memories and portraits-第9章

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put　some　ferns　into　his　master's　particular　corner；　and　adding；　

〃Though；　indeed；　Robert；　he　doesn't　deserve　them；　for　he　wouldn't　

help　me　to　gather　them；〃　〃EH；　MEM；〃　replies　Robert；　〃BUT　I　WOULDNAE　

SAY　THAT；　FOR　I　THINK　HE'S　JUST　A　MOST　DESERVIN'　GENTLEMAN。〃　　

Again；　two　of　our　friends；　who　were　on　intimate　terms；　and　

accustomed　to　use　language　to　each　other；　somewhat　without　the　

bounds　of　the　parliamentary；　happened　to　differ　about　the　position　

of　a　seat　in　the　garden。　　The　discussion；　as　was　usual　when　these　

two　were　at　it；　soon　waxed　tolerably　insulting　on　both　sides。　　

Every　one　accustomed　to　such　controversies　several　times　a　day　was　

quietly　enjoying　this　prize…fight　of　somewhat　abusive　wit　…　every　

one　but　Robert；　to　whom　the　perfect　good　faith　of　the　whole　quarrel　

seemed　unquestionable；　and　who；　after　having　waited　till　his　

conscience　would　suffer　him　to　wait　no　more；　and　till　he　expected　

every　moment　that　the　disputants　would　fall　to　blows；　cut　suddenly　

in　with　tones　of　almost　tearful　entreaty：　〃EH；　BUT；　GENTLEMEN；　I　

WAD　HAE　NAE　MAIR　WORDS　ABOUT　IT！〃　　One　thing　was　noticeable　about　

Robert's　religion：　it　was　neither　dogmatic　nor　sectarian。　　He　never　

expatiated　（at　least；　in　my　hearing）　on　the　doctrines　of　his　creed；　

and　he　never　condemned　anybody　else。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　held　

