And the bridemaidens whispered, ""Twere better by far When they reached the hall door, and the charger stood near; So light to the saddle before her he sprung. 13 "She is won! she is gone! over bank, bush, and 12 scaur; Have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar ? 4 1 Border, the district on each side of the boundary between England and Scotland. This portion of Great Britain was the scene of frequent wars in ancient times, before the two countries were united into one kingdom. Esk, a river flowing into the Solway Firth. laggard, one who lags behind, a slow, sluggish fellow. dastard, coward. 5 craven, cowardly. swells, ebbs; the tides in the Solway Firth rise very high and fall very low. 7 measure, a dance. bar, hinder, prevent. galliard, a gay, brisk, sprightly man. fume, rage, show anger. croupe, or croup, the hind part of the back of a horse. 12scaur, a Scotch word for cliff, precipice. 13 clan, a Highland tribe. 7 10 12 11 4 EVERY urchin has had the little gilt toy-watch that is always at half-past seven o'clock. Whoever attempted to convince its happy possessor that it did not keep good time, or was not the exact counterpart of "father's," would be trespassing upon the good old proverb, that " where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." Next to this comes the silver watch, which "goes," really goes, and which is susceptible of being wound up by its shortjacketed owner, on his way to school, to drive some nonwatch-possessing boy to the verge of distraction. The manner in which this watch is 3 alternately set forward and allowed to run down at the caprice of its owner is known only to anxious parents, whose entreaties in favour of a more systematic mode of treatment, and whose threats of taking it away, go in at one ear only to go out at the other. Then there is the ladies' Liliputian watch, the dear little mite, perhaps set round with diamonds. This dear little mite, so pretty to look at, with its curious little trinkets dangling at the belt,-time would fail to tell how often it is unnecessarily inspected in omnibuses, railway carriages, and ferry boats; in shops, and places of amusement, and on the public promenade; and how dainty looks the jewelled forefinger of the owner, as the obedient lid obeys the touch on the spring. All this is interesting till it gets to be an old story, and all its owner's lady friends have commented freely upon it. Then it is occasionally left on the sofa, or piano, or mantel-piece over night, instead of nestling in its soft-cushioned boxin the drawer, as at first; or it is dropped on the hearth, or is 5 left hanging for days in the watch-pocket of some one of the many dresses in the closet, until a speedy visit to the watchmaker's seems essential to its restoration to activity. The watchmaker smiles as he examines it: he has seen 6 "ladies' watches " many a time and oft. He understands without explanation why it does not "keep as good time as my husband's" or "my brother Tom's watch;" he keeps his gravity when he is asked if hanging it up, or wearing it, is most conducive to its health, or if it can possibly be, that its galloping one time, and standing still at others, is owing to a defect in the machinery. He smiles blandly; advises leaving it on a short visit; has the hands pointed right, and the case polished up with chamois-skin and 7 rouge; and restores it to its dainty owner, always with the proper charge for its board and lodging, with a suppressed grin. 8 Other Then there is papa's watch, which was never known to go wrong," any more than its owner; oh, no! clocks, other watches, may point where and as they like; his is the only infallible. Biddy, the cook, may quote the kitchen clock till she is black in the face, to bear her out in serving the family meals at just such a moment; her retort of "And sure didn't the masther set the kitchen clock his own self?" avails her nothing, while that 9 oracular watch is five minutes ahead of it. Then there is grandpapa's lumbering, old-fashioned silver watch, with a big 10 cornelian seal hanging to the silver chain. Grandpapa laughs to scorn all the trumpery inventions of modern days; he tells how that watch was worn by his brave grandsire at the battle of 11 Bunker's Hill; yes, sir; and shows a place where a bullet should have spoilt it, if it didn't—so narrow was the escape. Grandpapa has left that watch in his will to his favourite grandson; and never dreams, poor old man, that his grandson will very likely lay it by in some old drawer, and forget all about it. Lastly, there is the matron's solid, sensible gold watch; worn for use, not show, on a simple black cord about the neck, except when it hangs over the toilet table while she is changing her dress. Examine it closely, and you will see numerous little 12indentations in the case. Not for worlds would she have them removed by any jeweller who ever polished a diamond. Sometimes she sits in her nursery, with that watch in her hand, passing her finger slowly over those indentations, while warm tears drop over them; for little Johnny-whose little frocks lie folded away, and may never more be worn-little Johnny made those places with the pained teeth which caused at last the cruel death-spasms. How many times she has sat with him on her knee, holding that watch between his lips, and hearing the grit of those two little front teeth upon it! She remembers the very morning she first discovered that those little pearly treasures had found their way through the swollen flesh; and she remembers how papa was called, and the watch put between the coral lips, that he too might hear the wonderful sound; and she remembers how baby laughed, and how rosy his cheeks were, that morning; and how they both kissed him; and how--but dear, dear! the tick of the watch is the only music in the nursery now. 3 Fanny Fern. 1 counterpart, corresponding part; exact copy. 2 susceptible, this word means literally capable of admitting anything additional, or any change, affection, or influence. From the Latin sub (changed to sus), under, and capio, I take. Here playfully expresses that the watch could take an additional winding on the way to school. alternately, by turns. * systematic, regular, methodical; proceeding according to system or regular method. 5 Liliputian, belonging to a diminutive race described in Swift's "Voyage to Liliput." Hence very small. essential to its, etc., necessary to its going again. 7 rouge, the French word for red; a red substance. infallible, not liable to fail or err; entirely free from liability to mistake. In the sentence in which this occurs, playful sarcasm is expressed. oracular, authoritative, positive. The word oracle is derived from the Latin oraculum, signifying the answer of a pagan god to an enquiry respecting an affair of importance, also the deity who was supposed to give the answer, and also the place where it was given. cornelian, 9 10 |