Then you can
introduce me, saying what you will. Only dinna spare me; use me after your
judgment."
The soutar held out his hand to his disciple, and they finished their
journey in silence.
When they reached the farm-house, the small gathering was nearly complete.
It was mostly of farm-labourers; but a few of the congregation worked in a
quarry, where serpentine lay under the peat. In this serpentine occurred
veins of soapstone, occasionally of such a thickness as to be itself the
object of the quarrier: it was used in the making of porcelain; and small
quantities were in request for other purposes.
When the soutar began, James was a little shocked at first to hear him use
his mother-tongue as in his ordinary conversation; but any sense of its
unsuitableness vanished presently, and James soon began to feel that the
vernacular gave his friend additional power of expression, and therewith of
persuasion.
"My frien's, I was jist thinkin, as I cam ower the hill," he began, "hoo we
war a' made wi' differin pooers--some o' 's able to dee ae thing best, and
some anither; and that led me to remark, that it was the same wi' the warl
we live in--some pairts o' 't fit for growin aits, and some bere, and some
wheat, or pitatas; and hoo ilk varyin rig had to be turnt til its ain best
eese.
Pages:
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313