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wastena yer backbane。 My business is to luik to the bodies o' men；
an' specially to their puir feet 'at has to bide the weicht； an' get
sair pressed therein。 Life 's as hard upo' the feet o' a man as
upo' ony pairt o' 'm！ Whan they gang wrang； there isna muckle to be
dune till they be set richt again。 I'm sair honourt； I say to
mysel' whiles； to be set ower the feet o' men。 It's a fine
ministration！full better than bein' a door…keeper i' the hoose o'
the Lord！ For the feet 'at gang oot an' in at it 's mair nor the
door！〃
〃The Lord be praist！〃 said Donal to himself； 〃there's mair i' the
warl' like my father an' mither！〃
He took the seat appointed him。
〃Come to the table； Anerew；〃 said the old woman； 〃gien sae be ye can
pairt wi' that buik o' yours； an' lat yer sowl gie place to yer
boady's richts。I doobt； sir； gien he wad ait or drink gien I wasna
at his elbuck。〃
〃Doory；〃 returned her husband； 〃ye canna deny I gie ye a bit noo an'
than； specially whan I come upo' onything by ord'nar' tasty！〃
〃That ye du； Anerew； or I dinna ken what wud come o' my sowl ony
mair nor o' your boady！ Sae ye see； sir； we're like John Sprat an'
his wife：ye'll ken the bairns' say aboot them？〃
〃Ay； fine that；〃 replied Donal。 〃Ye couldna weel be better fittit。〃
〃God grant it！〃 she said。 〃But we wad fit better yet gien I had but
a wheen mair brains。〃
〃The Lord kenned what brains ye had whan he broucht ye thegither；〃
said Donal。
〃Ye never uttert a truer word；〃 replied the cobbler。 〃Gien the Lord
be content wi' the brains he's gien ye； an' I be content wi' the
brains ye gie me； what richt hae ye to be discontentit wi' the
brains ye hae； Doory？answer me that。 But I s' come to the
table。Wud ye alloo me to speir efter yer name； sir？〃
〃My name 's Donal Grant；〃 replied Donal。
〃I thank ye； sir； an' I'll haud it in respec'；〃 returned the
cobbler。 〃Maister Grant； wull ye ask a blessin'？〃
〃I wad raither j'in i' your askin'；〃 replied Donal。
The cobbler said a little prayer； and then they began to eatfirst
of oat…cakes； baked by the old woman； then of loaf…breid； as they
called it。
〃I'm sorry I hae nae jeally or jam to set afore ye； sir；〃 said
Doory； 〃we're but semple fowk； ye seecontent to haud oor earthly
taibernacles in a haibitable condition till we hae notice to quit。〃
〃It's a fine thing to ken；〃 said the cobbler； with a queer look；
〃'at whan ye lea' 't； yer hoose fa's doon； an' ye haena to think o'
ony damages to peyforby 'at gien it laistit ony time efter ye was
oot o' 't； there micht be a wheen deevils takin' up their abode
intil 't。〃
〃Hoot； Anerew！〃 interposed his wife； 〃there's naething like that i'
scriptur'！〃
〃Hoot； Doory！〃 returned Andrew； 〃what ken ye aboot what's no i'
scriptur'？ Ye ken a heap； I alloo； aboot what's in scriptur'； but
ye ken little aboot what's no intil 't！〃
〃Weel； isna 't best to ken what's intil 't？〃
〃'Ayont a doobt。〃
〃Weel！〃 she returned in playful triumph。
Donal saw that he had got hold of a pair of originals： it was a joy
to his heart： he was himself an originalone； namely； that lived
close to the simplicities of existence！
Andrew Comin； before offering him house…room； would never have asked
anyone what he was； but he would have thought it an equal lapse in
breeding not to show interest in the history as well as the person
of a guest。 After a little more talk； so far from commonplace that
the common would have found it mirth…provoking； the cobbler said：
〃An' what office may ye haud yersel'； sir； i' the ministry o' the
temple？〃
〃I think I un'erstan' ye；〃 replied Donal； 〃my mother says curious
things like you。〃
〃Curious things is whiles no that curious；〃 remarked Andrew。
A pause following； he resumed：
〃Gien onything gie ye reason to prefar waitin' till ye ken Doory an'
me a bit better； sir；〃 he said； 〃coont my ill…mainnert queston no
speirt。〃
〃There's naething；〃 answered Donal。 〃I'll tell ye onything or
a'thing aboot mysel'。〃
〃Tell what ye wull； sir； an' keep what ye wull；〃 said the cobbler。
〃I was broucht up a herd…laddie；〃 proceeded Donal； 〃an' whiles a
shepherd ane。 For mony a year I kent mair aboot the hill…side nor
the ingle…neuk。 But it's the same God an' Father upo' the hill…side
an' i' the king's pailace。〃
〃An' ye'll ken a' aboot the win'； an' the cloods； an' the w'ys o'
God ootside the hoose！ I ken something hoo he hauds things gaein'
inside the hoosein a body's hert； I meanin mine an' Doory's
there； but I ken little aboot the w'y he gars things work 'at he's
no sae far ben in。〃
