The herald., 1897-10-24

at some dykeback with my Latin
Grammar under my nose, and stand
looking over with a kind of awe on his
honest face.
Read us a Bit he would say.
Whereat very gladly l would screed
him off half a page of the rules of the
syntax in the Latin tongue, according
TO the Dutch pronunciation. which the
preacher lad of the Cairn Edward cave
had taught me.
| And as l rolled the weighty and
sounding words glibly off, Hob would
listen with an air of infinite satisfac-
tion, like one that rolls a sweet morsel
under his tongue.
Read that leaf again! It's a grand
soundin' ane that! Like, And the Lord
said unto Moses!' in the book of Ex-
odus. Certes, what it is to have learn
ing."
Then I would very gravely read to
the foot of the page and stop.
Hob would stand moment to digest
his meal of the Humanities.
Lie ye there, laddie," he would say,
gather what lear ye can out of your
books. 1 will look to the hill sheep for
you this day!"
My father smiled at all this, but CO.
verify not believing, 1 think, that there
was any outgate for me into the minis
try. And with the state of things in
Scotland, indeed 1 myself saw none.
Nevertheless I had it in me to try. And
If Mr.. Linning, Mr.. Boyd, Mr.. Shields,
Mr. Renwick, and others had gotten
their learning in Holland, why should
not I?
In return for my reading, Hob taught
me the use of arms, the shooting to the
dot of an with gun and a pistol, the
broad sword and the small sword, hav-
ing no mercy on me at all, but abus-
ing me like sheep-stealer if l failed
or grew slack.
For" he said, "if ever you are to be
a right minister in Scotland It is as
like that ye will need to lead a charge
with Richard Cameron as that we win
spend all your time in making of SER
mons and delivering them.
So he taught me also single-stick,
till l was black and blue all over.
One day when he had basted me most
numerically. l said to him: '"I also
would ask you one thing, Hob, and if
you tell me without sleeping on it
will give you the silver buckle of my
belt"
Say on" said he, casting an eager
eye at the belt which Jean Gordon had
sent me.
Wherein have 1 the advantage over
the leopard 2" 1 asked him.
He thought it over most profoundly.
L give it up!" he said at last. Il do
not know"
why" said I, as if it had been the
simplest thing, because when I play
back-sword with you, can change my
spots and Scripture declares that the
leopard cannot"
This he understood not at the time
But the next Sabbath morning it came
upon him in the time of worship in the
kitchen, and in the midst of the solem-
nifty he laughed aloud. Whereat my
father much incensed, asked him what
allied him, and if his wits had sudden
ly taken leave of him.
1T was our Quintin," dithered Hob,
tremulously, trying to command his
midriff; "he told me that when played
bask-sword with him, he could change
his spots and that the leopard could
not"
when said he that?" asked my faith
er, with cold suspicion. for I had been
sitting demure as a glib cat at his own
elbow.
Last Monday, in the cleaning, when
we We're playing at back-swora in the
| barn." said Hob.
"Thou great fool" cried my father;
"go to the hill breakfastless, and come
not in till you have learned to behave
yourself in the time of worship"
To which Hob responded nothing,
but rose and went obediently smoth-
ering his belated laughter in his broad
bonnet of blue.
He was waiting for me after by the