登陆注册
4709100000010

第10章

At the end of the street he came to a low-arched gateway in the middle of a poor-looking house. Within it sat a little bowed man, cobbling diligently at a boot. The sun had left behind him in the west a heap of golden refuse, and cuttings of rose and purple, which shone right in at the archway, and let him see to work. Here was the very man for Donal! A respectable shoemaker would have disdained to patch up the shoes he carried--especially as the owner was in so much need of them.

"It's a bonny nicht," he said.

"Ye may weel mak the remark, sir!" replied the cobbler without looking up, for a critical stitch occupied him. "It's a balmy nicht."

"That's raither a bonny word to put til't!" returned Donal. "There's a kin' o' an air aboot the place I wad hardly hae thoucht balmy!

But troth it's no the fau't o' the nicht!"

"Ye're richt there also," returned the cobbler--his use of the conjunction impressing Donal. "Still, the weather has to du wi' the smell--wi' the mair or less o' 't, that is. It comes frae a tanneree nearby. It's no an ill smell to them 'at's used til't; and ye wad hardly believe me, sir, but I smell the clover throuw 't.

Maybe I'm preejudized, seein' but for the tan-pits I couldna weel drive my trade; but sittin' here frae mornin' to nicht, I get a kin' o' a habit o' luikin' oot for my blessin's. To recognize an auld blessin' 's 'maist better nor to get a new ane. A pair o' shune weel cobblet 's whiles full better nor a new pair."

"They are that," said Donal; "but I dinna jist see hoo yer seemile applies."

"Isna gettin' on a pair o' auld weel-kent an' weel men'it shune, 'at winna nip yer feet nor yet shochle, like waukin' up til a blessin' ye hae been haein' for years, only ye didna ken 't for ane?"

As he spoke, the cobbler lifted a little wizened face and a pair of twinkling eyes to those of the student, revealing a soul as original as his own. He was one of the inwardly inseparable, outwardly far divided company of Christian philosophers, among whom individuality as well as patience is free to work its perfect work. In that glance Donal saw a ripe soul looking out of its tent door, ready to rush into the sunshine of the new life.

He stood for a moment lost in eternal regard of the man. He seemed to have known him for ages. The cobbler looked up again.

"Ye'll be wantin' a han' frae me i' my ain line, I'm thinkin'!" he said, with a kindly nod towards Donal's shoeless feet.

"Sma' doobt!" returned Donal. "I had scarce startit, but was ower far to gang back, whan the sole o' ae shue cam aff, an' I had to tramp it wi' baith my ain."

"An' ye thankit the Lord for the auld blessin' o' bein' born an' broucht up wi' soles o' yer ain!"

"To tell the trowth," answered Donal, "I hae sae mony things to be thankfu' for, it's but sma' won'er I forget mony ane o' them. But noo, an' I thank ye for the exhortation, the Lord's name be praist 'at he gae me feet fit for gangin' upo'!"

He took his shoes from his back, and untying the string that bound them, presented the ailing one to the cobbler.

"That's what we may ca' deith!" remarked the cobbler, slowly turning the invalided shoe.

"Ay, deith it is," answered Donal; "it's a sair divorce o' sole an' 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."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 独宠契约情人

    独宠契约情人

    阴阳交错他救了她,意外和他签下协议,成了他的女人。母亲刁难,姐姐的侮辱让她更加坚强。可是面对他的阴情不变,她无法控制情自己。前一分钟还宠她在云端,下一秒就能把她打入地狱。她以为,多少有点爱,可惜她错了。直到她的孩子被迫引产,她彻底崩溃:“欧阳皓,你真的好狠!”那个女人回来了,看着与自己相似的面孔,她恍然大悟。这么久,她不过是个替身……
  • 魔尊图腾

    魔尊图腾

    少年天骄,被同门陷害,一剑穿身时,誓言:愿,没有来生,愿,成魔,报仇雪恨!我既为魔,举世皆魔!
  • 舰艇基础科技知识(上)(青少年必知的舰艇航母科技)

