david elginbrod-第15部分

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promise　of　an　increase　of　salary　to　the　amount　of　five　pounds。　　This
is　another　to　be　added　to　the　many　proofs　that　verisimilitude　is　not
in　the　least　an　essential　element　of　verity。

He　left　his　mother　as　soon　as　circumstances　would　permit；　and
returned　to　Turriepuffit；　an　abode　for　the　winter　very　different
indeed　from　that　in　which　he　had　expected　to　spend　it。

He　reached　the　place　early　in　the　afternoon；　received　from　Mrs。
Glasford　a　cold　〃I　hope　you're　well；　Mr。　Sutherland；〃　found　his
pupils　actually　reading；　and　had　from　them　a　welcome　rather
boisterously　evidenced；　told　them　to　get　their　books；　and　sat　down
with　them　at　once　to　commence　their　winter　labours。　　He　spent　two
hours　thus；　had　a　hearty　shake　of　the　hand　from　the　laird；　when　he
came　home；　and；　after　a　substantial　tea；　walked　down　to　David's
cottage；　where　a　welcome　awaited　him　worth　returning　for。

〃Come　yer　wa's　butt；〃　said　Janet；　who　met　him　as　he　opened　the　door
without　any　prefatory　knock；　and　caught　him　with　both　hands；　〃I'm
blithe　to　see　yer　bonny　face　ance　mair。　　We're　a'　jist　at　ane　mair
wi'　expeckin'　o'　ye。〃

David　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　waiting　for　him。

〃Come　awa'；　my　bonny　lad；〃　was　all　his　greeting；　as　he　held　out　a
great　fatherly　hand　to　the　youth；　and；　grasping　his　in　the　one；
clapped　him　on　the　shoulder　with　the　other；　the　water　standing　in
his　blue　eyes　the　while。　　Hugh　thought　of　his　own　father；　and　could
not　restrain　his　tears。　　Margaret　gave　him　a　still　look　full　in　the
face；　and；　seeing　his　emotion；　did　not　even　approach　to　offer　him
any　welcome。　　She　hastened；　instead；　to　place　a　chair　for　him　as　she
had　done　when　first　he　entered　the　cottage；　and　when　he　had　taken　it
sat　down　at　his　feet　on　her　creepie。　　With　true　delicacy；　no　one
took　any　notice　of　him　for　some　time。　　David　said　at　last；

〃An'　hoo's　yer　puir　mother；　Mr。　Sutherlan'？〃

〃She's　pretty　well；〃　was　all　Hugh　could　answer。

〃It's　a　sair　stroke　to　bide；〃　said　David；　〃but　it's　a　gran'　thing
whan　a　man's　won　weel　throw't。　　Whan　my　father　deit；　I　min'　weel；　I
was　sae　prood　to　see　him　lyin'　there；　in　the　cauld　grandeur　o'
deith；　an'　no　man　'at　daured　say　he　ever　did　or　spak　the　thing　'at
didna　become　him；　'at　I　jist　gloried　i'　the　mids　o'　my　greetin'。　　He
was　but　a　puir　auld　shepherd；　Mr。　Sutherlan'；　wi'　hair　as　white　as
the　sheep　'at　followed　him；　an'　I　wat　as　they　followed　him；　he
followed　the　great　Shepherd；　an'　followed　an'　followed；　till　he　jist
followed　Him　hame；　whaur　we're　a'　boun'；　an'　some　o'　us　far　on　the
road；　thanks　to　Him！〃

And　with　that　David　rose；　and　got　down　the　Bible；　and；　opening　it
reverently；　read　with　a　solemn；　slightly　tremulous　voice；　the
fourteenth　chapter　of　St。　John's　Gospel。　　When　he　had　finished；　they
all　rose；　as　by　one　accord；　and　knelt　down；　and　David　prayed：

