"Her industry and piety often formed the theme of conversation to
the young lads of the village. 'What a guid wife Jeanie Burns will
mak',' cried one. 'Aye,' said another, 'he need na complain of
ill-fortin, who has the luck to get the like o' her.'
"'An' she's sae bonnie,' would Willie Robertson add with a sigh.
'I would na' covet the wealth o' the hale world an she were mine.'
"Willie was a fine active young man, who bore an excellent
character, and his comrades thought it very likely that Willie was
to be the fortunate man.
"Robertson was the youngest son of a farmer in the neighbourhood.
He had no land of his own, and he was one of a very large family.
From a boy he had assisted his father in working the farm for their
common maintenance; but after he took to looking at Jeanie Burns at
kirk, instead of minding his prayers, he began to wish that he had
a homestead of his own, which he could ask Jeanie and her
grandfather to share. "He made his wishes known to his father.
The old man was prudent. A marriage with Jeanie Burns offered no
advantages in a pecuniary view. But the girl was a good honest
girl, of whom any man might be proud. He had himself married for
love, and had enjoyed great comfort in his wife.
"'Willie, my lad,' he said, 'I canna' gi'e ye a share o' the farm.
It is ower sma' for the mony mouths it has to feed. I ha'e laid by
a little siller for a rainy day, an' this I will gi'e ye to win a
farm for yersel' in the woods o' Canada. There is plenty o' room
there, an' industry brings its ain reward. If Jeanie Burns lo'es
you, as weel as yer dear mither did me, she will be fain to follow
you there.'
"Willie grasped his father's hand, for he was too much elated to
speak, and he ran away to tell his tale of love to the girl of his
heart. Jeanie had long loved Robertson in secret, and they were not
long in settling the matter. They forgot in their first moments of
joy that old Saunders had to be consulted, for they had determined
to take the old man with them. But here an obstacle occurred of
which they had not dreamed. Old age is selfish, and Saunders
obstinately refused to comply with their wishes.
