God's hearkent to my prayers for you; and gin ye gang on
as ye hae begun, my prayers, like them o' David the son o' Jesse,
are endit. Gang on, my dear lad, gang on to pluck brands frae the
burnin'. Haud oot a helpin' han' to ilka son and dauchter o' Adam
'at will tak a grip o' 't. Be a burnin' an' a shinin' licht, that
men may praise, no you, for ye're but clay i' the han's o' the
potter, but yer Father in heaven. Tak the drunkard frae his whusky,
the deboshed frae his debosh, the sweirer frae his aiths, the leear
frae his lees; and giena ony o' them ower muckle o' yer siller at
ance, for fear 'at they grow fat an' kick an' defy God and you.
That's my advice to ye, Robert.'
'And I houp I'll be able to haud gey and near till 't, grannie, for
it's o' the best. But wha tellt ye what I was aboot in Lonnon?'
'Himsel'.'
'Dr. Anderson?'
'Ay, jist himsel'. I hae had letter upo' letter frae 'im aboot you
and a' 'at ye was aboot. He keepit me acquant wi' 't a'.'
This fresh proof of his friend's affection touched Robert deeply.
He had himself written often to his grandmother, but he had never
entered into any detail of his doings, although the thought of her
was ever at hand beside the thought of his father.
'Do ye ken, grannie, what's at the hert o' my houps i' the meesery
an' degradation that I see frae mornin' to nicht, and aftener yet
frae nicht to mornin' i' the back closes and wynds o' the great
city?'
'I trust it's the glory o' God, laddie.
Pages:
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569