Heart Songs. Jean Blewett

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The Day Neil Rode to Mill

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      MACLEOD of Dare called his son to him,

       MacLeod of Dare looked morose and grim,

       For he was sending on mission grave

       This son of his, both handsome and brave,

       And trembled, thinking, “what if he make

       In his heedless youth a grave mistake?”

       ’Twas not for country, nor for the King,

       Nay, ’twas a much more important thing

       Than the Church, or State, than feud or strife—

       The mission was to search out a wife.

      And young Neil listened with scanty grace,

       A look of impatience on his face,

       While the old man told him where to go,

       Told him what to say, and what to do,

       “On the morrow ye’ll gang an’ stay

       Wi’ yer rich auld uncle, Allan Gray;

       He ’ill gie ye the welcome o’ a son,

       Ye’ll marry the dochter, there’s but one,

       She’s worth the winnin’, for in her hand

       She hauds the deed o’ all o’ his land,

       She’s no weel-favored, a homely maid,

       But guid, an’ properly grave an’ staid.”

      “But why should I wed a woman plain?

       You didn’t yourself—” MacLeod was vain,

       He smiled well-pleased, and said, “True, Neil, true,

       But I was handsomer far nor you!

       Just coort the maiden, an’ never mind

       A squint or freckle, since luve is blind,

       Or ought to be in a case like this,

       For ’tis na’ a chance I’d hae ye miss.

      “She’s na’ sae braw as her cousin Kate,

       But ’tis wi’ Janet I’d hae ye mate,

       For Kate, puir lassie, she has nae land,

       Her face is her fortune, understand,

       She live’s wi’ Janet, who loves her much,

       And fond o’ pictures, an’ books, an’ such;

       Gie her gude-day when you chance to meet,

       But mind an’ yer cousin Janet greet

       Wi’ warmer words, and a gallant air,

       Go win’ ye a wife—an’ a warld o’ care!”

      Neil listened closest to what was said

       Of Kate, the penniless, pretty maid,

       And when at length he came to the place

       ’Twas Kate that in his eyes found grace,

       While Janet viewed him with conscious pride,

       As one who would some day be his bride.

       He stopped with them for many a day,

       A favorite he of old Allan Gray;

       They walked together over the hill,

       And through the valley, solemn and still,

       The old man showed him acres wide

       That would go with Janet as a bride,

       Then spoke of the cousin, poor but fair, The blue of her eyes, her golden hair, “She’ll hae no flocks, an’ she’ll hae no land, She’ll hae no plenishin’ rich an’ grand, But gin’ she stood in her—scanty dress, What man o’ mettle would luve her less?”

      The youth’s heart warmed to the logic old—

       O, what worth was land, what worth was gold,

       What worth anything under the skies

       Save the lovelight in a lassie’s eyes?

       Janet pestered him day after day,

       Did he walk out, why, she went that way,

       Did he come in to rest him awhile,

       She was waiting with beaming smile;

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