The times., 1899-02-12

| But there was a time when, stirred by
scfne strange impulse, almost at the end
| of his wayward life. McAdam pleaded his
| own cause before his neighbors who hated
him. II was at the dinner given to the
| tenants OF the Mere Estate. He stood up
| before them all, calm, dispassionate, earn
est, like prisoner pleading for his life.
| Gentlemen" he began, eve been amang
| We moo a score o years, and ! truly say
| there's not man in this room l can ca
| friend - He looked along the ranks OF up
| turned faces. 'Ay. David, see ye; and you,
Hr Hornbut; and you. Mr.. syNester-ilka one
| OF you. and not one as'd back me like a com
| rade gin trouble came upon me- There was
no rebuke in the grave little voce-it merely
! stated hard fact. -
| "Forbye Wuliie, I've no friend on Gods earth.
And, mind ye, bad man aften makes a good
! friend-but ye've given me the chance.
It's sair thing. that, gentlemen, to ha' to fight
the battle O. life alane; no one to pat We on
| the back; no one to say Weel done II hard
| ly gics a chance For gin he does try
and yet fails. men never mind the tryin'. they
| only mark the falin.
| 81 dinna blame ye There's somethin' bred
| in me, it seems, sets livery agin me. It's
| the same WI Wulic and the tykes-they're doom
on him same / suppose
We made SIN | was lad it's aye been
the same. From school days I've had livery one
| agin me.
| "In ma life I've had three frien's Ma
n great swallow, land she's ava, and may
say they're the only two human bein's as ha'
| lived Gods earth in ma time that iyer tried
| to bear wi me-and Wullie. mans mither-
n mans wife-a mans dog! It's aften a he
has in the warld and the more he prizes them
| the more like they are to be took from him -
The little earnest voice shook, and the dim eyes
puckercd and filed.
'wcel. I'm thinkin' We'll be
gaein' in wee while, moo. Wu!e and me.
alane and thegithcr, as we've aye done. And
| it's time we went. Yc'vc had enough OF us,
and it's no for me to blame We. And when I'm
gone what'll ye say o me? He was drunk
ard / am. He a sinner | am. He
ilka thing he shouldna be- ] am. We're
glad he's gone That's what yen say o me. An
it's but ma descrts.''
The gentle, eondcmnng voice ceased and be-
gan again.
That's what am. Gin things had been Diff
fer aiblins I'D ha' bin differ. Dye ken Rob
bic Burns? That's man I've read, and read
and read. Dive ken why love him as some o
you do yer Bibles? Because there's humanity
about him. weak man hisscI aye slippin'
slippn, sippn, and tryin to baud up; sor-
rowin' ae minute, sinnn' the next; doin' i'll
deeds and wishin' 'em undOne-iust a plain,
human mana sinner. And that's why I'm
thnkin' he's tender for is like him. He
| understood It's what he wrote-aitcr ane O.
his tumbles, I'm thinkin'-that / was goin' to
tell We:
"Then gently scan your brother man,
Still EcntIer SISTER, woman,
Though they may gang kennin' wrang,
To step aside is human
the doctrine o. charity. Gle him his change
SAYS Bobbie though he he sinner. Mony a
mond he differ; mony bad ID be guide. gin they
had but their chance. Gle 'em their chance,
says he; and I'm wi him. As it's ye see me
| here-a bad man, wi still streak o. good in
him. Gin | had chance. aiblins 'twoud be
a good man, wi just a spice o the devil in
him. A. the differ betunc what is and what
might ha' bin
What wonder that his old neightors
were touched by this plea? And what
wonder that, when he received their over
lures with the old, mocking, ell
dritch satire, they easily conclud-
ed in their slow-witted English
fashion tkat he had been playing
with them? Alone McAdam came on the
stage of this little drama-alone he re-
mains to the end, dauntless, bitter. loyal
to Wullie. Despite the title. despite the
Gray Dogs lovable nature, there is pow
er in this little Scotch figure to hold our
attention. 1t is the fascination of Mephis:
topheles. But the dog is the hero of the
book, and every man or woman who loves
dog should own a copy of Bob, Son Of
Battle" New York: Doubleday Nc
Clure Company)