The first edition of this book is dated 1868. The edition used is dated 1868. The publisher was Thomas Nelson, London. The number of pages is 1.

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General information

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Contents

Chapter I.
A long time ago, something very sad happened in one of the districts of Scotland.

Chapter II.
It was May-day. Oftentimes in the northern country this month is ushered in by drizzling rain, or even by the falling snow; but this year brought a May-day worthy of the name—clear, mild, and balmy.

Chapter III.
I am glad to say that Shenac did not let the sun go down on her wrath.

Chapter IV.
And so, with a good heart, they began their work. I daresay it would be amusing to some of my young readers if I were to go into particulars, and tell them all that was done by each from day to day; but I have no time nor space for this.

Chapter V.
July had come. There was a little pause in the field-work, for all the seed had been sown and all the weeds pulled up, and they were waiting for a week or two to pass, and then the haying was to begin.

Chapter VI.
The day when the haying was to have commenced was very rainy, and so was every day for a week or more.

Chapter VII.
But to-morrow was not fine; it was quite the contrary. Shenac milked in the rain, and gathered vegetables for dinner in the rain, and would gladly have made hay all day in the rain, if that had been possible.

Chapter VIII.
I dislike to speak about the faults of Shenac. It would be far pleasanter to go on telling all that she did for her mother and brothers and little Flora—how her courage never failed, and her patience and temper very seldom; and how the neighbours looked on with wonder and pleasure at all the young girl was able to accomplish by her sense and energy, till they quite forgot that she was little more than a child—not sixteen when her father died—and spoke of her as a woman of prudence and a credit to her family.

Chapter IX.
It was a bright day in the end of September. Shenac had been busy at the wheel all the morning, but the very last thread of their flannel was spun now.

Chapter X.
Winter set in early that year, but not too early for Shenac and her brothers.

Chapter XI.
The happy winter drew to an end, and spring came with some pleasures and many cares.

Chapter XII.
It is May-day again—not so bright and pleasant as the May-day two years ago, when Hamish and Shenac sat so drearily watching Angus Dhu’s fence-building.

Chapter XIII.
And so they waited. For a few days it did not seem impossible to Shenac that Allister might come; and she watched each hour of the day and night, starting and trembling at every sound.

Chapter XIV.
After long waiting, Allister came home. Shenac and Hamish had no intention of watching the going out of the old year and the coming in of the new; but they lingered over the fire, talking of many things, till it grew late.

Chapter XV.
Dan was right,—Shenac was changed. Even if Allister had not come home, if the success of the summer’s work had depended, as it had hitherto mainly done, upon her, it would have been a very different summer from the last.

Chapter XVI.
But a day came when Shenac saw how needless all her anxious thoughts about her mother’s future had been, when she acknowledged, with tears of mingled sorrow and joy, that she had tenderer care and safer keeping than son or daughter could give.

Chapter XVII.
But Shenac’s work at home was not all done yet. Sitting that night by the fireside with her brother, could she have got a glimpse of the next few months and all they were to bring about, her courage might have failed her; for sorrowful as some of the past days had been, more sorrowful days were awaiting her—sorrowful days, yet sweet, and very precious in remembrance.

Chapter XVIII.
But I must go back again to the June days when Shenac’s peace was new.

Chapter XIX.
And having closed the once beaming eyes and straightened the worn limbs for the grave, Shenac’s work at home was done.

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