Sic fules hae an awfu' time o' 't; for fowk hardly ever forgies
them, and aye luiks doon upo' them. Doobtless the rascal ran awa and left
her to fen for hersel; naebody would help her; and she had to beg the breid
for hersel, and the drap milk for the bairnie; sae that at last she lost
hert and left it, jist as Hagar left hers aneath the buss i' the wilderness
afore God shawed her the bonny wall o' watter."
"I kenna whilk o' them was the warst--father or mither!" cried Maggie.
"Nae mair do I!" said the soutar; "but I doobt the ane that lee'd to the
ither, maun hae to be coontit the warst!"
"There canna be mony sic men!" said Maggie.
"'Deed there's a heap o' them no a hair better!" rejoined her father; "but
wae's me for the puir lassie that believes them!"
"She kenned what was richt a' the time, father!"
"That's true, my dauty; but to ken is no aye to un'erstan'; and even to
un'erstan' is no aye to see richt intil't! No wuman's safe that hasna the
love o' God, the great Love, in her hert a' the time! What's best in her,
whan the vera best's awa, may turn to be her greatest danger.
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