The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

THE HEA T:OF MID-LOTHIAN. 3,57
were rigid, as may easily be supposed, upon the subject of youthful amuseiments, but even of serious apprehension to her more indulgent sister. The
children of the Scotch of the inferior classes are usually spoiled by the
early indulgence of their parents; how, wherefore, and to what degree, the
lively and instructive narrative of the amiable and accomplished authoress
of " Glenburnie"u has saved me and all future scribblers the trouble of
recording. Effie had had a double share of this inconsiderate and misjudged
kindness. Even the strictness of her father's principles could not condemn
the sports of infancy and childhood; and to the good old man, his younger
daughter, the child of his old age, seemed a child for some years after she
attained the years of womanhood, was still called the "bit lassie," and
"little Effie," and was permitted to run up and down uncontrolled, unless
upon the Sabbath, or at the times of family worship. Her sister, with all
the love and care of a mother, could not be supposed to possess the same
authoritative influence; and that which she.had hitherto exercised became
gradually limited and diminished as Effie's advancing years entitled her, in
her own conceit at least, to the right of independence and free agency.
With all the innocence and goodness of disposition, therefore, which we have
described, the Lily of St. Leonard's possessed a little fund of self-conceit
and obstinacy, and some warmth and irritability of temper, partly natural
perhaps, but certainly much increased by the unrestrained freedom of her
childhood. Her character will be best illustrated by a cottage evening
scene.
The careful father was absent in his well-stocked byre, foddering those
useful and patient animals on whose produce his living depended, and the
summer evening was beginning to close in, when Jeanie Deans began to be
very anxious for the appearance of her sister, and to fear that she would
not reach home before her father returned from the labour of the evening,
when it was his custom to have " family exercise," and when she knew that
Effie's absence would give him the most serious displeasure. These apprehensions hung heavier upon her mind, because for several preceding evenings, Effie had disappeared about the same time, and her stay, at first so
brief as scarce to be noticed, had been gradually protracted to half an hour,
and an hour, and on the present occasion had considerably exceeded even
this last limit. And now, Jeanie stood at the door, with her hand before her
eyes to avoid the rays of the level sun, and looked alternately along the
various tracks which led towards their dwelling, to see if she could descry
the nymph-like form of her sister. There was a wall and a stile which separated the royal domain, or King's Park, as it is called, from the public
road; to this pass she frequently directed her attention, when she saw two
persons appear there somewhat suddenly, as if they had walked close by
the side of the wall to screen themselves from observation. One of them, a
man, drew back hastily; the other, a female, crossed the stile, and advanced
towards her -It was Effie. She met her sister with that affected liveliness
of maJner, which, in her rank, and sometimes in those above it, females
occasionally assume to hide surprise or confusion; and she carolled as she
came"The elfin knight sate on the brae,
The broom. grows bonny, the broom grows fair;
And by there came lilting a lady so gay,
And we daurna gang down to the broom nae mair."
"W Vhisht, Effie," said her sister; "our father's coming out o' the byre."
The damsel stinted in her song.-" Whare hae ye been sae late at e'en?"
"It's no late, lass," answered Efie.
"It's chappit eight onr every cloclk o' the town, and the sun's gaun down
ahint the Corstorphine hills -Whare can ye hae been sae late?"
*Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton, now no more. —Editor.