Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 1, 1893

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
THE HIGHLAND SOLDIER.
r.v Annie MacKay.
II. FESTIVITIES AT RIIIFAIL.
"^•T^-KKY soon father and son returned, the
A/ taflur saying, " Margaret, rejoice ; this
T boy lias sot the desire of his heart," and
Hugh kissed her with a new accession of tender-
ness, and whispered.
"Mother, Margery lias promised to be mine.
You will take care of her when I am away I"
Margaret said solemnly, " She will be to me
even as thou art; God deal with me, as I will
with Margery ! "
Then Rhifail read a chapter, they joined in
singing a psalm, and he prayed earnestly for
God's protection over them all, but particularly
for the son of their hearts, who was about to
leave the home of his youth for unknown
countries and unknown dangers. Ke prayed
earnestly that he might be enabled to do his
duty as a man and a Christian, under all
circumstances and in every condition ; that
the fear of the Lord and " the fame of his
fathers" might be ever before him ; and, finally,
that God might bring him back to gladden their
hearts and home, as he had done for a score of
years ! The mother's tears fell fast ; only God
knew what her boy had been to her in all those
years ! Jane MacDonald, the only hand-maid
of the family, sobbed aloud. Hugh hurried out
of the house to hide his feelings ; and Ian
himself had a huskiness in his throat, that he
vainly tried to hide. He went, however, to ask
a blessing on his sheep and his cattle, his byres
and his barns; the good wife invoked a blessing
as she smoored the fire, and they all retired
to rest.
This was not a solitary act of worship, for
we have it on good authority that every house
in Strathnaver was a "house of prayer." They
were, emphatically, a religious people; not a
gloomy or narrow-minded religion, but a religion
of faith, g 1 works, and simple trust. They
beliei id i bat ''n ery good thing came tV.nn < rod,
and their trust in J I is providence was un-
bounded. This religion sweetened their lives,
and made them conform, in all things, in the
golden rule, "Do unto others as you would
have others dn unto you;" and so this large
'■ aunity, "I' nearly two thousand souls, lived
I .uiiii\ : sharing each other's joys and
sorrows, and " bearing one another's burdens."
Tin' next day Rhifail and his. wife rude to
Langdale to see their future daughter, and
to talk matters over with her father and
mother. Margery was moved to tears by the
of Rhifail's greeting, and the pathetic
tenderness of Margaret's welcome sunk deep
into her heart. Hugh was there also. He,
Donald, and Evan Gordon were making active
preparations for their deer raid. Donald said
it would be their last for a Ions time, as he and
Hugh were going away, but Evan would keep
them in venison ; and very soon they rode away
on three shaggy ponies, that scampered about
in a most erratic manner. Their elders, in the
meantime, were discussing a feast, to which
they would invite all the people of the district,
before their sons went away. " We will kill
the fatted calf now," laughed Rhifail, "so that
they will be sure of a share."
"But ire must have our people here," said
John Gordon.
"No, no, man; my house is big enough for
you and your friends, and our own friends
and everybody's, bring them all, the more the
merrier. And, good wife," he said to Mrs.
Gordon, " perhaps you and Margery would
come for a day or two to help Margaret.
Gooddjye, and God be with you all." And so
they left as they had come, sitting on their
horses as to the manner born, for the people
were so dependant on their ponies that thev
learnt to ride almost as soon as they could
walk.
After they left, Ian Gordon, wdio did not
wish to be behind in hospitality, said to his
wife, " I'll send a sheep or two to Rhifail, and
a keg of my father's old whisky. You must
send a jar of butter and a caibag of your besi
cheese. It is not fair that Rhifail should do it
all ;" and his wife heartily assented.
The lads returned at midnight with three
huge stags that they had shot on Ben Hee.
They employed the morning in cutting these
up and sending portions to people in the
neighbourhood who had no one to hunt for
them. A part they reserved for the forth-
coming gathering, on the following Tuesdaj ;
and messengers were sent hither and thither
inviting the people to come, which they were
not slow to accept.
On the Sunday all the people went to church
at Achness. From far and near they came
the well-to-do on horseback, but many on foot
— some coming twenty miles to be present at
that simple, Sunday service. There was a
great deal of hand shaking, bright looks, and
even subdued laughter, as they met outside
after service was over. Rory Ban, the genial
drover from Muadale, was there ; and his
kindly, hospitable wife, who sat on her horse
in her well titling riding habit, as straight as
a dart, dispensing smiles and kind words all
round. In .answer to Rhifail's invitation,
which he gave, she said, " I am getting too