〃O　Thou　in　whase　sicht　oor　deeth　is　precious；　an'　no　licht　maitter；
wha　through　darkness　leads　to　licht；　an'　through　deith　to　the
greater　life！we　canna　believe　that　thou　wouldst　gie　us　ony　guid
thing；　to　tak'　the　same　again；　for　that　would　be　but　bairns'　play。
We　believe　that　thou　taks；　that　thou　may　gie　again　the　same　thing
better　nor　aforemair　o't　and　better　nor　we　could　ha'　received　it
itherwise；　jist　as　the　Lord　took　himsel'　frae　the　sicht　o'　them　'at
lo'ed　him　weel；　that　instead　o'　bein'　veesible　afore　their　een；　he
micht　hide　himsel'　in　their　verra　herts。　　Come　thou；　an'　abide　in
us；　an'　tak'　us　to　bide　in　thee；　an'　syne　gin　we　be　a'　in　thee；　we
canna　be　that　far　frae　ane　anither；　though　some　sud　be　in　haven；　an'
some　upo'　earth。　　Lord　help　us　to　do　oor　wark　like　thy　men　an'
maidens　doon　the　stair；　remin'in'　oursel's；　'at　them　'at　we　miss　hae
only　gane　up　the　stair；　as　gin　'twar　to　haud　things　to　thy　han'　i'
thy　ain　presence…chamber；　whaur　we　houp　to　be　called　or　lang；　an'　to
see　thee　an'　thy　Son；　wham　we　lo'e　aboon　a'；　an'　in　his　name　we　say；
Amen！〃

Hugh　rose　from　his　knees　with　a　sense　of　solemnity　and　reality　that
he　had　never　felt　before。　　Little　was　said　that　evening；　supper　was
eaten；　if　not　in　silence；　yet　with　nothing　that　could　be　called
conversation。　　And；　almost　in　silence；　David　walked　home　with　Hugh。
The　spirit　of　his　father　seemed　to　walk　beside　him。　　He　felt　as　if
he　had　been　buried　with　him；　and　had　found　that　the　sepulchre　was
clothed　with　green　things　and　roofed　with　starswas　in　truth　the
heavens　and　the　earth　in　which　his　soul　walked　abroad。

If　Hugh　looked　a　little　more　into　his　Bible；　and　tried　a　little　more
to　understand　it；　after　his　father's　death；　it　is　not　to　be　wondered
at。　　It　is　but　another　instance　of　the　fact　that；　whether　from
education　or　from　the　leading　of　some　higher　instinct；　we　are　ready；
in　every　more　profound　trouble；　to　feel　as　if　a　solution　or　a　refuge
lay　somewherelay　in　sounds　of　wisdom；　perhaps；　to　be　sought　and
found　in　the　best　of　books；　the　deepest　of　all　the　mysterious
treasuries　of　words。　　But　David　never　sought　to　influence　Hugh　to
this　end。　　He　read　the　Bible　in　his　family；　but　he　never　urged　the
reading　of　it　on　others。　　Sometimes　he　seemed　rather　to　avoid　the
subject　of　religion　altogether；　and　yet　it　was　upon　those　very
occasions　that；　if　he　once　began　to　speak；　he　would　pour　out；　before
he　ceased；　some　of　his　most　impassioned　utterances。




