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body。〃
〃It's a some auld…farrand joke；〃 said the cobbler； 〃but the fun
intil a thing doesna weir oot ony mair nor the poetry or the trowth
intil't。〃
〃Who will say there was no providence in the loss of my shoe…sole！〃
remarked Donal to himself。 〃Here I am with a friend already！〃
The cobbler was submitting the shoes； first the sickly one； now the
sound one； to a thorough scrutiny。
〃Ye dinna think them worth men'in'； I doobt！〃 said Donal； with a
touch of anxiety in his tone。
〃I never thoucht that whaur the leather wad haud the steik；〃 replied
the cobbler。 〃But whiles； I confess； I'm jist a wheen tribled to ken
hoo to chairge for my wark。 It's no barely to consider the time
it'll tak me to cloot a pair； but what the weirer 's like to git oot
o' them。 I canna tak mair nor the job 'ill be worth to the weirer。
An' yet the waur the shune； an' the less to be made o' them； the
mair time they tak to mak them worth onything ava'！〃
〃Surely ye oucht to be paid in proportion to your labour。〃
〃I' that case I wad whiles hae to say til a puir body 'at hadna
anither pair i' the warl'； 'at her ae pair o' shune wasna worth
men'in'； an' that wad be a hertbrak； an' sair feet forby； to sic as
couldna； like yersel'； sir； gang upo' the Lord's ain shune。〃
〃But hoo mak ye a livin' that w'y？〃 suggested Donal。
〃Hoots； the maister o' the trade sees to my wauges！〃
〃An' wha may he be？〃 asked Donal； well foreseeing the answer。
〃He was never cobbler himsel'； but he was ance carpenter； an' noo
he's liftit up to be heid o' a' the trades。 An' there's ae thing he
canna bide； an' that's close parin'。〃
He stopped。 But Donal held his peace； waiting； and he went on。
〃To them 'at maks little； for reasons good； by their neebour； he
gies the better wauges whan they gang hame。 To them 'at maks a' 'at
they can； he says； 'Ye helpit yersel'； help awa'； ye hae yer reward。
Only comena near me； for I canna bide ye'。But aboot thae shune o'
yours； I dinna weel ken！ They're weel eneuch worth duin' the best I
can for them； but the morn's Sunday； an' what hae ye to put on？〃
〃Naethingtill my kist comes； an' that； I doobt； winna be afore
Monday； or maybe the day efter。〃
〃An' ye winna be able to gang to the kirk！〃
〃I'm no partic'lar aboot gaein' to the kirk； but gien I wantit to
gang； or gien I thoucht I was b'un' to gang； think ye I wad bide at
hame 'cause I hadna shune to gang in！ Wad I fancy the Lord
affrontit wi' the bare feet he made himsel'！〃
The cobbler caught up the worst shoe and began upon it at once。
〃Ye s' hae't； sir；〃 he said； 〃gien I sit a' nicht at it！ The ane
'll du till Monday。 Ye s' hae't afore kirk…time； but ye maun come
intil the hoose to get it； for the fowk wud be scunnert to see me
workin' upo' the Sabbath…day。 They dinna un'erstan' 'at the Maister
works Sunday an' Setterdayan' his Father as weel！〃
〃Ye dinna think； than； there's onything wrang in men'in' a pair o'
shune on the Sabbath…day？〃
〃Wrang！in obeyin' my Maister； whase is the day； as weel's a' the
days？ They wad fain tak it frae the Son o' Man； wha's the lord o'
't； but they canna！〃
He looked up over the old shoe with eyes that flashed。
〃But thenexcuse me；〃 said Donal； 〃why shouldna ye haud yer face
til 't； an' work openly； i' the name o' God？〃
〃We're telt naither to du oor gude warks afore men to be seen o'
them； nor yet to cast oor pearls afore swine。 I coont cobblin' your
shoes； sir； a far better wark nor gaein' to the kirk； an' I wadna
hae't seen o' men。 Gien I war warkin' for poverty； it wad be
anither thing。〃
This last Donal did not understand； but learned afterwards what the
cobbler meant： the day being for rest； the next duty to helping
another was to rest himself。 To work for fear of starving would be
to distrust the Father； and act as if man lived by bread alone。
〃Whan I think o' 't；〃 he resumed after a pause； 〃bein' Sunday； I'll
tak them hame to ye。 Whaur wull ye be？〃
〃That's what I wad fain hae ye tell me；〃 answered Donal。 〃I had
thoucht to put up at the Morven Airms； but there's something I dinna
like aboot the lan'lord。 Ken ye ony dacent； clean place； whaur they
wad gie me a room to mysel'； an' no seek mair nor I could pey them？〃
〃We hae a bit roomie oorsel's；〃 said the cobbler； 〃at the service o'
ony dacent wayfarin' man that can stan' the smell； an' put up wi'
oor w'ys。 For peyment； ye can pey what ye think it's worth。 We're
never varra partic'lar。〃
〃I tak yer offer wi' thankfu'ness；〃 answered Donal。
〃Weel； gang ye in at that door jist 'afore ye； an' ye'll see the
