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west a heap of golden refuse； and cuttings of rose and purple； which
shone right in at the archway； and let him see to work。 Here was
the very man for Donal！ A respectable shoemaker would have
disdained to patch up the shoes he carriedespecially as the owner
was in so much need of them。
〃It's a bonny nicht；〃 he said。
〃Ye may weel mak the remark； sir！〃 replied the cobbler without
looking up； for a critical stitch occupied him。 〃It's a balmy
nicht。〃
〃That's raither a bonny word to put til't！〃 returned Donal。 〃There's
a kin' o' an air aboot the place I wad hardly hae thoucht balmy！
But troth it's no the fau't o' the nicht！〃
〃Ye're richt there also；〃 returned the cobblerhis use of the
conjunction impressing Donal。 〃Still； the weather has to du wi' the
smellwi' the mair or less o' 't； that is。 It comes frae a
tanneree nearby。 It's no an ill smell to them 'at's used til't； and
ye wad hardly believe me； sir； but I smell the clover throuw 't。
Maybe I'm preejudized； seein' but for the tan…pits I couldna weel
drive my trade； but sittin' here frae mornin' to nicht； I get a kin'
o' a habit o' luikin' oot for my blessin's。 To recognize an auld
blessin' 's 'maist better nor to get a new ane。 A pair o' shune
weel cobblet 's whiles full better nor a new pair。〃
〃They are that；〃 said Donal； 〃but I dinna jist see hoo yer seemile
applies。〃
〃Isna gettin' on a pair o' auld weel…kent an' weel men'it shune； 'at
winna nip yer feet nor yet shochle； like waukin' up til a blessin'
ye hae been haein' for years； only ye didna ken 't for ane？〃
As he spoke； the cobbler lifted a little wizened face and a pair of
twinkling eyes to those of the student； revealing a soul as original
as his own。 He was one of the inwardly inseparable； outwardly far
divided company of Christian philosophers； among whom individuality
as well as patience is free to work its perfect work。 In that
glance Donal saw a ripe soul looking out of its tent door； ready to
rush into the sunshine of the new life。
He stood for a moment lost in eternal regard of the man。 He seemed
to have known him for ages。 The cobbler looked up again。
〃Ye'll be wantin' a han' frae me i' my ain line； I'm thinkin'！〃 he
said； with a kindly nod towards Donal's shoeless feet。
〃Sma' doobt！〃 returned Donal。 〃I had scarce startit； but was ower
far to gang back； whan the sole o' ae shue cam aff； an' I had to
tramp it wi' baith my ain。〃
〃An' ye thankit the Lord for the auld blessin' o' bein' born an'
broucht up wi' soles o' yer ain！〃
〃To tell the trowth；〃 answered Donal； 〃I hae sae mony things to be
thankfu' for； it's but sma' won'er I forget mony ane o' them。 But
noo； an' I thank ye for the exhortation； the Lord's name be praist
'at he gae me feet fit for gangin' upo'！〃
He took his shoes from his back； and untying the string that bound
them； presented the ailing one to the cobbler。
〃That's what we may ca' deith！〃 remarked the cobbler； slowly turning
the invalided shoe。
〃Ay； deith it is；〃 answered Donal； 〃it's a sair divorce o' sole an'
body。〃
〃It's a some auld…farrand joke；〃 said the cobbler； 〃but the fun
intil a thing doesna weir oot ony mair nor the poetry or the trowth
intil't。〃
〃Who will say there was no providence in the loss of my shoe…sole！〃
remarked Donal to himself。 〃Here I am with a friend already！〃
The cobbler was submitting the shoes； first the sickly one； now the
sound one； to a thorough scrutiny。
〃Ye dinna think them worth men'in'； I doobt！〃 said Donal； with a
touch of anxiety in his tone。
