RAB AND HIS FRIENDS 



tor ; I declare she's thinkin' it's that bairn." 

 " What bairn ? " " The only bairn we ever 

 had ; our wee Mysie, and she's in the Kingdom 

 forty years and mair." It was plainly true : 

 the pain in the breast, telling its urgent story 

 to a bewildered, ruined brain, was misread and 

 mistaken ; it suggested to her the uneasiness 

 of a breast full of milk, and then the child ; 

 and so again once more they were together, 

 and she had her ain wee Mysie in her bosom. 

 This was the close. She sank rapidly : the 

 delirium left her ; but, as she whispered, she 

 was " clean silly " ; it was the lightening before 

 the final darkness. After having for some time 

 lain still her eyes shut, she said, " James ! " 

 He came close to her, and lifting up her calm, 

 clear, beautiful eyes, she gave him a long look, 

 turned to me kindly but shortly, looked for 

 Rab, but could not see him, then turned to her 

 husband again, as if she would never leave 

 off looking, shut her eyes and composed her- 

 self. She lay for some time breathing quick, 

 and passed away so gently, that when we thought 



37 



