an autobiography-第17部分

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n　market　price。　　After　a　stormy　night；　during　which　the　husbands　and　sons　had　toiled　to　catch　the　fish；　on　the　usual　question　being　asked；　〃Weel；　Janet；　hoo's　haddies　the　day！〃　〃Haddies；　mem？　　Ou；　haddies　is　men's　lives　the　day！〃　　which　was　often　true；　as　haddocks　were　often　caught　at　the　risk　of　their　husbands'　lives。　　After　the　usual　amount　of　higgling；　the　haddies　were　brought　down　to　their　proper　market　price；　sometimes　a　penny　for　a　good　haddock；　or；　when　herrings　were　rife；　a　dozen　herrings　for　twopence；　crabs　for　a　penny；　and　lobsters　for　threepence。　　For　there　were　no　railways　then　to　convey　the　fish　to　England；　and　thus　equalise　the　price　for　all　classes　of　the　community。

Let　me　mention　here　a　controversy　between　a　fishwife　and　a　buyer　called　Thomson。　　the　buyer　offered　a　price　so　ridiculously　small　for　a　parcel　of　fish　that　the　seller　became　quite　indignant；　and　she　terminated　at　once　all　further　higgling。　　Looking　up　to　him；　she　said；　〃Lord　help　yer　e'e…sight；　Maister　Tamson！〃　〃Lord　help　my　e'e…sight；　woman！　　What　has　that　to　do　with　it？〃　〃Ou；〃　said　she；　〃because　ye　ha'e　nae　nose　to　put　spectacles　on！〃　　As　it　happened；　poor　Mr。　Thomson　had；　by　some　accident　or　disease；　so　little　of　a　nose　left；　if　any　at　all；　that　the　bridge　of　the　nose　for　holding　up　the　spectacles　was　almost　entirely　wanting。　And　thus　did　the　fishwife　retaliate　on　her　niggardly　customer。

When　my　mother　had　got　her　fish　laid　at　the　bottom　of　the　creel；　she　next　went　to　the　〃flesher〃　for　her　butcher…meat。　　There　was　no　higgling　here；　for　the　meat　was　sold　at　the　ordinary　market　price。　Then　came　the　poultry　stratum；　then　the　vegetables；　or　fruits　in　their　season；　and；　finally；　there　was　〃the　floore〃a　bunch　of　flowers；　not　a　costly　bouquet；　but　a；　large　assortment　of　wallflowers；　daffodils　（with　their　early　spring　fragrance）；　polyanthuses；　lilacs；　gilly…flowers；　and　the　glorious　old…fashioned　cabbage　rose；　as　well　as　the　even　more　gloriously　fragrant　moss　rose。　The　caddy's　creel　was　then　topped　up；　and　the　marketing　was　completed。　　The　lady　was　followed　home；　the　contents　were　placed　in　the　larder；　and　the　flowers　distributed　all　over　the　house。

I　have　many　curious　traditional　evidences　of　the　great　fondness　for　cats　which　distinguished　the　Nasmyth　family　for　several　generations。　My　father　had　always　one　or　two　of　such　domestic　favourites；　who　were；　in　the　best　sense；　his　〃familiars。〃　　Their　quiet；　companionable　habits　rendered　them　very　acceptable　company　when　engaged　in　his　artistic　work。　　I　know　of　no　sound　so　pleasantly　tranquillising　as　the　purring　of　a　cat；　or　of　anything　more　worthy　of　admiration　in　animal　habit　as　the　neat；　compact；　and　elegant　manner　in　which　the　cat　adjusts　itself　at　the　fireside；　or　in　a　snug；　cosy　place；　when　it　settles　down　for　a　long　quiet　sleep。　　Every　spare　moment　that　a　cat　has　before　lying　down　to　rest　is　occupied　in　carefully　cleaning　itself；　even　under　adverse　circumstances。　　The　cat　is　the　true　original　inventor　of　a　sanitary　process；　which　has　lately　been　patented　and　paraded　before　the　public　as　a　sanitary　novelty；　and　yet　it　has　been　in　practice　ever　since　cats　were　created。　　Would　that　men　and　women　were　more　alive　to　habitual　cleanlinesseven　the　cleanliness　of　cats。　　The　kindly　and　gentle　animal　gives　us　all　a　lesson　in　these　respects。

