Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1861 edition. Excerpt:... their ain bonnie Pearl, had gane to be wi' the angels in heaven! "A twelvemonth had come and gane. Lewie an' Ailsie, in deep black, a settled sorrow i' the face o' each, sat wi' clasped hands by a sma' mound o' turf starred ower wi' gowans. Forbye a 'Pearl, ' Margaret, ye ken, stands for a 'gowan;' an' sae it seemed that the innocent flowers came thickest where sweet wee Margaret slept. It maun hae been o' their ain choosin', for nought had Ailsie planted or sown. Naething had she to gie her darlin's grave, but tears, aye tears! "They say that greetin' saftens grief, an' whyles it may; but mony a woman kens the meanin' o' these words, art agony o' tears. "Ailsie wasna greetin' noo, the tears were just brimmin' ower; but they were maistly ever sae--aye gatherin', puir lassie, in her een. 'Twas only in her dreams that Ailsie saw aught clearly, as in ither days; for, when awake, the rain clouds o' sorrow aye happit her about. But the Lord was very pitifu', an' every nicht the mither saw her bairn. Sae thro' the lang, lang day she ga'ed about her wark, aye wearyin' for her Margaret's angel-face, which, when nicht came an' the warld was hushed to rest, she then was sure in her glad dreams to see! "I kent by Ailsie's tremblin' hand she'd something on her mind to say. Ye may be sure, she'd but to speak for Lewis to agree--he was a changed man. The troubled waters o' yon fearfu' nicht had been blessed to him; an' Ailsie aye thocht it was the angel that went down into them to fetch away the soul o' her little Margaret that had gied them the power to heal her husband o' his sair disease! "But Ailsie lingered still in what she was gaun to say. She shivered as she thocht o' the unhealed spot in her ain moe's heart, that she maun noo lay her saft...