It was quite late last night when the train stopped at Castleton station. The children were very tired, for it was long past their bedtime, and one by one they had fallen asleep. But they woke up as Mrs. M’Bride and Emma lifted them out of the carriage and carried them to the wagonette, in which we were to drive to Ravenscliffe.
It was such a long, cold drive, and mother was very much afraid that Willie would take cold. She took off her own shawl and wrapped him in it, and made him as comfortable as she could on her knee.
We could see nothing as we drove along, for it was quite dark and it seemed a very long way. At last the carriage stopped before a house, and mother said; ‘This is Ravenscliffe!’
The door was open when we drove up, and a bonnie old woman, called Mrs. M’Intire, came out to meet us. She took us into a long, low room, which looked very clean and comfortable. There was a good blazing fire, which we were very glad to see, we were all so cold.
And then we had tea, such a good tea! Scotch, scones, and oatcake, and mountain honey, and beautiful new milk. The children were very tired, almost too tired to eat, and mother would not take anything herself till she had seen them safe in their little beds. Melville and I were very glad to go to bed too, as soon as we had finished our tea.
I sleep in mother’s room, and baby sleeps there too. I have never slept in the room with him before, and mother says I may take him into my bed every morning whilst she is getting dressed. Baby wakes as soon as it is light, just like a little bird, and then he never will go to sleep again. he gets up in his little bed, and laughs, and calls mother till she gets up. Then he asks for ‘Dadda,’ and mother gets out of bed and brings him father’s photograph, and he takes it and kisses it. Mother says he knows it quite well; she gave him another photograph one day, and he threw it away, and would not look at it.
But this morning I was so tired that I never heard baby wake, and mother was nearly dressed before I opened my eyes. ‘Now, Olive,’ said mother, when she saw that I was awake, ‘come and look out of the window.’
I jumped out of bed, and ran to where she was standing, and looked out.
Oh, it was such a pretty place so different from London I could not see a single house, nor a bit of smoke. Close to us was a road, where some chickens and ducks were getting their breakfast. Then across the road was a field with three black cows in it, and past the field was the sea. It looked so blue and beautiful this morning, with the sun shining on it! I was not long getting dressed, and when I came down I found Melville had been out already, helping Mrs. M’Intire to feed the chickens.
After breakfast, mother said we might go for a walk. She could not come with us herself, for Willie was very poorly, and she had to stay with him. But she came to the door to see us off. And then she told us that we must never go into the field across the road unless she was with us. She said that at the bottom of that field were some very steep rocks, and there was only a very narrow path to walk on. Mother told us that if we fell over those rocks, we should be dashed to pieces, and that Uncle John did not want her to come to Ravenscliffe, because he was so afraid that we should tumble over the rocks. But mother said she could trust US to do what we were bid, and she was sure we loved her too much to be disobedient.
We were very pleased to hear mother say that, because we really do love her very much indeed., and we would not grieve her for the world.
Mother says that is just how she feels about the Lord Jesus; she loves Him so much, that she cannot bear to make Him sorry. I wonder if I shall ever love Him as much as mother does!
When mother had told us about the rocks, she went in; and Melville and I stood still, wondering which way we should go. And then Melville took me to look at a large picture of a raven, with its wings spread out as if it was flying, which was painted on a board over Mrs. M’Intire’s door. Underneath the raven there was another board, which said what she was licensed to sell. Melville said that Mrs..M’Intire told him that a great many people came every day to see the rocks. They come from a long, long way off, and then they rest their horses here, and Mrs. M’Intire gives the horses some corn, and the people some dinner. She says the rocks are a wonderful sight, hope mother will take us some day, but I would not go without her for anything. At last Melville and I settled that we would turn to the right, and go along the road which led that way. This road was not very far from the sea, and we saw two beautiful ships go past, and Melville said he wished father would let him be a sailor, that he might always be on the sea. But I do hope father never will; I should be so unhappy on windy nights if Melville was away on the rough sea; I do not think I could ever go to sleep. We went on a long way down the road, and at last we got to a place where the trees met over our heads, and quite shut out our view of the sea. There were high banks on each side of the road; and as Melville was walking close to one of these, he saw a little yellow primrose. Oh, how pleased we were! we had never gathered mild primrose before—only the garden primroses which grew in Uncle John’s garden, and they were always very dirty with the smoke from the chimney round. We climbed all over the bank, and found three or four more primroses, and a good many buds which were not quite out. I thought it a pity to gather these, but Melville said he was sure mother would like them, and they would come out in the water.
We were so busy gathering our primroses, that we did not hear any one coming up; and we were quite startled when we heard a voice close behind us.
‘There are not many primroses there, I think,’ said the voice.
We turned round, and there, at the bottom of the bank, was such a nice lady! She had the very kindest face I have ever seen, except mother’s; and in her hand was a basket full of splendid primroses, tied up in bunches with pieces of red wool.
‘I cannot give you these, primroses,’ she said, ‘because they are for some sick people; but if you like to come into our plantation, you will find plenty more, and you may gather as many as you like.’
AS we were walking there, she asked us where we came from, and Melville told her that we were staying at Ravenscliffe. And then she asked us what our names were, and she was so pleased when she heard that my name was Olive. She said she had some little books at home, called Little Olive, and she would bring me one some day. Then we came to the plantation, and she opened the gate and allowed us where to find the primroses.
The ground was quite yellow with them, such beautiful large primroses. I had never seen such fine ones before! Then the lady said she must go on, but we might stay in the plantation as long as we liked. Oh, how pleased we were! I wonder if she knew how happy she us.
We had a great deal to tell mother when we got home, and she was so pleased with the flowers. I wonder whether we shall see the Primrose Lady again.