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conjunctions； and； if it be a very moving story； a good many
interjections！ These all you have got to put together with good
choice； or the story will not be one you would care to
read。Perhaps you had better not begin till I see whether you know
enough about those verbs and nouns to do the thing decently。 Show
me your school…books。〃
〃There they all areon that shelf！ I haven't opened one of them
since Percy came home。 He laughed at them all； and so Arkiethat's
lady Arctura； told him he might teach me himself。 And he wouldn't；
and she wouldn'twith him to laugh at her。 And I've had such a
jolly time ever sincereading books out of the library！ Have you
seen the library； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃No； I've seen nothing yet。 Suppose we begin with a holiday； and
you begin by teaching me！〃
〃Teaching you； sir！ I'm not able to teach you！〃
〃Why； didn't you as much as offer to teach me the library？ Can't
you teach me this great old castle？ And aren't you going to teach
yourself to me？〃
〃That would be a funny lesson； sir！〃
〃The least funny； the most serious lesson you could teach me！ You
are a book God has begun； and he has sent me to help him go on with
it； so I must learn what he has written already before I try to do
anything。〃
〃But you know what a boy is； sir！ Why should you want to learn me？〃
〃You might as well say that； because I have read one or two books； I
must know every book。 To understand one boy helps to understand
another； but every boy is a new boy； different from every other boy；
and every one has to be understood。〃
〃Yesfor sometimes Arkie won't hear me out； and I feel so cross
with her I should like to give her a good box on the ear。 What king
was it； sir； that made the law that no lady； however disagreeable；
was to have her ears boxed？ Do you think it a good law； sir？〃
〃It is good for you and me anyhow。〃
〃And when Percy says； 'Oh； go away！ don't bother；' I feel as if I
could hit him hard！ Yet； if I happen to hurt him； I am so sorry！
and why then should I want to hurt him？〃
〃There's something in this little fellow！〃 said Donal to himself。
〃Ah； why indeed？〃 he answered。 〃You see you don't understand
yourself yet！〃
〃No indeed！〃
〃Then how could you think I should understand you all at once？and
a boy must be understood； else what's to become of him！ Fancy a
poor boy living all day； and sleeping all night； and nobody
understanding him！〃
〃That would be dreadful！ But you will understand me？〃
〃Only a little： I'm not wise enough to understand any boy。〃
〃Thenbut isn't that what you said you came for？I thought〃
〃Yes；〃 answered Donal； 〃that is what I came for； but if I fancied I
quite understood any boy； that would be a sure sign I did not
understand him。There is one who understands every boy as well as
if there were no other boy in the whole world。〃
〃Then why doesn't every boy go to him when he can't get fair play？〃
〃Ah； why？ That is just what I want you to do。 He can do better
than give you fair play even： he can make you give other people fair
play； and delight in it。〃
〃Tell me where he is。〃
〃That is what I have to teach you： mere telling is not much use。
Telling is what makes people think they know when they do not； and
makes them foolish。〃
〃What is his name？〃
〃I will not tell you that just yet； for then you would think you
knew him； when you knew next to nothing about him。 Look here； look
at this book；〃 he went on； pulling a copy of Boethius from his
pocket； 〃look at the name on the back of it： it is the name of the
man that wrote the book。〃
Davie spelled it out。
〃Now you know all about the book； don't you？〃
〃No； sir； I don't know anything about it。〃
〃Well then； my father's name is Robert Grant： you know now what a
good man he is！〃
〃No； I don't。 I should like to see him though！〃
〃You would love him if you did！ But you see now that knowing the
name of a person does not make you know the person。〃
〃But you said； sir； that if you told me the name of that person； I
should fancy I knew all about him： I don't fancy I know all about
your father now you have told me his name！〃
〃You have me there！〃 answered Donal。 〃I did not say quite what I
ought to have said。 I should have said that when we know a little
about a person； and are used to hearing his name； then we are ready
to think we know all about him。 I heard a man the other daya man
who had never spoken to your fathertalk as if he knew all about
him。〃
〃I think I understand；〃 said Davie。
To confess ignorance is to lose respect with the ignorant who would
