"THE BIG HA' BIBLE, ANCE HIS FATHER'S PRIDE."[2]
[2] Burns' "Cotter's Saturday Night."
Burns has beautifully described the cotter's Saturday night, but that
was the cotter of Scotland. Cornwall, too, has that beautiful and
appropriate custom, not only of closing the week but also the day with
the worship of God.
Supper is over in the Primrose Cottage. The sun is slowly sinking to
rest in the watery bed of the western sea, flecking and streaking the
distant blue into a variegated coverlet for its nightly repose. In a few
hours twilight will come and then night with its darkening mantle. The
main living room of the cottage is gilded by the slanting sunbeams that
glisten through the small, diamond window panes and the open doorway.
The floor of stone has been freshly sanded with white sea sand and raked
and marked in neat figures. Ande Trembath is interested in a new tale
that seems fascinating to him. It is Scott's "Lady of The Lake." Mrs.
Trembath is seated in a comfortable rocking chair, knitting, for Ande
must have warm stockings for the coming cold weather. The hour of
worship peals out from the great clock in the corner of the stairs.
Without a word, the lad places away the tale he has been perusing and
picks up the worn gilded volume of God's word. The mother places her
knitting on the small side table and prepares to listen, while her
laddie opens the book with care at the One Hundred and Fifth Psalm. The
reading of God's providence revealed there seemed to have additional
interest for the lad, and he paused for a moment over the eighteenth
verse and thought over the parson's morning talk. The Scripture ended,
the mother and son kneel in prayer, using not only the prayer of
ordinary evening worship, but that other prayer for the safety of those
astray on sea or land, and as the mother reads reverently the latter
prayer, the thoughts of both are concentrated on the dear one lost
amidst the American wilds eight long years ago. Then followed the Lord's
prayer, repeated in concert, until the part "forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us," where the lad's voice
faltered, and ceased for a moment, resuming the prayer in concert with
his mother when the phrase was passed.
The prayers were ended and the harp was brought forth with loving care.
The lad handled it with reverence, for it was his father's, and his
grandfather's, and he knew not how far it had dwelt in the annals of his
family. Then came the strains of Bishop Ken's Evening Hymn,
"Glory to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light;
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Under Thine own almighty wings."
The worship was finished and the Word, the prayer book, and the harp
replaced in their usual positions; Ande had returned to his "Lady of
The Lake," the mother to her knitting. There was no sound for a time
save the monotonous click, click of the knitting needles, keeping up a
sort of recitative duet with the tick, tick of the clock.
"Ande, laddie, why is it that thou dost not repeat the whole of the
Lord's prayer with me? I have noticed the last few times and have
wondered."
The lad was silent for a moment and his face flushed.
"I cannot, mother dear," he said simply.
"Why, laddie?"
"Because there are some I cannot forgive, it seems. There's Sir James
Lanyan and Richard, his son, Squire Vivian, and Bob Sloan,
and--and--they treat a person mean. When I think of the Lanyans and
Squire Vivian and how they or their people treated ours and took away
the estate, and--and when I think to-day how they treat father's and
grandfather's memory, I cannot feel like forgiving them and I can't say
'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,'
for that would be asking God not to forgive me."
As Ande Trembath referred to the Lanyans there was an angry light in his
eyes, which softened into gloom as he spoke of the Lord's prayer.
"Ande, laddie, we must pray to God to help us to forgive. 'If ye forgive
not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your
trespasses.'"
The widow was silent. She felt as keenly as her 'laddie' the injustice
done the Trembath family and there was a half-inaudible sigh from her
lips. She had not that bitter, unforgiving spirit, but she knew the
temper and spirit of her laddie. Will time ever remove the sting of an
unjust act? she thought. It was of no use to urge the point now with her
boy. She must think.
There was a clicking of the garden gate; a step was heard on the stone
garden walk, and a figure appeared at the door. It was that of a man
clad in livery dress--knee-breeches of nankeen, long stockings, and low
shoes with immense silver buckles, and a coat of velveteen. In short, he
was clad very much like a gentleman of the period fifteen years before,
but inasmuch as the majority of the gentry had adopted the new costume
of trowsers, the knee-breeches, low shoes, and long stockings generally
indicated the servant. And such he was--Master Stephen Blunt, Squire
Vivian's steward. Master Blunt doffed his cap and hesitated a moment.
Mrs. Trembath paled a little, for the steward was scarcely ever the
bearer of good news. He was a general factotum of the squire. He rented
farms, collected the dues, was an officer of justice, the terror of
small boys, and, in short, was a kind of constable, sheriff, and prime
minister of the squire's little domain.
Concerning the rent there was nothing to fear, for the Trembath's had
owned in fee simple as it was called, for many years, the Primrose
cottage and the few fields adjoining.
Master Blunt was a silent man, not wasting many words.
"The squire wanted to see Ande a bit," he stated.
A new thought flashed across the mother's mind. It was her laddie's
bravery in stopping the runaway in the morning. Yes, the squire was
going to reward her laddie and a more favourable understanding was going
to be established between the squire's people and theirs. She
communicated her opinion to her boy in a whisper as she assisted in
getting him ready. There was a smile of happiness on her countenance
which Master Blunt, seated on the garden settle outside, did not
observe.
Ande Trembath, however, was not so happy to go. Honour heaped upon him
for an act that he considered only an ordinary matter-of-fact affair,
and especially by one whom he considered in the light of an enemy, to be
hated and to be hated in return, was distasteful to him; but he knew the
necessity of going, as one did not dare disobey the squire.