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The Little Minister: Gavin

Many scenes in the little minister's life come back to me. The first time I ever thought of writing his love-story as an old man's gift to a little maid since grown tall, was one night in the old school-house, when my gate creaked in the wind, and my mind drifted back to another gate creaking, the first time I ever saw Gavin and the Egyptian together.

Gavin was brought up to be a minister from his earliest days, and took to the idea enthusiastically. It had been the dream of the two of a manse, of which Margaret was mistress, and Gavin the minister, and now it was fulfilled. Gavin became at once popular in Thrums, and, though short of stature, he cast a great shadow. He converted a drunkard, Rob Dow, who adored him and would do anything in the world for him.

On the fateful evening of October 17th Gavin was returning from Rob Dow's, and going home through Caddam Woods, when he heard singing. The singer came dancing up Windyghoul. Only when she passed him did Gavin see her as a gipsy elf, her bare feet flashing beneath a short green skirt, a twig of rowan berries in her black hair. She was pale with an angle's loveliness. A diamond on her finger shot a thread of fire over a pool as she danced by. Undoubtedly she was the devil. Gavin leaped after her, but as she saw him she beckoned mockingly, then kissed her hand, and was gone. A moment later came the sound of a horn. The minister was on the alert at once, and hurried to the Square. That horn was a signal that soldiers were marching on the village folk to arrest some malefactors among the weavers, who would resent it.

In the Square was an uproar. It was the gipsy who had given the warning. Gavin tried to persuade the people to disperse to save bloodshed, but the Egyptian cried: "Do not heed this little man! Save yourselves," and they obeyed her. The soldiers came, but caught only a few, the real culprits escaping. The Egyptian was even caught, but escaped the officers first through a clever ruse, and again through impudently pretending she was Gavin's wife! He was furious, and yet he felt his anger die as he looked at the beautiful girl with the appealing eyes and coaxing, laughing mouth. He even told her to hide in the manse garden in the summer seat, till the soldiers had gone. Gavin was in two minds after that, angry at himself because of the Egyptian, and yet he constantly thought of her, and wondered. He preached sermons against women, those days--their witching ways were the devil. One winter day, the Egyptian's timely appearance saved old Nanny Webster from the poorhouse. The gipsy impulsively offered five pounds to support Nanny till her brother came back from jail. Then it was that Gavin first believed in her and said he'd trust her word.