Oh, God!  It was terrible thus to be torn; for she had sung the song of all motherhood in her own simple way—­the song of the love that recreates the world.  The same song that enables motherhood to commune with God.  “I will walk in the pure air of the uplands, so that your life shall be sweet and clean.  I shall bathe my body in the sweet waters of the earth, so that you shall be pure; I shall walk in meditation and solitude, so that your thoughts shall be worthy thoughts; I shall dwell on the hillsides, so that your mind shall be lofty; I shall love all living things, so that you shall be godly in the love of your kind; I shall be humble, so that you shall not be proud; I shall be tender, wandering among the sweet flowers, so that you shall never be rough or unkindly; I shall serve, so that you shall be kingly in your service to others.

“Down in the valleys I shall linger, drinking in the music of sweet streams; and the songs of the morning and the eventide shall make you gentle and happy.  The tender grass shall be my couch upon the moor, so that you can know the restfulness and comfort of love.  The grateful trees shall shade me from the fierce heat of the sun, so that you shall be restful, yet active in kind deeds.  Oh, I shall clothe me in the sweetest thoughts, and sing the sweetest songs, speak the kindliest words, and do the friendliest deeds—­I shall lie down in gratitude for all that has ever been rendered to me, and shall keep faith with love, so that you—­you who are me, you who are my heart and mind, my body and soul shall be ushered into the world as a savior of the race; and the lyrics of the dawn and the dayfall, of the golden, glorious day, and the silver radiant night, shall all be thine to interpret, in spirit and in word and service.”

Thus had motherhood sung in all ages, weaving the dreams of hope about the soul which she had called from eternity, after having gone upon that long perilous journey into the land of Everywhere to bring back a new life to the world.  Mysie dashed the warm tears from her eyes, and looked again through the chink in the shutter.

She had a full view of the kitchen.  It was the same cosy, bright place it had always been, when she had sat there on the corner of the fender o’ nights, her head against her father’s knee, as he read out the news from the evening paper, while her mother sewed, or darned, or knitted.

Her father sat in the easy chair, pale and thin and weak.  He looked ill, and it seemed as if he were merely out of his bed, so that her mother might change the linen, for she was busy pulling off pillow-cases and putting clean ones on, and turning the chaff-filled tick to make it easier for his poor bones to lie on.

He lay back in his chair, his eyes half closed, as if tired.

“The wind has surely gane doon noo,” Mysie heard her mother observe, as she spread out the clean white sheet upon the bed.

“Ay, it seems to hae quietened,” returned Matthew weakly.  “It has been an awfu’ nicht, and gey wild.”