"It's thinkable
that the Almichty may hae special diffeeculty wi sic as he, but nane can
jeedge o' ony thing or body till they see the hin'er en' o' 't a'. But I'm
thinkin it maun aye be harder for ane that hasna his ain mither to luik
til. Ony ither body, be she as guid as she may, maun be but a makshift!--
For ae thing he winna get the same naitral disciplene 'at ilka mither cat
gies its kitlins!"
"Maybe! maybe!--I ken I couldna ever lay a finger upo' the bonny cratur
mysel!" said Maggie.
"There 'tis!" returned her father. "And I dinna think," he went on, "we
could expec muckle frae the wisdom o' the mither o' 'm, gien she had him. I
doobt she micht turn oot to be but a makshift hersel! There's mony aboot
'im 'at'll be sair eneuch upon 'im, but nane the wiser for that! Mony
ane'll luik upon 'im as a bairn in whause existence God has had nae share--
or jist as muckle share as gies him a grup o' 'im to gie 'im his licks!
There's a heap o' mystery aboot a'thing, Maggie, and that frae the vera
beginnin to the vera en'! It may be 'at yon bairnie's i' the waur danger
jist frae haein you and me, Maggie! Eh, but I wuss his ain mither war gien
back til him! And wha can tell but she's needin him waur nor he's needin
her--though there maun aye be something he canna get--'cause ye're no his
ain mither, Maggie, and I'm no even his ain gutcher!"
The adoptive mother burst into a howl.
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