Robert Falconer

one-half relieving the other-a privilege of the company of shore-porters. Their exequies are thus freed from the artificial, grotesque, and pagan horror given by obscene mutes, frightf

, and when she prayed, her voice quavered more. On her face sat the same settled, almost hard repose, as ever; but her behaviour was still more gentle than when he had seen her last. Notwithstanding, however, that time had wrought so little change in her appearance

e said, as he took a chair close by her side, where h

ed man; and ye hae rizzon to respec' his memory. Did

rannie. He loved Go

had guid houps o' 'im in 's latter days. And

cep' something till 's serva

ing. My puir Anerew never begud to gang the ill gait, till he

el', grannie; for God made si

use 't aricht, it may be made a great blessin' to yersel' and ither fowk. But eh, laddie! tak guid tent 'at ye ride upo'

ed into temptation hae a c

ang 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 i

ar till 't, grannie, for it's o' the best.

mse

Ander

letter frae 'im aboot you and a' 'at ye w

itten often to his grandmother, but he had never entered into any detail of his doi

an' degradation that I see frae mornin' to nicht, and aftener yet f

the glory o'

wi' a' my hert. But I doobt it's aftener the savin' o' my earth

er heaved a

Robert,' she said. 'B

anna be

lory o' God firs

richt, I may be able to come to that or a' be dune. An' efter a', I'm sure I love God mair nor my father. But I canna he

t?' interrupted

as gude and great

w

than God can want his glory. Forby, ye ken there's nae glory to God like the repentin' o' a sinner, justifeein'

s for that same glory, ye oucht to think o' that

into that trowth. But I'm thinkin' it's mair for oor sakes than his ain 'at he cares aboot his glory. I dinna

er thought

ddie; but ye hae a way o' sayi

th, an' there's naething displeases him like leein', particularly whan it's by way o' uphaudin'

ddie?' asked the old lady, with o

iet, michty, gran', self-forgettin', a'-creatin', a'-uphaudin', eternal bein', wha took the form o' man in Christ Jesus, jist that he micht hae 't in 's pooer to beir and be humblet for oor sakes. Eh, grannie! think o' the face o' that man o'

e punishment due to oor sins; to turn aside his wrath an' curse

him. An' sae he bore oor sins and carried oor sorrows; for those sins comin' oot in the multitudes-ay and in his ain disciples as weel, caused him no en' o' grief o' mind an' pain o' body, as a'body kens. It wasna his ain sins, for he had nane, but oors, that caused him sufferin'; and he took them awa'-they're vainishin' even noo frae the earth, though it doesna luik like it in Rag-fair or Petticoat-lane. An' for oor sorrows-they jist garred him greit. His richteousness jist annihilates oor guilt, for it's a great gulf that swallows up and destroys 't. And sae he gae his

mother, bewildered no doubt with this outburst, 'sae be that ye put him first an

will be dune," grann

yer father 's still i' the body? I dream aboot him whiles sae lifelike

assurance. But I hae the mair ho

no to say four, but forty days i' the sepulchre! My

, grannie. He maun be tu

oots, hoots! ye're richt. I am forge

-hardly twise, but a' that I min' upo' wad sta

hat has been said. 'But,' she went on, 'I can lat ye see a pictur' o' 'im, though I doobt it winna shaw sae muckle to you as to me. He

ull and uninteresting. It had been painted by a travelling artist, and probably his skill did not reach to expression. It brought to Robert's mind no faintest shadow of recollection. It did not correspond in the smallest degree to what se

him, grannie

, she took the miniature, and gazed at it for some

siller an' company-company 'at cudna be merry ohn drunken. Verity their lauchter was like the cracklin' o' thorns aneath a pot. Het watter and whusky was aye the cry efter their denner an' efter thei

Robert; for though the portrait was useless for

see him weel wantin' that. But I hae nae

kly things, grannie,'

he can for him,

cudna save a man gin h

ae doobt but by the gift o' hi

's no mercifu' e

owk's free wull. To gar fowk

to gang richt, withoot ony garrin'? We ken sae little aboot it, grannie! Hoo doe

wth in sic a way that they jist canna bide themsel

rejeckit the trowth. Gin I kent that a man had seen the trowth as I hae seen 't whiles, and had deleeberately turned his back upo' 't and said, "I'll nane o' 't," than I doobt I wad be maist compel

d Mrs. Falconer, reflectingly. 'Nicht an' mor

nnert him at

stifled cry

oot o' my min'. God forgie me, gin that b

excuse for him. An' jist think, gin it be fair for ae human being to influence anither a' 'at they can, and that's nae interferin' wi' their free wull-it's impossible to measure what God cud do wi' his spee

o reply, but evident

had heard. Men in that part of Scotland then believed that the free will of man was only exercised in rejecting-never in accepting the truth; and that men were saved by the gift of the Spirit, given to some and not to others, according to the free will of God, in the exercise of which no reason

l me that I'm no workin' wi' God, that God's no the best an' the greatest worker aboon a', ye tak the verra hert oot o' my breist, and I dinna believe in God nae mair, an' my han's drap doon by my sides, an' my legs winna gang. No,' said Robert, rising, 'God 'ill

d too much from God. Is it likely that Jesus will say so

hese were the same as of old: a plate of porridge, and a wooden bowl of milk for the former; a chapter and

ooked at the stars through the skylight, knelt and prayed for his father and for all me