登陆注册
26501000000144

第144章

When she came back, she found everything tidy in the cottage, the floor swept, every dish washed and set aside; and Gibbie was examining an old shoe of Robert's, to see whether he could not mend it.Janet, having therefore leisure, proceeded at once with joy to the construction of a garment she had been devising for him.The design was simple, and its execution easy.Taking a blue winsey petticoat of her own, drawing it in round his waist, and tying it over the chemise which was his only garment, she found, as she had expected, that its hem reached his feet: she partly divided it up the middle, before and behind, and had but to backstitch two short seams, and there was a pair of sailor-like trousers, as tidy as comfortable! Gibbie was delighted with them.True, they had no pockets, but then he had nothing to put in pockets, and one might come to think of that as an advantage.Gibbie indeed had never had pockets, for the pockets of the garments he had had were always worn out before they reached him.Then Janet thought about a cap; but considering him a moment critically, and seeing how his hair stood out like thatch-eaves round his head, she concluded with herself "There maun be some men as weel's women fowk, I'm thinkin', whause hair's gien them for a coverin'," and betook herself instead to her New Testament.

Gibbie stood by as she read in silence, gazing with delight, for he thought it must be a book of ballads like Donal's that she was reading.But Janet found his presence, his unresting attitude, and his gaze, discomposing.To worship freely, one must be alone, or else with fellow-worshippers.And reading and worshipping were often so mingled with Janet, as to form but one mental consciousness.She looked up therefore from her book, and said--"Can ye read, laddie?"

Gibbie shook his head.

"Sit ye doon than, an' I s' read till ye."Gibbie obeyed more than willingly, expecting to hear some ancient Scots tale of love or chivalry.Instead, it was one of those love-awful, glory-sad chapters in the end of the Gospel of John, over which hangs the darkest cloud of human sorrow, shot through and through with the radiance of light eternal, essential, invincible.

Whether it was the uncertain response to Janet's tone merely, or to truth too loud to be heard, save as a thrill, of some chord in his own spirit, having its one end indeed twisted around an earthly peg, but the other looped to a tail-piece far in the unknown--I cannot tell; it may have been that the name now and then recurring brought to his mind the last words of poor Sambo; anyhow, when Janet looked up, she saw the tears rolling down the child's face.At the same time, from the expression of his countenance, she judged that his understanding had grasped nothing.She turned therefore to the parable of the prodigal son, and read it.Even that had not a few words and phrases unknown to Gibbie, but he did not fail to catch the drift of the perfect story.For had not Gibbie himself had a father, to whose bosom he went home every night? Let but love be the interpreter, and what most wretched type will not serve the turn for the carriage of profoundest truth! The prodigal's lowest degradation, Gibbie did not understand; but Janet saw the expression of the boy's face alter with every tone of the tale, through all the gamut between the swine's trough and the arms of the father.Then at last he burst--not into tears--Gibbie was not much acquainted with weeping--but into a laugh of loud triumph.He clapped his hands, and in a shiver of ecstasy, stood like a stork upon one leg, as if so much of him was all that could be spared for this lower world, and screwed himself together.

Janet was well satisfied with her experiment.Most Scotch women, and more than most Scotch men, would have rebuked him for laughing, but Janet knew in herself a certain tension of delight which nothing served to relieve but a wild laughter of holiest gladness; and never in tears of deepest emotion did her heart appeal more directly to its God.It is the heart that is not yet sure of its God, that is afraid to laugh in his presence.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 英雄联盟之符文游记

    英雄联盟之符文游记

    在这本书了你会更多的了解符文大陆的历史;你会看到英雄们的心酸、无奈;还有他们的成长。来吧!让我们一起感受英雄们的辛酸苦辣:一起见证他们的成长吧!
  • EXO不变的承诺

    EXO不变的承诺

    第一世。18岁的她遇到了23岁的他,当时的他朝气蓬勃,为了梦想努力20岁的她遇到了25岁的他,当时的他万众瞩目,为了梦想前进她明明是世界首富的千金,却为了他独自来到韩国。看到了3年未见的哥哥,看到了想念了3年的他。设计,陷害,分手…一切的一切只是因为一个身份!“小琪,相信一见钟情么?”---朴灿烈“信,因为我就是这样喜欢了你一辈子”---李梦琪“我也是”---朴灿烈(此文纯属虚构)
  • 无极真仙

    无极真仙

    魂穿异世,罗峰奇异的得到了强化能力。真气强化!肉身强化!丹药强化!武器强化!世间万物,只要拥有能量,皆可强化!于是,某人走上了一条脚踩天骄,拳轰强敌,迈向天下至尊的至强者道路。
  • 穿越之失宠弃妃要休夫

    穿越之失宠弃妃要休夫

    第一世的婚姻,仿佛生活在地狱般,受尽煎熬。刚刚办完离婚手续,还没有来得及庆祝却被车撞死了!什么竟然穿越了,这一世竟然还被逼婚,还被休了,王爷我要你好看
  • 厦门历史名人画传

    厦门历史名人画传

    本书选取百位与厦门相关的历史名人,以中国画创意为主要艺术形式,再现人物历史真实。诗书画一体刻画阐释人物气质。所撰小传文字,或随笔感性,或研究成果补白,或独家评论,给人留下启迪。每一幅画都配一首原创诗,为点睛之笔。文字内容讲究书法的诗意表达。艺术品格和学术品格相生共存的创新,让人耳目一新。内容和形式的创新特色鲜明。
  • 龙神之路

    龙神之路

    金家少年的绝世强者之路,神龙那冷酷外表之下的温柔,龙与凤之间的交织。外族生物入侵看英雄的逆天之路。
  • 职场自控力(金牌员工必读书系)

    职场自控力(金牌员工必读书系)

    "想要在职场上顺风顺水,职场人应该加强职场自控力的修炼,明白在职场上怎么做才能做得更好更成功。本书全面剖析并揭示了职场人该如何提升职场自控力以及要在哪些方面提升自控力,对渴望取得职场成功的职场人士大有帮助。"
  • 浴火真仙

    浴火真仙

    资源永远是争夺的对象,修仙之路,登天台还远..
  • 封碑记

    封碑记

    一切都是命运,一切都是烟云。一切都是没有结局的开始,一切都是稍纵即逝的追寻一切欢乐都没有微笑,一切苦难都没有泪痕。少年说:命运可以决定很多,但它决定不了我的一切,且看少年如何在这波澜时代前行苍茫大地一剑尽挽破,何处繁华笙歌落。斜倚云端千壶掩寂寞,纵使他人空笑我。
  • 边伯贤,好幸运认识了你

    边伯贤,好幸运认识了你

    男主和女主在一所学校一个系(音乐系),只是因为在一次小小的晚会,男主开始关注女主,也开始了他的爱情生涯。(EXO个别人在里面也遇到了自己的真爱哦!)