THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5952, 3 October 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

[BY AMELIA E. BARR.]

CHAPTER IX. I'ARTINO. During tbo following six weeks, Brodirk's efforts were almost; superhuman. Ho whs doctor mid nurse and cook. We carried tho wailing babies and held the raving men in his strontr arms. He watched ov*r tho sick till the last hope had fled ; ho buried them tenderly when life was over. The splendor of the man', humanity had never shown itself until it stood erect, ami feared not though tho pestilence that walked in darkness and tho destruction that wanted nt noon-day were around him on every side. McNeil also in this extremity rose nobly to tho topmost level of what he conceived to be his duty. Plenty of people are willing to play the Good Samaritan without the oil and twopence ; but that was not the laird's way. Brodick's outspoken blame had really made him tremble at his now responsibilities. He put his baud in his pocket and liberally helped tho sufferers. Nor, unless all our awn motivos ring clear throughout, must wo blamo him too much if, at the foundation of all his efforts at atonement, lay one haunting thought— Helen ! If ho did what he could for others, Helen w--.-.:!-l be safer. Ho never audibly admitted ihat Helen was in danger; but, if there sho-ild be dang, r, ho was, ho hoped, payiug a random for her safety.

Toward tho end of October tho epidemic appeared to havu spent itself. Men began to creep into tho sunshine and to handle thoir nots with wasted and trembling hands. White-fatjod n-onien counted their children, ami wept because of those that ■were not. Boys and girls, with a strange stillness about them, played their games softly in the twilight, and then sat down to whisper together nf the dread things that had been seen and heard in the .overtime.

The laiid tried, as far a. possible, to resume his usual life, but there was still a shadow on tho minister's face, and he knew himself that there was a shadow on his heart. Was it from the still solemnity of death in which he had lately lived so much ? Or was it, tho shadow of n coming instead of n departing sorrow .

Ono afternoon Brodick thought he would go and sit with Helen a little while. During his close intimacy with the cotters, ho had loarned many things about their daily Hfo which would materially alter his methods of working for thoir welfare : and of these changes he wished to talk with Helen. The preparations for hor marriage wero being slowly renewed, and if she went, as previously determined upon, to Rome for tho winter, thero would bo few other opportunities for consultation until her return. She was just going to take a walk on the moor, and ho joined her.

" Colin has gone to Glasgow," sho said. " My father had some business ho desired him to attend to before we go away."

" Yes, dear. Is your wedding-day fixod, Helen ?"

" On tho oloventh of November, if God will."

" You aro sad, mv child." ''Am If I thought, indeed, how sad your faoe was." The day was itself mournful and gray, even for a November day. Tho purple glory of the heather was all gono. The wood wiis a sombre, silent realm of loafloss trees ; and a chill breath of wind shivered through it and made Helen draw her wrap closer around her throat. Tho rocky shore, the black seaboard, the scaly fish-boats, the jetties thick with kelp and tangle made a dreary picture. And in spite of tho doctor's intention to talk to Helen of work to bo done in the future, ho could not say a word of it though it was a subject that fillod his heart. A pathetic silence fell between them, and ho was not, able to break it. As for Helen, ehn walked on with a step a little dragging, an. with eyes mournfully fixed on the tossimr waves.

" They never rest! Neither in sunshine nor in moonshine do they know the blessediiesn of perfect sleep." Her voice had a wistful weariness in it. The doctor looked sharply at her. " Helen, my dear, aro you qnito well ?"

"" I have not been quite well for two weeks. I had a strange dream last Doctor, if I should die, comfort my father and Colin."