Then；　nothing　can　be　more　beautiful　in　animal　action　than　the　exquisitely　precise　and　graceful　manner　in　which　the　cat　exerts　the　exact　amount　of　effort　requisite　to　land　it　at　the　height　and　spot　it　wishes　to　reach　at　one　bound。　　The　neat　and　delicately　precise　manner　in　which　cats　use　their　paws　when　playing　with　those　who　habitually　treat　them　with　gentle　kindness　is　truly　admirable。　　In　these　respects　cats　are　entitled　to　the　most　kindly　regard。　　There　are；　unfortunately；　many　who　entertain　a　strong　prejudice　against　this　most　perfect　and　beautiful　member　of　the　animal　creation；　and　who　abuse　them　because　they　resist　ill…treatment；　occasioned　by　their　innate　feeling　of　independence。　　Cats　have　no　doubt　less　personal　attachment　than　dogs；　but　when　kindly　treated　they　become　in　many　respects　attached　and　affectionate　animals。

My　father；　when　a　boy；　made　occasional　visits　to　Hamilton；　in　the　West　of　Scotland；　where　the　descendants　of　his　Covenanting　ancestors　still　lived。　　One　of　them　was　an　old　bachelora　recluse　sort　of　man；　and　yet　he　had　the　Nasmyth　love　of　cats。　　Being　of　pious　pedigree　and　habits；　he　always　ended　the　day　by　a　long　and　audible　prayer。　My　father　and　his　companions　used　to　go　to　the　door　of　his　house　to　listen　to　him；　but　especially　to　hear　his　culminating　finale。　He　prayed　that　the　Lord　would　help　him　to　forgive　his　enemies　and　all　those　who　had　done　him　injury；　and　then；　with　a　loud　burst；　he　concluded；　〃Except　John　Anderson　o'　the　Toonhead；　for　he　killed　my　cat；　and　him　I'll　ne'er　forgie！　　In　conclusion；　I　may　again　refer　to　Elspeth　Nasmyth；　who　was　burnt　alive　for　witchcraft；　because　she　had　four　black　cats；　and　read　her　Bible　through　two　Pairs　of　spectacles！


CHAPTER　5。　　My　School…days。

Before　I　went　to　school　it　was　my　good　fortune　to　be　placed　under　the　special　care　of　my　eldest　sister；　Jane。　　She　was　twenty　years　older　than　myself；　and　had　acquired　much　practical　experience　in　the　management　of　the　younger　members　of　the　family。　　I　could　not　have　had　a　more　careful　teacher。　　She　initiated　me　into　the　difficulties　of　A　B　C；　and　by　learning　me　to　read　she　gave　me　a　key　to　the　thoughts　of　the　greatest　thinkers　who　have　ever　lived。

