500 A CH APT Ell OX ANNUALS. 



blazing ingle, by whose side stood her old father's chair, to the venerable 

 form of that now forsaken father, as he opened ' the big Ha' Bible,' to begin 

 the evening worship ; while she sat by his side, and the farm servants formed 

 a circle around. Alas 1 her accustomed seat was empty now. The name of 

 the undutiful daughter was heard no more in the dwelling of her childhood. 

 Had she indeed still a father ? or had her guilty desertion not broken his 

 heart, and sent him to a death-bed which no filial hand had smoothed r 

 Then would she press her baby to her heart, while the tears of bitter and 

 fruitless penitence fell on its innocent face, and pray to God that her sin 

 might not be visited on it ; nor be punished in her own person by a like in- 

 stance of ingratitude in her own child. The return of her beloved husband 

 might for a time dispel these miserable thoughts ; but still they came again 

 when he left her sometimes even when he was by her side. And when, as 

 often happened, his boat was out in rough and tempestuous weather, the 

 anxiety and the terror of poor Margaret were indeed terrible. She seemed 

 ever haunted by some mysterious dread of punishment through the means of 

 her warmest affections her husband or her child. 



" There came a bright sunny day in April, when the sun set calmly and 

 cloudlessly, leaving a long train of light over the sea. Allan Mac Tavish 

 went to his bed at sunset, bidding his wife awake him at eleven at night. It 

 would be high tide in about an hour after that time, when his boat would be 

 most easily floated off; and he, in company with the fishermen who lived in 

 the huts already mentioned, farther along the coast, were then to depart upon 

 their expedition. Margaret determined accordingly to sit up until that hour, 

 in order to obviate any danger of not waking in proper time, had she laid 

 down to sleep. But as the nig it darkened in, and all became stillness and 

 silence in the cottage, an unwon ed drowsiness crept over her : in spite of all 

 her efforts, her eyes closed thoughts wavered before her mind in confused 

 and shapeless forms, till they gradually melted away into dreams ; and leaning 

 her head upon a chair beside the low stool on which she had seated herself, 

 she sank into a profound sleep. 



" When at last she opened her eyes, which was with a sudden start, she 



Eerceived her husband standing on the floor, and nearly dressed. Casting 

 er eyes towards a silver watch (the gift of Allan's foster-brother), which 

 hung upon the wall, she perceived by the firelight that it was after eleven : 

 and hastily rose from her seat, in that confusion of ideas which attends a 

 hurried awakening from sleep. 



" ' Margaret, dear,' said her husband kindly, ' what for did ye stay out of 

 bed ? I never knew it till I wakened, and saw ye sleeping there.' 



" ' Have I no' been i' my bed ?' exclaimed Margaret, as she looked around 

 her. ' Ou, ay, I mind it a' noo. I just fell asleep sittin' aside the fire. 

 An', Allan, whar are ye gaun e'en noo ?' 



" ' Where am I gaun ?' returned Allan. ' Where would I be gaun ? Ye're 

 no awake yet, Margaret, dear. I'm for the boat, lass.' 



" ' The boat !' almost shrieked Margaret, as the recollection seemed to 

 rush upon her ; ' the boat! Oh no, Allan, ye maunna' gang the nicht, Allan. 

 Ye maunna' gang !' 



" ' Not gang to night !' exclaimed he in astonishment. ' And what for 

 no ? I must gang in half an hour's time. And gang ye to your bed, hinny, 

 and tak a sleep.' 



" ' Oh, Allan,' said Margaret, bursting into tears, ' be guided by me, and 

 tak na the boat the nicht, or we 'se a' rue it.' 



" ' What's the matter, Margaret ?' anxiously inquired he. ' What's pitten 

 that in yer head ?' 



" ' I had a dream e'en now, Allan,' sobbed Margaret, ' that warned me no 

 to let ye gang. I fell asleep, and I dreamed that I was sittin' here, i' the 

 ingle-neuk, an' waitin' till it was time to wauken ye for the fishin', an' on a 

 sudden the door opened, and my auld father cam ben, and stood afore me ; 

 there whar you're stannin', Allan. An' I thocht he leukit gay an' stern-ways 