all　Roman　Catholics；　Atheists；　and　Mahometans　as　considerably　out　

of　it；　I　don't　believe　he　had　any　sympathy　for　Prelacy；　and　the　

natural　feelings　of　man　must　have　made　him　a　little　sore　about　

Free…Churchism；　but　at　least；　he　never　talked　about　these　views；　

never　grew　controversially　noisy；　and　never　openly　aspersed　the　

belief　or　practice　of　anybody。　　Now　all　this　is　not　generally　

characteristic　of　Scotch　piety；　Scotch　sects　being　churches　

militant　with　a　vengeance；　and　Scotch　believers　perpetual　crusaders　

the　one　against　the　other；　and　missionaries　the　one　to　the　other。　　

Perhaps　Robert's　originally　tender　heart　was　what　made　the　

difference；　or；　perhaps；　his　solitary　and　pleasant　labour　among　

fruits　and　flowers　had　taught　him　a　more　sunshiny　creed　than　those　

whose　work　is　among　the　tares　of　fallen　humanity；　and　the　soft　

influences　of　the　garden　had　entered　deep　into　his　spirit；



〃Annihilating　all　that's　made

To　a　green　thought　in　a　green　shade。〃



But　I　could　go　on　for　ever　chronicling　his　golden　sayings　or　

telling　of　his　innocent　and　living　piety。　　I　had　meant　to　tell　of　

his　cottage；　with　the　German　pipe　hung　reverently　above　the　fire；　

and　the　shell　box　that　he　had　made　for　his　son；　and　of　which　he　

would　say　pathetically：　　〃HE　WAS　REAL　PLEASED　WI'　IT　AT　FIRST；　BUT　

I　THINK　HE'S　GOT　A　KIND　O'　TIRED　O'　IT　NOW〃　…　the　son　being　then　a　

man　of　about　forty。　　But　I　will　let　all　these　pass。　　〃'Tis　more　

significant：　he's　dead。〃　　The　earth；　that　he　had　digged　so　much　in　

his　life；　was　dug　out　by　another　for　himself；　and　the　flowers　that　

he　had　tended　drew　their　life　still　from　him；　but　in　a　new　and　

nearer　way。　　A　bird　flew　about　the　open　grave；　as　if　it　too　wished　

to　honour　the　obsequies　of　one　who　had　so　often　quoted　Scripture　in　

favour　of　its　kind。　　〃Are　not　two　sparrows　sold　for　one　farthing；　

and　yet　not　one　of　them　falleth　to　the　ground。〃



Yes；　he　is　dead。　　But　the　kings　did　not　rise　in　the　place　of　death　

to　greet　him　〃with　taunting　proverbs〃　as　they　rose　to　greet　the　

haughty　Babylonian；　for　in　his　life　he　was　lowly；　and　a　peacemaker　

and　a　servant　of　God。









CHAPTER　VI。　PASTORAL





TO　leave　home　in　early　life　is　to　be　stunned　and　quickened　with　

novelties；　but　when　years　have　come；　it　only　casts　a　more　endearing　

light　upon　the　past。　　As　in　those　composite　photographs　of　Mr。　

Galton's；　the　image　of　each　new　sitter　brings　out　but　the　more　

clearly　the　central　features　of　the　race；　when　once　youth　has　

flown；　each　new　impression　only　deepens　the　sense　of　nationality　

and　the　desire　of　native　places。　　So　may　some　cadet　of　Royal　

Ecossais　or　the　Albany　Regiment；　as　he　mounted　guard　about　French　

citadels；　so　may　some　officer　marching　his　company　of　the　Scots…

Dutch　among　the　polders；　have　felt　the　soft　rains　of　the　Hebrides　

upon　his　brow；　or　started　in　the　ranks　at　the　remembered　aroma　of　

peat…smoke。　　And　the　rivers　of　home　are　dear　in　particular　to　all　

men。　　This　is　as　old　as　Naaman；　who　was　jealous　for　Abana　and　

Pharpar；　it　is　confined　to　no　race　nor　country；　for　I　know　one　of　

Scottish　blood　but　a　child　of　Suffolk；　whose　fancy　still　lingers　

about　the　lilied　lowland　waters　of　that　shire。　　But　the　streams　of　

Scotland　are　incomparable　in　themselves　…　or　I　am　only　the　more　

Scottish　to　suppose　so　…　and　their　sound　and　colour　dwell　for　ever　

in　the　memory。　　How　often　and　willingly　do　I　not　look　again　in　

fancy　on　Tummel；　or　Manor；　or　the　talking　Airdle；　or　Dee　swirling　

in　its　Lynn；　on　the　bright　burn　of　Kinnaird；　or　the　golden　burn　

that　pours　and　sulks　in　the　den　behind　Kingussie！　　I　think　shame　to　

leave　out　one　of　these　enchantresses；　but　the　list　would　grow　too　

long　if　I　remembered　all；　only　I　may　not　forget　Allan　Water；　nor　

birch…wetting　Rogie；　nor　yet　Almond；　nor；　for　all　its　pollutions；　

that　Water　of　Leith　of　the　many　and　well…named　mills　…　Bell's　

Mills；　and　Canon　Mills；　and　Silver　Mills；　nor　Redford　Burn　of　

pleasant　memories；　nor　yet；　for　all　its　smallness；　that　nameless　

trickle　that　springs　in　the　green　bosom　of　Allermuir；　and　is　fed　

from　Halkerside　with　a　perennial　teacupful；　and　threads　the　moss　

under　the　Shearer's　Knowe；　and　makes　one　pool　there；　overhung　by　a　

rock；　where　I　loved　to　sit　and　make　bad　verses；　and　is　then　

kidnapped　in　its　infancy　by　subterranean　pipes　for　the　service　of　

the　sea…beholding　city　in　the　plain。　　From　many　points　in　the　moss　

you　may　see　at　one　glance　its　whole　course　and　that　of　all　its　

tributaries；　the　geographer　of　this　Lilliput　may　visit　all　its　

corners　without　sitting　down；　and　not　yet　begin　to　be　breathed；　

Shearer's　Knowe　and　Halkerside　are　but　names　of　adjacent　cantons　on　

a　single　shoulder　of　a　hill；　as　names　are　squandered　（it　would　seem　

to　the　in…expert；　in　superfluity）　upon　these　upland　sheepwalks；　a　