guidwifethere's nane ither til see。 I wad gang wi' ye mysel'； but
I canna； wi' this shue o' yours to turn intil a Sunday ane！〃
Donal went to the door indicated。 It stood wide open； for while the
cobbler sat outside at his work； his wife would never shut the door。
He knocked； but there came no answer。
〃She's some dull o' hearin'；〃 said the cobbler； and called her by
his own name for her。
〃Doory！ Doory！〃 he said。
〃She canna be that deif gien she hears ye！〃 said Donal； for he spoke
hardly louder than usual。
〃Whan God gies you a wife； may she be ane to hear yer lichtest
word！〃 answered the cobbler。
Sure enough； he had scarcely finished the sentence； when Doory
appeared at the door。
〃Did ye cry； guidman？〃 she said。
〃Na； Doory： I canna say I cried； but I spak； an' ye； as is yer
custom； hearkent til my word！Here's a believin' ladI'm thinkin'
he maun be a gentleman； but I'm no sure； it's hard for a cobbler to
ken a gentleman 'at comes til him wantin' shune； but he may be a
gentleman for a' that； an' there's nae hurry to ken。 He's welcome
to me； gien he be welcome to you。 Can ye gie him a nicht's
lodgin'？〃
〃Weel that！ an' wi' a' my hert！〃 said Doory。 〃He's welcome to what
we hae。〃
Turning； she led the way into the house。
CHAPTER VI。
DOORY。
She was a very small； spare woman； in a blue print with little white
spotsstraight； not bowed like her husband。 Otherwise she seemed
at first exactly like him。 But ere the evening was over； Donal saw
there was no featural resemblance between the two faces； and was
puzzled to understand how the two expressions came to be so like： as
they sat it seemed in the silence as if they were the same person
thinking in two shapes and two places。
Following the old woman； Donal ascended a steep and narrow stair；
which soon brought him to a landing where was light； coming mainly
through green leaves； for the window in the little passage was
filled with plants。 His guide led him into what seemed to him an
enchanting roomhomely enough it was； but luxurious compared to
what he had been accustomed to。 He saw white walls and a brown…hued
but clean…swept wooden floor； on which shone a keen…eyed little fire
from a low grate。 Two easy chairs； covered with some party…coloured
striped stuff； stood one on each side of the fire。 A kettle was
singing on the hob。 The white deal…table was set for teawith a
fat brown teapot； and cups of a gorgeous pattern in bronze； that
shone in the firelight like red gold。 In one of the walls was a
box…bed。
〃I'll lat ye see what accommodation we hae at yer service； sir；〃
said Doory； 〃an' gien that'll shuit ye； ye s' be welcome。〃
So saying； she opened what looked like the door of a cupboard at the
side of the fireplace。 It disclosed a neat little parlour； with a
sweet air in it。 The floor was sanded； and so much the cleaner than
if it had been carpeted。 A small mahogany table； black with age；
stood in the middle。 On a side…table covered with a cloth of faded
green； lay a large family bible； behind it were a few books and a
tea…caddy。 In the side of the wall opposite the window； was again a
box…bed。 To the eyes of the shepherd…born lad； it looked the most
desirable shelter he had ever seen。 He turned to his hostess and
said；
〃I'm feart it's ower guid for me。 What could ye lat me hae't for by
the week？ I wad fain bide wi' ye； but whaur an' whan I may get wark
I canna tell； sae I maunna tak it ony gait for mair nor a week。〃
〃Mak yersel' at ease till the morn be by；〃 said the old woman。 〃Ye
canna du naething till that be ower。 Upo' the Mononday mornin' we
s' haud a cooncil thegitheryou an' me an' my man： I can du
naething wantin' my man； we aye pu' thegither or no at a'。〃
Well content； and with hearty thanks； Donal committed his present
fate into the hands of the humble pair； his heaven…sent helpers； and
after much washing and brushing； all that was possible to him in the
way of dressing； reappeared in the kitchen。 Their tea was ready；
and the cobbler seated in the window with a book in his hand；
leaving for Donal his easy chair。
〃I canna tak yer ain cheir frae ye；〃 said Donal。
〃Hoots！〃 returned the cobbler； 〃what's onything oors for but to gie
the neeper 'at stan's i' need o' 't。〃
〃But ye hae had a sair day's wark！〃
〃An' you a sair day's traivel！〃
〃But I'm yoong！〃
〃An' I'm auld； an' my labour the nearer ower。〃
〃But I'm strong！〃
〃There's nane the less need ye sud be hauden sae。 Sit ye doon； an'
wastena yer backbane。 My business is to luik to the bodies o' men；
an' specially to their puir feet 'at has