I was well through my discourse6, and entering upon my last “head,” when I heard a stir at the door. I paused somewhat markedly lest there should be some unseemly disturbance7. But I saw only a great burly red-bearded gentleman{113} with his hair a little touched with grey. The men about the porch made room for him with mighty8 deference9.
Clinging to his arm was a young girl, with a face lily-pale, dark eyes and wealth of hair. And instead of the bare head and modest snood of the country maid, or the mutch of the douce matron, there was upon the lady’s head a brave new-fashioned hat with a white feather.
I knew them in a moment—Alexander Gordon of Earlstoun and his daughter Mary.
I cannot tell if my voice trembled, or whether I showed any signs of the abounding11 agitation12 of my spirit. But certain it is that for a space, which to me seemed ages, the course of my thought went from me. I spoke13 words idle and empty, and it was only by the strongest effort of will that I recalled myself to the solemn matters in hand. That this should have happened in my trial sermon vexed14 me sore. For at that time I knew not that these disturbances15, so great-seeming to the speaker, are little, if at all, observed by his hearers, who are ever willing to lay the blame upon their own lack of comprehension rather than upon their instructor’s want of clearness.
But the moment after, with a strong uprising{114} of my spirit, I won above the turmoil17 of my intellects, and ended with a great outgoing of my heart, charging those before me to lay aside the evils of their life and enter upon the better way with zeal18 and assured confidence.
And seeing that the people were much moved by my appeal I judged wise to let them go with what fire of God they had gotten yet burning in their hearts. I closed therefore quickly, and so dismissed the congregation.
Then, when I came down to go from the kirk, the people were already dispersing19. The great red-bearded man came forward and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Young sir,” he said, “it is true that ye have left the hill-folk, and with your feet have walked in devious20 ways. Notwithstanding, if what we have heard to-day be your message, we shall yet have you on your knees before the Eldership of the Societies. For the heart of the man who can thus speak is with us of the wilderness21, and not among the flesh-pots of an Erastian Egypt.”
At which I shook my head, not seeing how true his words were to prove, nor yet how soon the Kirk of Scotland was to bow the head, which hitherto had only bent22 to her heavenly{115} Lord, to the sceptre of clay and the rule of a feckless earthly monarch23.
But though I looked wistfully at Mary Gordon, and would have gone forward to help her upon her horse where it stood tethered at the kirk-liggate, she passed me by as though she had not seen me, which surely was not well done of her. Instead she beckoned24 a young man from the crowd in the kirkyard, who came forward with his hat in his hand and convoyed her to her horse with a privileged and courtly air. Then the three rode off together, Alexander Gordon turning about in his saddle and crying back to me in his loud, hearty25 manner, “Haste ye and come over to the Earlstoun, and we will yet show you the way across the Red Sea out of the Land of Bondage4.”
And I was left standing there sadly enough, yet for my life I cannot tell why I should have been sad. For the folk came thronging26 about me, shaking me by the hand, and saying that now they had found their minister and would choose me in spite of laird or prince or presbytery. For it seems that already some of my sayings had given offence in high quarters.
Yet it was as if I heard not these good folk, for (God forgive me) even at that solemn moment{116} my thoughts were circling about that proud young lass, who had not deigned27 me a look even in the hour of triumph, but had ridden so proudly away with the man who was doubtless her lover.
Thus I stood awhile dumbly at gaze, without finding a word to say to any. And the folk, thinking that the spirit of the spoken Word was yet upon me, drew off a little.
Then there came a voice in mine ear, low and persuasive29, that awoke me from my dream.
“This is my father, who would bid ye welcome, and that kindly30, to his house of Drumglass.”
It was the young maid whose piece I had eaten in the morning.
The feeling in my heart that I had been shamed and slighted by Mary Gordon made Mistress Jean Gemmell’s word sweet and agreeable to me. I turned me about and found myself clasping the hands of a rugged31 old man with a broad and honest face, who took snuff freely with one hand, while he shook mine with the other.
“I’m prood to see ye, young sir,” he said, “prood to see ye! My dochter Jean here, a feat10 and bonny bit lass, has telled me that I am{117} to gie ye my guid word. And my guid word ye shall hae. And mony o’ the elders and kirk-members owes siller to auld32 Drummie; aye, aye, and they shall do as I say or I shall ken28 the reason——”
“But, sir,” I said hastily, “I desire no undue33 influence to be used. Let my summons, if it come, be the call of a people of one mind concerning the fitting man to have the oversight34 of them in the things of the spirit.”
“Of one mind!” exclaimed the old man, taking snuff more freely than ever. “Ye are dootless a maist learned and college-bred young lad, with rowth o’ lear and lashin’s o’ grace, but ye dinna ken this pairish o’ Balmaghie if ye think that ye can ever hae the folk o’ wan16 mind. Laddie, the thing’s no possible. There’s as mony minds in Balmaghie as there’s folk in it. And a mair unruly, camsteery pairish there’s no between Kirkmaiden and the wild Hieland border. But auld Drummie can guide them—ow, aye, auld Drummie can work them. He can turn them that owes him siller round his finger, and they can leaven36 the congregation—hear ye that, young man!”
“If the people of this parish desire me for their minister, they will send me the call,” answered{118} I, pointedly37. For these things, as I have ever believed, are in a Higher Hand.
“Doubtless, doubtless,” quoth auld Drummie; “but the Balmaghie folk are none of the waur o’ a bit spur in their flank like a reesty[8] powny that winna gang. They mind a minute’s jag frae the law mair nor the hale grace o’ God for a month, and mind ye that! Gin ye come amang us, lad, I’ll learn ye a trick or twa aboot the folk o’ Balmaghie that ye will be the wiser o’. Mind, I hae been here a’ my life, and an elder o’ the kirk for thirty year!”
“I am much indebted, sir, for your good intentions, but——”
“Nae buts,” cried auld Drummie. “I hae my dochter Jean’s word that ye are a braw callan and deserve the pairish, and the pairish ye shall hae.”
“I am much indebted to your daughter,” I made answer. “She succoured me with bread to eat this morning, when in the kirkyard I was ready to faint with hunger. Without her kindness I know not how I would have come through the fatigues38 of this day’s exercises.”
“Ow, aye,” said the old man; “that’s just{119} like my dochter Jean. And a douce ceevil lassock she is. But ye should see my ither dochter afore ye craw sae croose aboot Jean.”
“You have another daughter?” I said, politely.
“Aye,” he cried, with enthusiasm. “Man, where hae ye comed frae that ye haena heard o’ Alexander-Jonita, the lass wha can tame a wild stallion that horse-dealers winna tackle, and ride it stride-leg like a man. There’s no’ a maiden35 in a’ the country can hand a cannle to Alexander-Jonita, the dochter o’ Nathan Gemmell of Drumglass, in the pairish o’ Balmaghie.”
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收听单词发音
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1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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2
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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3
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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4
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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exodus
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| v.大批离去，成群外出 | |
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6
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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7
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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8
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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9
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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10
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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11
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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12
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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15
disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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16
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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17
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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18
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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19
dispersing
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| adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
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20
devious
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| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
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21
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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22
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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23
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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24
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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26
thronging
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的现在分词 ) | |
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27
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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29
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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30
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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31
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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32
auld
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| adj.老的，旧的 | |
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33
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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34
oversight
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| n.勘漏，失察，疏忽 | |
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35
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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36
leaven
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| v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响 | |
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37
pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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38
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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