登陆注册
4709100000011

第11章

"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?"

"Naething--till 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' Setterday--an' 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 then--excuse 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 guidwife--there'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' lad--I'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.

同类推荐
  • 一切如来正法秘密箧印心陀罗尼经

    一切如来正法秘密箧印心陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝星陀罗尼经

    宝星陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 本朝茶法

    本朝茶法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Aeneid

    The Aeneid

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Masterman Ready

    Masterman Ready

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 大道与歧途

    大道与歧途

    五四至建国初期,是社会的大动荡、大转型时期,各色人等粉墨登场,其中,最值得一说的,是那些与历史、政治颇多纠葛的文人故事:陈独秀的频繁入狱与视死如归;瞿秋白参与矛盾《子夜》的创作;鲁迅与章太炎的师生之情;胡适与蒋介石的恩怨情仇;郭沫若、柳亚子与毛泽东的诗词唱和……王彬彬的文章,一向以文笔优美、观点犀利著称。他不人云亦云,而是重视大量史料的参照、考核和论证,以缜密的逻辑思维,呈现出历史事件与历史人物的另一个侧面。作者饱含感情的文字,无论是批判、驳斥,还是赞赏、讴歌,都有理有据、爱憎分明,让人读后有所得,有所思。
  • 穿越成超萌小萝莉

    穿越成超萌小萝莉

    我穿越了?那就从活一次。我变成小萝莉?那也可以打遍天下。游戏,直播,明星,侦探,校园,爱情。我到底是什么身份?是学生?是主播?我就是全能最萌小萝莉,哈哈
  • 飘(上)(纯爱·英文馆)

    飘(上)(纯爱·英文馆)

    《飘》是美国女作家玛格丽特·米切尔(1900—1949)十年磨一剑的作品,也是惟一的作品。小说以亚特兰大以及附近的一个种植园为故事场景,描绘了内战前后美国南方人的生活。作品刻画了那个时代的许多南方人的形象,占中心位置的斯佳丽、瑞德、艾希礼、梅勒妮等人是其中的典型代表。他们的习俗礼仪、言行举止、精神观念、政治态度,通过对斯佳丽与白瑞德的爱情纠缠为主线,成功地再现了林肯领导的南北战争,美国南方地区的社会生活。
  • 唯识三十论要释

    唯识三十论要释

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 闺谋天下:宦王的惑国毒妃

    闺谋天下:宦王的惑国毒妃

    她是二十一世纪惊才艳绝的首席特工,他是琰戈大陆威名赫赫的闲散宦王!三世为人,她遇上他!他诓她,骗她,宠她,她该如何修理他?她偷他心,夺他魂,推倒他!然后,嫁给他,嫁给他,嫁给他···生生世世祸害他!江山踩脚下,养只小萌娃,闺中小谋略,毒惑全天下!
  • 物质循环(自然瞭望书坊)

    物质循环(自然瞭望书坊)

    每一朵花,都是一个春天,盛开馥郁芬芳;每一粒沙,都是一个世界,搭建小小天堂;每一颗心,都是一盏灯光,把地球村点亮!借助图书为你的生活添一丝色彩。大自然美丽而神奇,无论是广阔的天空,还是浩瀚的海洋,无论是遥远的地球两极,还足近在身边熟悉的土地,总有那么一些现代科学努力探索却又无法清楚解释的未知事物和神秘现象。这些扑朔迷离的谜团既令人惊奇,又引人深思,勾起人们探索的兴致。
  • 神秘特工:嚣张王妃抵不住

    神秘特工:嚣张王妃抵不住

    她,白天是人人敬仰的外教,夜间是神秘诡异的特工。不仅拥有跆拳道黑带八段的师贤资质,更是某间谍机构最神秘的开创者,却没有任何男人来问经。在一次执行任务时,为保护某件不可告人的国家机密甘愿牺牲自己,灵魂却意外跌落穿越时空。嫡女丧母,继母横行,姐姐妹妹一起来踩,好不容易熬过十二却被继母聘给三都(毒、赌、独)公子当妻子。更可笑的是,无意中撞见自己的丫鬟和未婚夫苟且却不敢声张,转眼让人推下假山害死。午夜梦回,棺材闹鬼。当间谍女穿至废材女,放倒继母,踩扁姐妹,气死未婚夫,捶太子,打王爷,横扫一切牛鬼蛇神,虐废一群渣男渣女。看废材修炼大家闺秀,瞧间谍稳站高位宝座。怎么,不服?王妃尽管去,本王给你收拾残局。
  • 1970年代的散兵游勇

    1970年代的散兵游勇

    这几年,常常有些春青岁月大盘点活动,比如纪念知青下乡多少年,纪念恢复高考多少年,组织者最先想到的就是出版回忆录和画册,希望把那段历史用每个亲历者不同的表述来复原。我就接到过好几个电话和邮件,约我写知青生活,写大学生活,也有问我是不是进过工厂参过军的。可惜我哪一伙也没法加入,没资格。我没当过知青,没当过工人,没当过女兵,也没参加过那时大伙儿都趋之若骛的高考,整个是一散兵游勇。在同龄人里,我经历可能有点特殊,写出来也难免平淡,但无论如何于个人是一段成长的经历,于时代是一个小人物留下的印记。
  • 乡村爱情

    乡村爱情

    《乡村爱情》精选了作者公开发表的33篇小说,多侧面地反映了作者对社会生活的深刻思考。作品内容纷繁复杂,底蕴丰厚,人物形象活脱;创作风格灵活多变,技法娴熟,艺术特色鲜明,所选作品洋溢着扑面而来的乡土气息,彰显出现实主义写作的独特魅力。
  • 不抱怨的世界

    不抱怨的世界

    本书通俗地讨论了一个简单的道理,即只要我们积极地思考和行动,就能得到肯定的和理想的结果。全书从思维、态度、心理、信心、行动力、做事方法等方面系统地论述了作者倡导的该理念。