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Soainst the wall, and on a pile of nets in

the warhbor's household

was fast asleep

Maggie quickly threw onthe kettle upon it Then with a light and active step she set about

toasting the oat cake and the haddie, andthe

little round table But her heart was heavy enough Scarcely a week before

her father and three eldest brothers had gone out to the fishing, and

perished in a sudden storm; and the house place, so lately busy and noisy

with the stir of nearly half-a-dozen ie was a year older than her brother David, but she never thought of

assu any authority over hie

of sex; in the next, David Proenerally allowed to be

"extr'onar' wise-like and unwardly in a' his ways" In fact there had been

an intention of breaking through the fa him to

the University of Aberdeen Latterly old Promoter had smoked his pipe very

often to the ambitious hope of a minister in his family David's brothers

and sister had also learned to look upon the lad as destined by Providence

to bring holy honors upon the household No thought of jealousy had er brother's behalf Their stern

Calvinisht them that Jacob's and Jesse's families were not likely to

be the only ones in which the younger sons should be chosen for vessels of

honor; and Will Promoter, the eldest of the brothers, spoke for all, when

he said, "Send Davie to Aberdeen, fayther; gladly ill a' of us help

wi' the fees; and reatboats"