〃I never thoucht that whaur the leather wad haud the steik；〃 replied
the cobbler。 〃But whiles； I confess； I'm jist a wheen tribled to ken
hoo to chairge for my wark。 It's no barely to consider the time
it'll tak me to cloot a pair； but what the weirer 's like to git oot
o' them。 I canna tak mair nor the job 'ill be worth to the weirer。
An' yet the waur the shune； an' the less to be made o' them； the
mair time they tak to mak them worth onything ava'！〃
〃Surely ye oucht to be paid in proportion to your labour。〃
〃I' that case I wad whiles hae to say til a puir body 'at hadna
anither pair i' the warl'； 'at her ae pair o' shune wasna worth
men'in'； an' that wad be a hertbrak； an' sair feet forby； to sic as
couldna； like yersel'； sir； gang upo' the Lord's ain shune。〃
〃But hoo mak ye a livin' that w'y？〃 suggested Donal。
〃Hoots； the maister o' the trade sees to my wauges！〃
〃An' wha may he be？〃 asked Donal； well foreseeing the answer。
〃He was never cobbler himsel'； but he was ance carpenter； an' noo
he's liftit up to be heid o' a' the trades。 An' there's ae thing he
canna bide； an' that's close parin'。〃
He stopped。 But Donal held his peace； waiting； and he went on。
〃To them 'at maks little； for reasons good； by their neebour； he
gies the better wauges whan they gang hame。 To them 'at maks a' 'at
they can； he says； 'Ye helpit yersel'； help awa'； ye hae yer reward。
Only comena near me； for I canna bide ye'。But aboot thae shune o'
yours； I dinna weel ken！ They're weel eneuch worth duin' the best I
can for them； but the morn's Sunday； an' what hae ye to put on？〃
〃Naethingtill my kist comes； an' that； I doobt； winna be afore
Monday； or maybe the day efter。〃
〃An' ye winna be able to gang to the kirk！〃
〃I'm no partic'lar aboot gaein' to the kirk； but gien I wantit to
gang； or gien I thoucht I was b'un' to gang； think ye I wad bide at
hame 'cause I hadna shune to gang in！ Wad I fancy the Lord
affrontit wi' the bare feet he made himsel'！〃
The cobbler caught up the worst shoe and began upon it at once。
〃Ye s' hae't； sir；〃 he said； 〃gien I sit a' nicht at it！ The ane
'll du till Monday。 Ye s' hae't afore kirk…time； but ye maun come
intil the hoose to get it； for the fowk wud be scunnert to see me
workin' upo' the Sabbath…day。 They dinna un'erstan' 'at the Maister
works Sunday an' Setterdayan' his Father as weel！〃
〃Ye dinna think； than； there's onything wrang in men'in' a pair o'
shune on the Sabbath…day？〃
〃Wrang！in obeyin' my Maister； whase is the day； as weel's a' the
days？ They wad fain tak it frae the Son o' Man； wha's the lord o'
't； but they canna！〃
He looked up over the old shoe with eyes that flashed。
〃But thenexcuse me；〃 said Donal； 〃why shouldna ye haud yer face
til 't； an' work openly； i' the name o' God？〃
〃We're telt naither to du oor gude warks afore men to be seen o'
them； nor yet to cast oor pearls afore swine。 I coont cobblin' your
shoes； sir； a far better wark nor gaein' to the kirk； an' I wadna
hae't seen o' men。 Gien I war warkin' for poverty； it wad be
anither thing。〃
This last Donal did not understand； but learned afterwards what the
cobbler meant： the day being for rest； the next duty to helping
another was to rest himself。 To work for fear of starving would be
to distrust the Father； and act as if man lived by bread alone。
〃Whan I think o' 't；〃 he resumed after a pause； 〃bein' Sunday； I'll
tak them hame to ye。 Whaur wull ye be？〃
〃That's what I wad fain hae ye tell me；〃 answered Donal。 〃I had
thoucht to put up at the Morven Airms； but there's something I dinna
like aboot the lan'lord。 Ken ye ony da