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grass。 A few yards beneath was a country road； and on the other
side of the road a small stream； in which the brook that ran swiftly
past； almost within reach of his hand； eagerly lost itself。 On the
further bank of the stream； perfuming the air； grew many bushes of
meadow…sweet； or queen…of…the…meadow； as it is called in Scotland；
and beyond lay a lovely stretch of nearly level pasture。 Farther
eastward all was a plain； full of farms。 Behind him rose the hill；
shutting out his past； before him lay the plain； open to his eyes
and feet。 God had walled up his past； and was disclosing his
future。
When he had eaten his dinner； its dryness forgotten in the condiment
his book supplied； he rose； and taking his cap from his head； filled
it from the stream； and drank heartily； then emptied it； shook the
last drops from it； and put it again upon his head。
〃Ho； ho； young man！〃 cried a voice。
Donal looked； and saw a man in the garb of a clergyman regarding him
from the road； and wiping his face with his sleeve。
〃You should mind；〃 he continued； 〃how you scatter your favours。〃
〃I beg your pardon； sir；〃 said Donal； taking off his cap again； 〃I
hadna a notion there was leevin' cratur near me。〃
〃It's a fine day！〃 said the minister。
〃It is that； sir！〃 answered Donal。
〃Which way are you going？〃 asked the minister； adding； as if in
apology for his seeming curiosity； 〃You're a scholar； I
see！〃with a glance towards the book he had left open on his stone。
〃Nae sae muckle as I wad fain be； sir；〃 answered Donalthen called
to mind a resolve he had made to speak English for the future。
〃A modest youth； I see！〃 returned the clergyman； but Donal hardly
liked the tone in which he said it。
〃That depends on what you mean by a scholar；〃 he said。
〃Oh！〃 answered the minister； not thinking much about his reply； but
in a bantering humour willing to draw the lad out； 〃the learned man
modestly calls himself a scholar。〃
〃Then there was no modesty in saying I was not so much of a scholar
as I should like to be； every scholar would say the same。〃
〃A very good answer！〃 said the clergyman patronizingly； 〃You'll be a
learned man some day！〃 And he smiled as he said it。
〃When would you call a man learned？〃 asked Donal。
〃That is hard to determine； seeing those that claim to be contradict
each other so。〃
〃What good then can there be in wanting to be learned？〃
〃You get the mental discipline of study。〃
〃It seems to me；〃 said Donal； 〃a pity to get a body's discipline on
what may be worthless。 It's just as good discipline to my teeth to
dine on bread and cheese； as it would be to exercise them on sheep's
grass。〃
〃I've got hold of a humorist！〃 said the clergyman to himself。
Donal picked up his wallet and his book； and came down to the road。
Then first the clergyman saw that he was barefooted。 In his
childhood he had himself often gone without shoes and stockings； yet
the youth's lack of them prejudiced him against him。
〃It must be the fellow's own fault！〃 he said to himself。 〃He shan't
catch me with his chaff！〃
Donal would rather have forded the river； and gone to inquire his
way at the nearest farm…house； but he thought it polite to walk a
little way with the clergyman。
〃How far are you going？〃 asked the minister at length。
〃As far as I can；〃 replied Donal。
〃Where do you mean to pass the night？〃
〃In some barn perhaps； or on some hill…side。〃
〃I am sorry to hear you can do no better。〃
〃You don't think； sir； what a decent bed costs； and a barn is
generally； a hill…side always clean。 In fact the hill…side 's the
best。 Many's the time I have slept on one。 It's a strange notion
some people have； that it's more respectable to sleep under man's
roof than God's。〃
〃To have no settled abode；〃 said the clergyman； and paused。
〃Like Abraham？〃 suggested Donal with a smile。 〃An abiding city seems
hardly necessary to pilgrims and strangers！ I fell asleep once on
the top of Glashgar： when I woke the sun was looking over the edge
of the horizon。 I rose and gazed about me as if I were but that
moment created。 If God had called me； I should hardly have been
astonished。〃
〃Or frightened？〃 asked the minister。
〃No； sir； why should a man fear the presence of his saviour？〃
〃You said God！〃 answered the minister。
〃God is my saviour！ Into his presence it is my desire to come。〃
〃Under shelter of the atonement；〃 supplemented the minister。
〃Gien ye mean by that； sir；〃 cried Donal； forgetting his English；
