224 "^"S HARPER OF MULL, A TALE. June 25, 



youth made many profefTions of fyrapathy and concetn, and 

 offered' to tliem feme proviuons and ufqueba^h he had with 

 him. This was too feafonable a pronofal not to be accepted 

 with gratitude ; for they had fet out in a violent hurry, ill 

 prepared for any accident ; and without feme cordial, the 

 ■wife's ailments might return before they got to an inhabit- 

 ed place. 



By degrees however, her agitation fubfided ; and fhe was 

 prevailed on with feme intreaty to partake of the repaft. 

 In a little while her fpirits revived, and flie feemed to make 

 light of her late difaller. The joy of the hulhand was ex- 

 ceflive ; nor did he once regard the lofs of his harp. He 

 was ev(/i pleafed to fee his wife exert herfelf with fuch a- 

 lacrity to entertain the youth, to whofe courtefy they were 

 fo highly indebted. Their converfaticn became foon fo a- 

 nimated and particular, that a lefs happy hulhand, with the 

 flightefltindure of jealoufy in his temper, would have fufpeft- 

 ed that this was not their firft meeting". And indeed they 

 were old acquaintance, though, as the young man faw her 

 not difpofed to recognize him, he chofe to behave as a 

 ilranger. 



Our heroine had Ijeen bred with a grandmother, whofe 

 name ihe bore, and from whom her family had e.xpedations. 

 The old woman s houfe was a great way to the northward, 

 and very near that of the youth s father. From early in- 

 fancy they had been companions ; and in all the little pur- 

 fuits and paftimes of childhood, had ever chofen each other 

 as affociates. As they advanced in years, their fondnefs in- 

 creafed, which was not a little encouraged by the idle paf- 

 toral life then "led by the young Highlanders of both fexes ; 

 For at a time when boys of his age in another country 

 would have been confined to a fchool or college, he was 

 employed in hunting, fifhing, or liflening to the fongs and 

 tales that were the delight of all janks of people. Of 

 courfe, he had numberlefs interviews with our fair one, 

 whofe beauty and fweetnefs of difpofitiou daily increafed. 

 Their friendfhip was fail ripening into love, when her 

 grandmother died, and flie returned to her father's houfe. 

 From that time to the prefent they had never met, though 

 (he was jiot married till full two ^ears af;er. 



