The Kirkos. 215 



and if Pro\ idencc ijrantcd them to meet in better times to 

 join their hands in hoI_\ wedlock. 



(iuthrie went abroad into exile, while his lady remained 

 at home. Of course her father knew nothing" of her love 

 affair, " so she had to sit beside him night after night not 

 daring" to niention the na.nie of him o\cr whom she brooded 

 the li\ elong" tlay." 



The Lord Provost naturally expected his daughter to 

 make a brilliant marriage, and for this end sought out a 

 scion of a noble Scottish family with \iews and principles 

 similar to his own. In order to a\oid a hated marriage the 

 daughter told her father her sad story, hoping to soften his 

 heart. It only irritated him and made him the more anxious 

 to see her n"iarried to a safe man. In vain she pleaded a 

 wonia.n's right to remain single; he commanded her on her 

 obedience to marry the man of his choice. In the seven- 

 teenth century parental authority was a matter not to be 

 disputed, and, like Lucy Ashton, the unfortunate girl had to 

 give her hand to one while her heart was another's. For 

 twelve months she lingered on, then died of a broken heart, 

 lea\ ing behind her an infant daug"hter. \\'ith her dying 

 hand she wrote : — " I bequeath my infant daughter, so long 

 as she is spared in this world, to the care of William 

 Guthrie, if ever he should return to his nati\e land ; and I 

 gi\e him a charge, before (lod, to bring up my child in the 

 faith of her mother, for which I die a martyr, as he lives a 

 banished man." 



Of these sad events Guthrie knew nothing, having no 

 means of intercourse with his nati\e land. Brighter days, 

 how^ever, dawned for the Presbyterians, ^^'illiam of Orange 

 landed in Britain, and the persecutors could no longer hold 

 the ascendancy. Scottish exiles flocked home again ; and 

 among them Guthrie. His joy, however, was destined to 

 be turned to sorrow. He found the lady and the child she 

 had left to his care dead. In bitterness of heart he resolved 

 to quit for ever a land so full of sorrowful memories ; so, 

 taking his staff in his hand, he set out for the Borders. 



On arri\ ing at Dumfries he sent for his friends, that he 

 might bid them a last farewell. They endeavoured to per- 



