Heather and Snow

Heather and Snow

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Title: Heather and Snow
Author: George MacDonald
Release Date: October, 2005 [EBook #9155] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on September 9,
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Language: English

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HEATHER AND SNOW
BY GEORGE MACDONALD

CONTENTS
I. A RUNAWAY RACE II. MOTHER AND SON III. AT THE FOOT
OF THE HORN IV. DOG-STEENIE V. COLONEL AND
SERGEANT VI. MAN-STEENIE VII. CORBYKNOWE VIII. DAVID
AND HIS DAUGHTER IX. AT CASTLE WEELSET X. DAVID
AND FRANCIS XI. KIRSTY AND PHEMY XII. THE
EARTH-HOUSE XIII. A VISIT FROM FRANCIS GORDON XIV.
STEENIE'S HOUSE XV. PHEMY CRAIG XVI. SHAM LOVE XVII.
A NOVEL ABDUCTION XVIII. PHEMY'S CHAMPION XIX.
FRANCIS GORDON'S CHAMPION XX. MUTUAL
MINISTRATION XXI. PHEMY YIELDS PLACE XXII. THE HORN
XXIII. THE STORM AGAIN XXIV. HOW KIRSTY FARED XXV.
KIRSTY'S DREAM XXVI. HOW DAVID FARED XXVII. HOW
MARION FARED XXVIII. HUSBAND AND WIFE XXIX. DAVID,
MARION, KIRSTY, SNOOTIE, AND WHAT WAS LEFT OF
STEENIE XXX. FROM SNOW TO FIRE XXXI. KIRSTY SHOWS
RESENTMENT XXXII. IN THE WORKSHOP XXXIII. A RACE
WITH DEATH XXXIV. BACK FROM THE GRAVE XXXV.
FRANCIS COMES TO HIMSELF XXXVI. KIRSTY BESTIRS
HERSELF XXXVII. A GREAT GULF XXXVIII. THE
NEIGHBOURS XXXIX. KIRSTY GIVES ADVICE XL. MRS.
GORDON XLI. TWO HORSEWOMEN XLII. THE LAIRD AND HIS
MOTHER XLIII. THE CORONATION XLIV. KIRSTY'S TOCHER
XLV. KIRSTY'S SONG

CHAPTER I
A RUNAWAY RACE
Upon neighbouring stones, earth-fast, like two islands of an
archipelago, in an ocean of heather, sat a boy and a girl, the girl knitting,
or, as she would have called it, weaving a stocking, and the boy, his
eyes fixed on her face, talking with an animation that amounted almost
to excitement. He had great fluency, and could have talked just as fast
in good English as in the dialect in which he was now pouring out his
ambitions--the broad Saxon of Aberdeen.
He was giving the girl to understand that he meant to be a soldier like
his father, and quite as good a one as he. But so little did he know of
himself or the world, that, with small genuine impulse to action, and
moved chiefly by the anticipated results of it, he saw success already
his, and a grateful country at his feet. His inspiration was so purely
ambition, that, even if, his mood unchanged, he were to achieve much
for his country, she could hardly owe him gratitude.
'I'll no hae the warl' lichtly (_make light of_) me!' he said.
'Mebbe the warl' winna tribble itsel aboot ye sae muckle as e'en to
lichtly ye!' returned his companion quietly.
'Ye do naething ither!' retorted the boy, rising, and looking down on her
in displeasure. 'What for are ye aye girdin at me? A body canna lat his
thouchts gang, but ye're doon upo them, like doos upo corn!'
'I wadna be girdin at ye, Francie, but that I care ower muckle aboot ye
to lat ye think I haud the same opingon o' ye 'at ye hae o' yersel,'
answered the girl, who went on with her knitting as she spoke.
'Ye'll never believe a body!' he rejoined, and turned half away. 'I canna
think what gars me keep comin to see ye! Ye haena a guid word to gie
a body!'
'It's nane ye s' get frae me, the gait ye're gaein, Francie! Ye think a heap

ower muckle o' yersel. What ye expec, may some day a' come true, but
ye hae gien nobody a richt to expec it alang wi' ye, and I canna think,
gien ye war fair to yersel, ye wad coont yersel ane it was to be expeckit
o'!'
'I tauld ye sae, Kirsty! Ye never lay ony