Her words fell on his ear like words that he had beeti expecting. Ho realized in a moment they wero the words he had beon fearful of hearing. A terror he could not put down mado him speechless; but he took her hands and felt that they wero burning with fever. " Let us go home. Dootor.' She turu'.d with the- words and pave ono long, mournful look at the mountains Mid the'sea and the lonely brown stretch of moorland. She was bidding farewell to thorn. The soul has marvellous intuitions, and S'-rodick was aware of it. Yet he had not »• word to say to her. There are spiritual moods beyond all human uitermeddliriL'. Tho silence was broken by Helen. "Doctor, when your heart sinks and is full of doubts, and when the rond is dark bofore you. wl>at do y,m do ■" "He that carried cur .ms can surely carry our doubts ; nay, but, my dear girl, us lf>' carries lambs like you in His arms, is there any need to trouble yourself what kind of road is before you? V v cannot .rot tired in His arm*, you cannot miss your " viiy you cannot bo frighten, dby anything, not even by d-ath, for He is Eternal Life." SI,, looked into bis face with the grave Madness of one that has grasped tho hand of i. frh-tid. ''You said you bad a strange dream, Helen?" " Yes it dream —a vi-khi—l know not bow to speak of it. Could a mortal being see one that is immortal r If I said that I bad ceen an ainxel, would you believe me?" "Yes; f«r the anirel of the Lord encampeth'round about them that fear Him, anil those who pome into tho reception of heavenly thinjrs, Helen, come also into tho companionship with heavely beiinr.. In-fu-i ms of Ht-'ht and comfort—inward helps that tile-" 'i* wheu wo are not lo ' kin f* r for th. in—intimitn >ns, holy thoiiirhta, sutruestionsof purity and beauty, desires after God, motions of that hidden fire we call prayerhow i»b they. Helen ( I will tell you. Ooo't minds aro joined to holier mii-ds, and tl c -iri"vls of C- r 'd still nccenil and descend ni h,i.t.Tiiiirt.»th(.s (! wh-.1i.v0 Him." " I would tell you what I saw and what I heard but I cannot find tho words." " To you only was the message, Helen. They who havo to hear understand : they who have not to hear cannot understand." They v. re by this time in the castlo jrarden Helen stooped aud touched gently the few la-t flowers blooming there, a cluster of golden chrysanthemums ; and th'i laird, who had seen them coming, opened the door wido to welcome thorn. Alas ! alas ! th-.iugh he saw him not, Doith entered with thHV. At midi.ig!)t there whs tho old, old cry of despair and .innuish, tho hurrying for help vh.ro no help could avail, the de«'j)ation of ■I terror creeping hour by hour closer to the hearthstone; for Helen lay in » stupor while the fever burned her young_ life v nnd tbo laird was stricken with a stiiiiv' "ri"f i i' til{ ,0 !111 consolation. He wandered up and down wringing his hands, and crying out at intervals, like a m.m in mortal agony. "roclick bad felt from tho first that there „-.,_ t.o bop'-. Something in the girl's face, ,ut last," afternoon thoy walked together 1, id'impressed him more than her words and . , ? Her soul was looking out from it, t 1 >-d -i 'ittlo wisttul and wondering ; !_ ' '.mi '. or- restless, as the birds are .' »,l restless just beforo they leave i;_"i"-dd-partfora.bu.d that is t-y far otf. Thoy d™" n ?' ,fS TIT) aiid iMiuty, they are ready to p ; but oh ! lr on- ili-bt over the cru-1 sea, where t re will be no rest for their weary w.ng. . And during that last mournful walk the minister had-ecu, also, that shohad dropped fm m k. r care and thought all ™l"t»tf. to her marriage and ber future The subject interred ber no more than the toy which • i child has outgrown interests it. Life, with its joys and sorrows, was already over j she know that she was going the way of all .he earth, and though heaven had opened L ber, and hhe bad undoubtedly had some vi-iou'of its beauty, that unknown thing, the pao l sage between thetwolands frightened the close of her life, she be- ,., '-tiiuoHi' radiantly conscious, and radiantly happy- Holding Colin' H hand, Hho bad not one regretful thought for the -,-irthlv lit'- 1 - they worn to havo shared together Loving him with tlie sweetest ?■ m ..rness. she felt it no wrong to desire fm-'thiit love, rather thu tryt_ of eternity than the ;ruhion of time, |TO il! r - COKTISUi'.n. j