-wise Hands.

They had an early meal together, chiefly for the sake of his wheeling

her to the head of his table, and "seeing how she looked there," and

then the inexorable hour was come, and he left her, with the echo of her

last words in his ear, "Goodbye, Colin, stay as long as you ought. It

will make the meeting all the sweeter, and you have your wife to some

back to now. Give a sister's love to your brother, and thanks for

having spared you," and his last look at the door was answered with her

sunshiny smile.