appear to know。 But there is a worse thing than to lose the respect
even of the wiseto deserve to lose it； and that he does who would
gain a respect that does not belong to him。 But a confession of
ignorance is a ground of respect with a well…bred child； and even
with many ordinary boys will raise a man's influence： they recognize
his loyalty to the truth。 Act…truth is infinitely more than
fact…truth； the love of the truth infinitely beyond the knowledge of
it。
They went out together； and when they had gone the round of the
place outside； Davie would have taken him over the house； but Donal
said they would leave something for another time； and made him lie
down for ten minutes。 This the boy thought a great hardship； but
Donal saw that he needed to be taught to rest。 Ten times in those
ten minutes he was on the point of jumping up； but Donal found a
word sufficient to restrain him。 When the ten minutes were over； he
set him an addition sum。 The boy protested he knew all the rules of
arithmetic。
〃But；〃 said Donal； 〃I must know that you know them； that is my
business。 Do this one； however easy it is。〃
The boy obeyed； and brought him the sumincorrect。
〃Now； Davie；〃 said Donal； 〃you said you knew all about addition； but
you have not done this sum correctly。〃
〃I have only made a blunder； sir。〃
〃But a rule is no rule if it is not carried out。 Everything goes on
the supposition of its being itself； and not something else。 People
that talk about good things without doing them are left out。 You
are not master of addition until your addition is to be depended
upon。〃
The boy found it hard to fix his attention： to fix it on something
he did not yet understand； would be too hard！ he must learn to do so
in the pursuit of accuracy where he already understood！ then he
would not have to fight two difficulties at oncethat of
understanding； and that of fixing his attention。 But for a long
time he never kept him more than a quarter of an hour at work on the
same thing。
When he had done the sum correctly； and a second without need of
correction； he told him to lay his slate aside； and he would tell
him a fairy…story。 Therein he succeeded tolerablyin the opinion
of Davie； wonderfully： what a tutor was this； who let fairies into
the school…room！
The tale was of no very original constructionthe youngest brother
gaining in the path of righteousness what the elder brothers lose
through masterful selfishness。 A man must do a thing because it is
right； even if he die for it； but truth were poor indeed if it did
not bring at last all things subject to it！ As beauty and truth are
one； so are truth and strength one。 Must God be ever on the cross；
that we poor worshippers may pay him our highest honour？ Is it not
enough to know that if the devil were the greater； yet would not God
do him homage； but would hang for ever on his cross？ Truth is joy
and victory。 The true hero is adjudged to bliss； nor can in the
nature of things； that is； of God； escape it。 He who holds by life
and resists death； must be victorious； his very life is a slaying of
death。 A man may die for his opinion； and may only be living to
himself： a man who dies for the truth； dies to himself and to all
that is not true。
〃What a beautiful story！〃 cried Davie when it ceased。 〃Where did you
get it； Mr。 Grant？〃
〃Where all stories come from。〃
〃Where is that？〃
〃The Think…book。〃
〃What a funny name！ I never heard it！ Will it be in the library？〃
〃No； it is in no library。 It is the book God is always writing at
one end； and blotting out at the other。 It is made of thoughts； not
words。 It is the Think…book。〃
〃Now I understand！ You got the story out of your own head！〃
〃Yes； perhaps。 But how did it get in to my head？〃
〃I can't tell that。 Nobody can tell that！〃
〃Nobody can that never goes up above his own headthat never shuts
the Think…book； and stands upon it。 When one does； then the
Think…book swells to a great mountain and lifts him up above all the
world： then he sees where the stories come from； and how they get
into his head。Are you to have a ride to…day？〃
〃I ride or not just as I like。〃
〃Well； we will now do just as we both like； I hope； and it will be
two likes instead of onethat is； if we are true friends。〃
〃We shall he true friendsthat we shall！〃
〃How can that bebetween a little boy like you； and a grown man
like me？〃
〃By me being good。〃
〃By both of us being goodno other way。 If one of us only was
good； we could never be true friends。 I must be good as well as
you； else we shall never understand e