THE WE8T SHORE.
323
which was near its meridian, was softening all their
hard outlines till they blended with the bine iky. 1
raised my eyes from the beauty around me to my
companion's face, and saw there a look which made
me understand all beauty as I had never done before.
There was no appeal for sympathy to me; she looked
far away as though she were gathering the whole
scene into her very being; then she smiled as a bat
tel 11 y touched her hand on its way across the heather,
and came down the little mound in silence with the
same sweet, beautiful, calm look on her face.
At a lonely turn in the road between the hills we
met two rough-looking men. They came toward us
with a somewhat threatening aspect I felt anxious
for a moment, and thought, with some satisfaction, of
my thorn stick, as the dispatch box might arouse
their covetous desires. They were itroDg men, two
to one, and I looked f urtively at the lady as one of
them began in the usual begging whine to demand
money. Cat there was something in her face which
seemed to make them uncomfortable. She gave them
a small coin and said to them, very kindly
" You look very tired with this warm day's walk,
ing."
They mumbled some thanks and passed on.
" Evil faces," I remarked.
" Very suffering ones," she said, " and they seem
ed so tired and weary."
We walked on in silence for some time after this
adventure, and were gradually coming down into a
hollow, where a small village neatled-a straggling
little street, a pink-washed Methodist chapel, called
"Zion,"a bright, rapid stream, a few beech and fir
trees, and an old stone bridge with a quaint little inn
near to it, a glad sight to us as we both needed food
and rest
1 went into the small inn to order something pre
pared for us, and was detained a littlo while by the
talkative old landlady. When I came out I found
the lady sitting on a pile of felled timber by the side
of the stream, with a group of the village children
around her. The youngest was on her knee, with his
curly head nestling in her arms. The others stood
open-mouthed as she told them a fairy tile. She
was the most radiant of them all, and I heard Ler
sweet voice ringing out clearly
" And the king was very sad, for the ogre would
only be satisfied with the best one that lired in the
village,"
J I could not interrupt her, she was so absorbed
with her story, so I wandered idly along the little
stream, hearing the wondering ihouU of the children
from time to time as I pursued my way. As I stroll
ed back toward the inn she came to meet me, with
the children hanging to her skirts, the youngest, who
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had sat on her knee, clinging to her hand and drag,
ging her forward.
" They are all going blackberrying," she said,
" and would like me to join them; but I can not, as I
must have food and rest. We shall pass the copse
where they will bo picking as we go on our way. It
is over there on the side of the hill. Yes, (leorgie,
we will stop and see how many blackberries you have
picked," and she loosed her hand gently from the
chubby ono of the child and stroked his golden curls.
" liow do you know his name? " I asked.
" Why he told me his name, of course, What is
your name, little man?"
" Dordio Ebbaus," was the prompt answer.
M There," she replied, " what could be more do.
cisive? fleorgle Evans-ami (leorgie has a guinea
pig and a blind grandmother at home, and his father
works down in the pits and brings home money fur
Georgie and his mother."
There was a little patch of garden in the front of
the inn, and I had our luncheon spread in a little ar
bor formed of trained apple trees on which the fruit
was fast ripening. A few marigolds, some daisies
and one glorious red rose treo covered with blossoms
composed the little garden, and hero we rested aud
ate our meal. A half blind and lame cur crept to her
feet She fed and patted it with her gentle hand and
said-
" That is probably the first pat of kindly interest
that wretched brute has ever had."
N Perhaps if it had had more friends it would not
look so ill favored."
" At any rate it needs all the more friends now.
Bee bow hungry the poor thing is," she replied, and
gathering some of the remains of the meal put them
down before the dog. Then she turned to mo and
said, eagerly
" I must press on, it gets late and we itill have
six mils to go. It will U pleaaanter walking now,
but need I take you further? Hurcly you ought to
turn back, now."
" No, I will not leave you," I said, "I will take
the train from Trrdrgir."
I paid the littlo bill and we again took our road
We bad to pass by the copto where the children were
blackberrying. I remember to this moment bow the
afternooo sun was touching the kills, which wert
growing steeer and more rugged as ws begin to as
cend again. Wo left tho litllo village behind os lit
terally bathed In sunshine. For some distance, as
wo mounted the path, wo could Lear the rippling of
the stream, as it fi wed over the large, round stocre
which formed its bed. Wo came to a turn in tho
ruad which would presently Lido tho distant view,
and here wo lingered. Hho stood sitobtly gaxlng an-