    舰艇基础科技知识(上)(青少年必知的舰艇航母科技)

    舰艇与航母是高技术的武器种类,我们学习舰艇与航母的科学知识,就可以学得武器的有关高科技知识。这样不仅可以增强我们的高超军事素质,也可以增强我们高度的军事科学知识。
  • 梦笔生花集

    梦笔生花集

    全书收录散文随笔百余篇,共分为四个部分,分别是心灵咏叹调、风景调色板、人间情景剧、芸芸众生相。作者“用一双冷静的眼、一颗真诚的心和一支独特的笔”观察生活、体验人生、描摹世相百态,他在书中分享了自己几十年的人生经历和生命感悟。书中还配有精美手绘漫画近百幅。
  • 摩根传

    摩根传

    一提起摩根这个姓氏,全世界都会为之震荡。1837年的时候,一位从美国来的商人乔治·皮博迪来到英国敦伦,开办了一家商号。16年后,另一个名叫朱尼厄斯的美国小伙子成为了皮博迪的合伙人。10年之后,年轻人将这个商号更名为自己的姓氏——摩根,从此这个姓氏为世人所熟知。
  • 一吻情深:错爱景先生

    一吻情深:错爱景先生

    被男友跟继母弄晕,打算贩卖,却无意间听到他们打算吞掉公司的财产,她奋力逃出去,被赫赫有名的景行止救了,他帮了她,却也提出条件让她做他的妻子……继母跟男友继续陷害,她不得答应了做他的妻子,却不料在他的温柔里越陷越深……直到他的正牌女友归来,她才发现,那不过是一场预谋一场自作多情,景行止,早知如此,何必让我爱上你?情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 道修至尊

    道修至尊

    入门五年,苏文鼎修为一直停留在引气中期,是被称为云清双废之一的修真废材。而在一次奇妙的经历之后,一系列带着不可思议的事情都发生在苏文鼎的身上。修真功法的相互冲突,云清派和撼天门,甚至还有金特门,他该何去何从?苏文鼎究竟能不能在修真之路上一路高歌修得至尊,奏响历史最强音?
  • 最后的奇门遁甲

    最后的奇门遁甲

    本人周易,本市最著名的江湖骗……呸!是奇门遁甲传人!诸位有什么捉妖驱邪,怀孕求子,取名改运等等的迷信活……呸!是业务活动,欢迎加微信咨询。同时,本人不定期在频道999现场直播捉妖除煞,欢迎客户观摩和同行指教。
  • 日月江湖

    日月江湖

    由破月剑和残日剑这两大神兵天器引发出江湖中沉寂已久的冤案,传说中得日月神剑者便可得天下。这两柄剑到底有多大的魔力呢?主人公陈澜驯和独孤水月无意之中得到日月神剑,并练成天下第一的日月无光剑法。从此,两人联手破解了江湖中最大的冤案——少林方丈和丐帮帮主同日而死的前因后果。原来,这一切都是魔教莫无敌的惊天大阴谋,他想一统江湖,然后兴复北元,而最终……
  • 红楼丫鬟启示录:看红楼 思职场

    红楼丫鬟启示录:看红楼 思职场

    红楼就是一个社会的缩影,不光有宝黛动人的爱情,红楼里的职场智慧也让人们津津乐道。除了凤姐的爽利、探春的明达、宝钗的稳重,红楼里那些丫头们也有着她们别样的魅力。也许她们的形象不那么光辉、各有着自己小心思,她们挣扎在大观园这个复杂的小社会中,谁不是命如纸薄?又是谁心比天高?她们演绎了怎样的故事,又对我们有着怎样的启示?本书从职场的角度解析红楼、从红楼的角度讲解职场。就让我们聊一聊她们鲜活而又有趣的职场人生吧。