〃onything to come 'atween my God an' me； I'll ha'e nane o' 't。 I'll
hae naething hide me frae him wha made me！ I wadna hide a thoucht
frae him。 The waur it is； the mair need he see't。〃
〃What book is that you are reading？〃 asked the minister sharply。
〃It's not your bible； I'll be bound！ You never got such notions
from it！〃
He was angry with the presumptuous youthand no wonder； for the
gospel the minister preached was a gospel but to the slavish and
unfilial。
〃It's Shelley；〃 answered Donal； recovering himself。
The minister had never read a word of Shelley； but had a very
decided opinion of him。 He gave a loud rude whistle。
〃So！ that's where you go for your theology！ I was puzzled to
understand you； but now all is plain！ Young man； you are on the
brink of perdition。 That book will poison your very vitals！〃
〃Indeed； sir； it will never go deep enough for that！ But it came
near touching them as I sat eating my bread and cheese。〃
〃He's an infidel！〃 said the minister fiercely。
〃A kind of one；〃 returned Donal； 〃but not of the worst sort。 It's
the people who call themselves believers that drive the like of poor
Shelley to the mouth of the pit。〃
〃He hated the truth；〃 said the minister。
〃He was always seeking after it；〃 said Donal； 〃though to be sure he
didn't get to the end of the search。 Just listen to this； sir； and
say whether it be very far from Christian。〃
Donal opened his little volume； and sought his passage。 The
minister but for curiosity and the dread of seeming absurd would
have stopped his ears and refused to listen。 He was a man of not
merely dry or stale； but of deadly doctrines。 He would have a man
love Christ for protecting him from God； not for leading him to God
in whom alone is bliss； out of whom all is darkness and misery。 He
had not a glimmer of the truth that eternal life is to know God。 He
imagined justice and love dwelling in eternal opposition in the
bosom of eternal unity。 He knew next to nothing about God； and
misrepresented him hideously。 If God were such as he showed him； it
would be the worst possible misfortune to have been created。
Donal had found the passage。 It was in The Mask of Anarchy。 He
read the following stanzas：
Let a vast assembly be；
And with great solemnity
Declare with measured words that ye
Are； as God has made ye； free。
Be your strong and simple words
Keen to wound as sharpened swords；
And wide as targes let them be；
With their shade to cover ye。
And if then the tyrants dare；
Let them ride among you there；
Slash； and stab； and maim； and hew
What they like； that let them do。
With folded arms and steady eyes；
And little fear； and less surprise；
Look upon them as they slay；
Till their rage has died away。
And that slaughter to the Nation
Shall steam up like inspiration；
Eloquent； oracular
A volcano heard afar。
Ending； the reader turned to the listener。 But the listener had
understood little of the meaning； and less of the spirit。 He hated
opposition to the powers on the part of any below himself； yet
scorned the idea of submitting to persecution。
〃What think you of that； sir？〃 asked Donal。
〃Sheer nonsense！〃 answered the minister。 〃Where would Scotland be
now but for resistance？〃
〃There's more than one way of resisting； though；〃 returned Donal。
〃Enduring evil was the Lord's way。 I don't know about Scotland； but
I fancy there would be more Christians； and of a better stamp； in
the world； if that had been the mode of resistance always adopted by
those that called themselves such。 Anyhow it was his way。〃
〃Shelley's； you mean！〃
〃I don't mean Shelley's； I mean Christ's。 In spirit Shelley was far
nearer the truth than those who made him despise the very name of
Christianity without knowing what it really was。 But God will give
every man fair play。〃
〃Young man！〃 said the minister； with an assumption of great
solemnity and no less authority； 〃I am bound to warn you that you
are in a state of rebellion against God； and he will not be mocked。
Good morning！〃
Donal sat down on the roadsidehe would let the minister have a
good start of himtook again his shabby little volume； held more
talk with the book…embodied spirit of Shelley； and saw more and more
clearly how he was misled in his every notion of Christianity； and
how different those who gave him his notions must have been from the
evangelists and apostles。 He saw in the poet a boyish nature
striving after liberty； with scarce a notion of what liberty really
was： he knew nothing of the law of libertyoneness with the will of
our e