bucket　would　receive　the　whole　discharge　of　the　toy　river；　it　would　

take　it　an　appreciable　time　to　fill　your　morning　bath；　for　the　most　

part；　besides；　it　soaks　unseen　through　the　moss；　and　yet　for　the　

sake　of　auld　lang　syne；　and　the　figure　of　a　certain　GENIUS　LOCI；　I　

am　condemned　to　linger　awhile　in　fancy　by　its　shores；　and　if　the　

nymph　（who　cannot　be　above　a　span　in　stature）　will　but　inspire　my　

pen；　I　would　gladly　carry　the　reader　along　with　me。



John　Todd；　when　I　knew　him；　was　already　〃the　oldest　herd　on　the　

Pentlands；〃　and　had　been　all　his　days　faithful　to　that　curlew…

scattering；　sheep…collecting　life。　　He　remembered　the　droving　days；　

when　the　drove　roads；　that　now　lie　green　and　solitary　through　the　

heather；　were　thronged　thoroughfares。　　He　had　himself　often　marched　

flocks　into　England；　sleeping　on　the　hillsides　with　his　caravan；　

and　by　his　account　it　was　a　rough　business　not　without　danger。　　The　

drove　roads　lay　apart　from　habitation；　the　drovers　met　in　the　

wilderness；　as　to…day　the　deep…sea　fishers　meet　off　the　banks　in　

the　solitude　of　the　Atlantic；　and　in　the　one　as　in　the　other　case　

rough　habits　and　fist…law　were　the　rule。　　Crimes　were　committed；　

sheep　filched；　and　drovers　robbed　and　beaten；　most　of　which　

offences　had　a　moorland　burial　and　were　never　heard　of　in　the　

courts　of　justice。　　John；　in　those　days；　was　at　least　once　

attacked；　…　by　two　men　after　his　watch；　…　and　at　least　once；　

betrayed　by　his　habitual　anger；　fell　under　the　danger　of　the　law　

and　was　clapped　into　some　rustic　prison…house；　the　doors　of　which　

he　burst　in　the　night　and　was　no　more　heard　of　in　that　quarter。　　

When　I　knew　him；　his　life　had　fallen　in　quieter　places；　and　he　had　

no　cares　beyond　the　dulness　of　his　dogs　and　the　inroads　of　

pedestrians　from　town。　　But　for　a　man　of　his　propensity　to　wrath　

these　were　enough；　he　knew　neither　rest　nor　peace；　except　by　

snatches；　in　the　gray　of　the　summer　morning；　and　already　from　far　

up　the　hill；　he　would　wake　the　〃toun〃　with　the　sound　of　his　

shoutings；　and　in　the　lambing　time；　his　cries　were　not　yet　silenced　

late　at　night。　　This　wrathful　voice　of　a　man　unseen　might　be　said　

to　haunt　that　quarter　of　the　Pentlands；　an　audible　bogie；　and　no　

doubt　it　added　to　the　fear　in　which　men　stood　of　John　a　touch　of　

something　legendary。　　For　my　own　part；　he　was　at　first　my　enemy；　

and　I；　in　my　character　of　a　rambling　boy；　his　natural　abhorrence。　　

It　was　long　before　I　saw　him　near　at　hand；　knowing　him　only　by　some　

sudden　blast　of　bellowing　from　far　above；　bidding　me　〃c'way　oot　

amang　the　sheep。〃　　The　quietest　recesses　of　the　hill　harboured　this　

ogre；　I　skulked　in　my　favourite　wilderness　like　a　Cameronian　of　the　

Killing　Time；　and　John　Todd　was　my　Claverhouse；　and　his　dogs　my　

questing　dragoons。　　Little　by　little　we　dropped　into　civilities；　

his　hail　at　sight　of　me　began　to　have　less　of　the　ring　of　a　war…

slogan；　soon；　we　never　met　but　he　produced　his　snuff…box；　which　was　

with　him；　like　the　calumet　with　the　Red　Indian；　a　part　of　the　

heraldry　of　peace；　and　at　length；　in　the　ripeness　of　time；　we　grew　

to　be　a　pair　of　friends；　and　when　I　lived　alone　in　these　parts　in　

the　winter；　it　was　a　settled　thing　for　John　to　〃give　me　a　cry〃　over　

the　garden　wall　as　he　set　forth　upon　his　evening　round；　and　for　me　

to　overtake　and　bear　him　company。



That　dread　voice　of　his　that　shook　the　hills　when　he　was　angry；　

fell　in　ordinary　talk　very　pleasantly　upon　the　ear；　with　a　kind　of　

honied；　friendly　whine；　not　far　off　singing；　that　was　eminently　

Scottish。　　He　laughed　not　very　often；　and　when　he　did；　with　a　

sudden；　loud　haw…haw；　hearty　but　somehow　joyless；　like　an　echo　from　

a　rock。　　His　face　was　permanently　set　and　coloured；　ruddy　and　stiff　

with　weathering；　more　like　a　picture　than　a　face；　yet　with　a　

certain　strain　and　a　threat　of　latent　anger　in　the　expression；　like　

that　of　a　man　trained　too　fine　and　harassed　with　perpetual　

vigilance。　　He　spoke　in　the　richest　dialect　of　Scotch　I　ever　heard；　

the　words　in　themselves　were　a　pleasure　and　often　a　surprise　to　me；　

so　that　I　often　came　back　from　one　of　our　patrols　with　new　

acquisitions；　and　this　vocabulary　he　would　handle　like　a　master；　

stalking　a　little　before　me；　〃beard　on　shoulder；〃　the　plaid　hanging　

loosely　about　him；　the　yellow　staff　clapped　under　his　arm；　and　

guiding　me　uphill　by　that　devious；　tactical　ascent　which　seems　

peculiar　to　men　of　his　trade。　　I　might　count　him　with　the　best　

talkers；　only　that　talking　Scotch　and　talking　English　seem　

incomparable　acts。　　He　touched　on　nothing　at　least；　but　he　adorned　

it；　when　he　narrated；　the　scene　was　before　you；　when　he　spoke　（as　

he　did　mostly）　of　his　own　antique　business；　the　thing　took　on　a　

colour　of　romance　and　curio