But　all　this　was　accomplished　at　first　in　a　humdrum　and　tentative　way。　About　seventy　years　ago　children's　books　were　very　uninteresting。　In　the　little　stories　manufactured　for　children；　the　good　boy　ended　in　a　Coach…and…four；　and　the　bad　boy　in　a　ride　to　Tyburn。　　The　good　boys　must　have　been　a　set　of　little　snobs　and　prigs；　and　I　could　scarcely　imagine　that　they　could　ever　have　lived　as　they　were　represented　in　these　goody　books。　　If　so；　they　must　have　been　the　most　tiresome　and　uninteresting　vermin　that　can　possibly　be　imagined。　After　my　sister　had　done　what　she　could　for　me；　I　was　sent　to　school　to　learn　〃English。〃　I　was　placed　under　the　tuition　of　a　leading　teacher　called　Knight；　whose　school…room　was　in　the　upper　storey　of　a　house　in　George　Street。　Here　I　learned　to　read　with　ease。　　But　my　primitive　habit　of　spelling　by　ear；　in　accordance　with　the　simple　sound　of　the　letters　of　the　alphabet　（phonetically；　so　to　speak）　brought　me　into　collision　with　my　teacher。　　I　got　many　a　cuff　on　the　side　of　the　head；　and　many　a　〃palmy〃　on　my　hands　with　a　thick　strap　of　hard　leather；　which　did　not　give　me　very　inviting　views　as　to　the　pleasures　of　learning。　The　master　was　vicious　and　vindictive。　　I　think　it　a　cowardly　way　to　deal　with　a　little　boy　in　so　cruel　a　manner；　and　to　send　him　home　with　his　back　and　fingers　tingling　and　sometimes　bleeding；　because　he　cannot　learn　so　quickly　as　his　fellows。

On　one　occasion　Knight　got　out　of　temper　with　my　stupidity　or　dulness　in　not　comprehending　something　about　'a　preter…pluperfect　tense；'　or　some　mystery　of　that　sort。　　He　seized　me　by　the　ears；　and　beat　my　head　against　the　wall　behind　me　with　such　savage　violence　that　when　he　let　me　go；　stunned　and　unable　to　stand；　I　fell　forward　on　the　floor　bleeding　violently　at　the　nose；　and　with　a　terrific　headache。　The　wretch　might　have　ruined　my　brain　for　life。　　I　was　carried　home　and　put　to　bed；　where　I　lay　helpless　for　more　than　a　week。　　My　father　threatened　to　summon　the　teacher　before　the　magistrates　for　what　might　have　been　a　fatal　assault　on　poor　little　me；　but　on　making　a　humble　apology　for　his　brutal　usage　he　was　let　off。　　Of　course　I　was　not　sent　back　to　his　school。　　I　have　ever　since　entertained　a　hatred　against　grammatical　rules。

There　was　at　that　time　an　excellent　system　of　teaching　young　folks　the　value　of　thrift。　　This　consisted　in　saving　for　some　purpose　or　another　the　Saturdays　pennyone　penny　being　our　weekly　allowance　of　pocket…money。　　The　feats　we　could　perform　in　the　way　of　procuring　toys；　picture…books；　or　the　materials　for　constructing　flying　kites；　would　amaze　the　youngsters　of　the　present　day；　who　are　generally　spoiled　by　extravagance。　　And　yet　we　obtained　far　more　pleasure　from　our　purchases。　　We　had　in　my　time　〃penny　pigs；〃　or　thrift　boxes。　They　were　made　in　a　vase　form；　of　brown　glazed　earthenware；　the　only　entrance　to　which　was　a　slitenough　to　give　entrance　to　a　penny。　When　the　Saturday's　penny　was　not　required　for　any　immediate　purposes；　it　was　dropped　through　the　slit；　and　remained　there　until　the　box　was　full。　　The　maximum　of　pennies　it　could　contain　was　about　forty…eight。　When　that　was　accomplished；　the　penny　pig　was　broken　with　a　hammer；　and　its　rich　contents　flowed　forth。　　The　breaking　of　the　pig　was　quite　an　event。　　The　fine　fat　old　George　the　Third　penny　pieces　looked　thoroughly　substantial　in　our　eyes。　　And　then　there　was　the　spending　of　the　money；for　some　long…looked…for　toy；　or　pencils；　or　book；　or　painting　materials。

One　of　the　ways　in　which　I　used　my　Saturday　pennies　was　in　going　with　some　of　my　companions　into　the　country　to　have　a　picnic。　　We　used　to　light　a　fire　behind　a　hedge　or　a　dyke；　or　in　the　corner　of　some　ruin；　and　there　roast　our　potatoes；　or　broil　a　red　herring　on　an　extempore　gridir