CHAPTER　XII。

CHARITY。

Knowledge　bloweth　up；　but　charity　buildeth　up。

LORD　BACON'S　rendering　of　1　Cor。　viii。　I。


Things　went　on　as　usual　for　a　few　days；　when　Hugh　began　to　encounter
a　source　of　suffering　of　a　very　material　and　unromantic　kind；　but
which；　nevertheless；　had　been　able　before　now；　namely；　at　the
commencement　of　his　tutorship；　to　cause　him　a　very　sufficient　degree
of　distress。　　It　was　this；　that　he　had　no　room　in　which　he　could
pursue　his　studies　in　private；　without　having　to　endure　a　most
undesirable　degree　of　cold。　　In　summer　this　was　a　matter　of　little
moment；　for　the　universe　might　then　be　his　secret　chamber；　but　in　a
Scotch　spring　or　autumn；　not　to　say　winter；　a　bedroom　without　a
fire…place；　which；　strange　to　say；　was　the　condition　of　his；　was　not
a　study　in　which　thought　could　operate　to　much　satisfactory　result。
Indeed；　pain　is　a　far　less　hurtful　enemy　to　thinking　than　cold。
And　to　have　to　fight　such　suffering　and　its　benumbing　influences；
as　well　as　to　follow　out　a　train　of　reasoning；　difficult　at　any
time；　and　requiring　close　attentionis　too　much　for　any　machine
whose　thinking　wheels　are　driven　by　nervous　gear。　　Sometimesfor　he
must　make　the　attempthe　came　down　to　his　meals　quite　blue　with
cold；　as　his　pupils　remarked　to　their　mother；　but　their　observation
never　seemed　to　suggest　to　her　mind　the　necessity　of　making　some
better　provision　for　the　poor　tutor。　　And　Hugh；　after　the　way　in
which　she　had　behaved　to　him；　was　far　too　proud　to　ask　her　a　favour；
even　if　he　had　had　hopes　of　receiving　his　request。　　He　knew；　too；
that；　in　the　house；　the　laird；　to　interfere　in　the　smallest　degree；
must　imperil　far　more　than　he　dared。　　The　prospect；　therefore；　of
the　coming　winter；　in　a　country　where　there　was　scarcely　any
afternoon；　and　where　the　snow　might　lie　feet　deep　for　weeks；　was　not
at　all　agreeable。　　He　had；　as　I　have　said；　begun　to　suffer　already；
for　the　mornings　and　evenings　were　cold　enough　now；　although　it　was
a　bright；　dry　October。　　One　evening　Janet　remarked　that　he　had
caught　cold；　for　he　was　'hostin'　sair；'　and　this　led　Hugh　to　state
the　discomfort　he　was　condemned　to　experience　up　at　the　ha'　house。

〃Weel；〃　said　David；　after　some　silent　deliberation；　〃that　sattles't；
we　maun　set　aboot　it　immedantly。〃

Of　course　Hugh　was　quite　at　a　loss　to　understand　what　he　meant；　and
begged　him　to　explain。

〃Ye　see；〃　replied　David；　〃we　hae　verra　little　hoose…room　i'　this　bit
cot；　for；　excep　this　kitchen；　we　hae　but　the　ben　whaur　Janet　and　me
sleeps；　and　sae　last　year　I　spak'　to　the　laird　to　lat　me　hae　muckle
timmer　as　I　wad　need　to　big　a　kin'　o'　a　lean…to　to　the　house　ahin'；
so　'at　we　micht　hae　a　kin'　o'　a　bit　parlour　like；　or　rather　a　roomie
'at　ony　o'　us　micht　retire　till　for　a　bit；　gin　we　wanted　to　be　oor
lanes。　　He　had　nae　objections；　honest　man。　　But　somehoo　or　ither　I
never　sat　han'　till't；　but　noo　the　wa's　maun　be　up　afore　the　wat
weather　sets　in。　　Sae　I'se　be　at　it　the　morn；　an'　maybe　ye'll　len'
me　a　han'；　Mr。　Sutherlan'；　and　tak'　oot　yer　wages　in　house…room　an'
firin'　efter　it's　dune。〃

〃Thank　you　heartily！〃　said　Hugh；　that　would　be　delightful。　　It　seems
too　good　to　be　possible。　　But　will　not　wooden　walls　be　rather　a　poor
protection　against　such　winters　as　I　suppose　you　have　in　these
parts？〃

〃Hootoot；　Mr。　Sutherlan'；　ye　micht　gie　me　credit　for　raither　mair
rumgumption　nor　that　comes　till。　　Timmer　was　the　only　thing　I　not
（needed）　to　spier　for；　the　lave　lies　to　ony　body's　han'a　few
cart…fu's　o'　sods　frae　the　hill　ahint　the　hoose；　an'　a　han'fu'　or
twa　o'　stanes　for　the　chimla　oot　o'　the　quarrythere's　eneuch　there
for　oor　turn　ohn　blastit　mair；　an'　we'll　saw　the　wood　oorsels；　an'
gin　we　had　ance　the　wa's　up；　we　can　carry　on　the　inside　at　oor
leisur'。　　That's　the　way　'at　the　Maker　does　wi'　oorsels；　he　gie's　us
the　wa's　an'　the　material；　an'　a　whole　lifetime；　maybe　mair；　to
furnish　the　house。〃

〃Capital！〃　excl