〃Ye dinna surely think God fillsna a'thing？〃 exclaimed Donal。
〃Na； na； I ken better nor that；〃 answered the cobbler； 〃but ye maun
alloo a tod's hole 's no sae deep as the thro't o' a burnin'
m'untain！ God himsel' canna win sae far ben in a shallow place as
in a deep place； he canna be sae far ben i' the win's； though he
gars them du as he likes； as he is； or sud be； i' your hert an'
mine； sir！〃
〃I see！〃 responded Donal。 〃Could that hae been hoo the Lord had to
rebuke the win's an' the wawves； as gien they had been gaein' at
their ain free wull； i'stead o' the wull o' him 'at made them an'
set them gaein'？〃
〃Maybe； but I wud hae to think aboot it 'afore I answert；〃 replied
the cobbler。
A silence intervened。 Then said Andrew； thoughtfully；
〃I thoucht； when I saw ye first； ye was maybe a lad frae a shop i'
the muckle toonor a clerk； as they ca' them； 'at sits makin' up
accoonts。〃
〃Na； I'm no that； I thank God；〃 said Donal。
〃What for thank ye God for that？〃 asked Andrew。 〃A' place is his。 I
wudna hae ye thank God ye're no a cobbler like me！ Ye micht；
though； for it's little ye can ken o' the guid o' the callin'！〃
〃I'll tell ye what for；〃 answered Donal。 〃I ken weel toon…fowk think
it a heap better to hae to du wi' figures nor wi' sheep； but I'm no
o' their min'； an' for ae thing； the sheep's alive。 I could weel
fancy an angel a shepherdan' he wad coont my father guid company！
Troth； he wad want wings an' airms an' feet an' a' to luik efter
the lambs whiles！ But gien sic a ane was a clerk in a coontin'
hoose； he wad hae to stow awa the wings； I cannot see what use he
wad hae for them there。 He micht be an angel a' the time； an' that
no a fallen ane； but he bude to lay aside something to fit the
place。〃
〃But ye're no a shepherd the noo？〃 said the cobbler。
〃Na；〃 replied Donal； 〃'cep' it be I'm set to luik efter anither
grade o' lamb。 A freen'ye may 'a' h'ard his namesir Gilbert
Galbraithmade the beginnin' o' a scholar o' me； an' noo I hae my
degree frae the auld university o' Inverdaur。〃
〃Didna I think as muckle！〃 cried mistress Comin triumphant。 〃I hadna
time to say 't to ye； Anerew； but I was sure he was frae the
college； an' that was hoo his feet war sae muckle waur furnisht nor
his heid。〃
〃I hae a pair o' shune i' my kist； thoughwhan that comes！〃 said
Donal； laughing。
〃I only houp it winna be ower muckle to win up oor stair！〃
〃I dinna think it。 But we'll lea' 't i' the street afore it s' come
'atween 's！〃 said Donal。 〃Gien ye'll hae me； sae lang's I'm i' the
toon； I s' gang nae ither gait。〃
〃An' ye'll doobtless read the Greek like yer mither…tongue？〃 said
the cobbler； with a longing admiration in his tone。
〃Na； no like that； but weel eneuch to get guid o' 't。〃
〃Weel； that's jist the ae thing I grutch yena； no grutchI'm
glaid ye hae'tbut the ae thing I wud fain be a scholar for mysel'！
To think I kenna a cheep o' the word spoken by the Word himsel'！〃
〃But the letter o' the word he made little o' comparet wi' the
speerit！〃 said Donal。
〃Ay； that's true！ an' yet it's whaur a man may weel be greedy an'
want to hae a'thing： wha has the speerit wad fain hae the letter tu！
But it disna maitter； I s' set to learnin' 't the first thing whan
I gang up the stairthat is； gien it be the Lord's wull。〃
〃Hoots！〃 said his wife； 〃what wad ye du wi' Greek up there！ I s'
warran' the fowk there； ay； an' the maister himsel'； speyks plain
Scotch！ What for no！ What wad they du there wi' Greek； 'at a body
wad hae to warstle wi' frae mornin' to nicht； an' no mak oot the
third pairt o' 't！〃
Her husband laughed merrily； but Donal said；
〃'Deed maybe ye're na sae far wrang； guidwife！ I'm thinkin' there
maun be a gran' mither…tongue there； 'at 'll soop up a' the lave；
an' be better to un'erstan' nor a body's ainfor it'll be yet mair
his ain。〃
〃Hear til him！〃 cried the cobbler； with hearty approbation。
〃Ye ken；〃 Donal went on； 〃a' the languages o' the earth cam； or luik
as gien they had come； frae ane； though we're no jist dogsure o'
that。 There's my mither's ain Gaelic； for enstance： it's as auld；
maybe aulder nor the Greek； onygait； it has mair Greek nor Laitin
words intil 't； an' ye ken the Greek 's an aulder tongue nor the
Laitin。 Weel； gien we could work oor w'y back to the auldest
grit…gran'mither…tongue o' a'； I'm thinkin' it wad come a kin o' sae
easy til 's； 'at； wi' the impruvt faculties o' oor h'avenly
condition； we micht be able in a feow days to haud communication wi'
ane anither i' that same； ohn stammert or hummt an' hawt。〃
〃But there's been sic a heap o' things f'un' oot sin' syne； i'