Another peculiarity9 in her government was that she would rarely give drink to a woman. "Na, na," she would say, "what has a wuman to dee wi' strong drink! Lat the men dee as they like, we canna help them." She made exception in behalf of her personal friends; and, for herself, was in the way of sipping10—only sipping, privately11, on account of her "trouble," she said—by which she meant some complaint, speaking of it as if it were generally known, although of the nature of it nobody had an idea. The truth was that, like her customers, she also was going down the hill, justifying12 to herself every step of her descent. Until lately, she had been in the way of going regularly to church, and she did go occasionally yet, and always took the yearly sacrament; but the only result seemed to be that she abounded13 the more in finding justifications14, or, where they were not to be had, excuses, for all she did. Probably the stirring of her conscience made this the more necessary to her peace.
If the Lord were to appear in person amongst us, how much would the sight of him do for the sinners of our day? I am not sure that many like Mistress Croale would not go to him. She was not a bad woman, but slowly and surely growing worse.
That morning, as soon as the customer whose entrance had withdrawn15 her from her descent on Gibbie, had gulped16 down his dram, wiped his mouth with his blue cotton handkerchief, settled his face into the expression of a drink of water, gone demurely17 out, and crossed to the other side of the street, she would have returned to the charge, but was prevented by the immediately following entrance of the Rev18. Clement19 Sclater—the minister of her parish, recently appointed. He was a man between young and middle-aged20, an honest fellow, zealous21 to perform the duties of his office, but with notions of religion very beggarly. How could it be otherwise when he knew far more of what he called the Divine decrees than he did of his own heart, or the needs and miseries22 of human nature? At the moment, Mistress Croale was standing23 with her back to the door, reaching up to replace the black bottle on its shelf, and did not see the man she heard enter.
"What's yer wull?" she said indifferently.
Mr. Sclater made no answer, waiting for her to turn and face him, which she did the sooner for his silence. Then she saw a man unknown to her, evidently, from his white neckcloth and funereal24 garments, a minister, standing solemn, with wide-spread legs, and round eyes of displeasure, expecting her attention.
"What's yer wull, sir?" she repeated, with more respect, but less cordiality than at first.
"If you ask my will," he replied, with some pomposity25, for who that has just gained an object of ambition can be humble26?—"it is that you shut up this whisky shop, and betake yourself to a more decent way of life in my parish."
"My certie! but ye're no blate (over-modest) to craw sae lood i' my hoose, an' that's a nearer fit nor a perris!" she cried, flaring27 up in wrath28 both at the nature and rudeness of the address. "Alloo me to tell ye, sir, ye're the first 'at ever daured threep my hoose was no a dacent ane."
"I said nothing about your house. It was your shop I spoke29 of," said the minister, not guiltless of subterfuge30.
"An' what's my chop but my hoose? Haith! my hoose wad be o' fell sma' consideration wantin' the chop. Tak ye heed31 o' beirin' fause witness, sir."
"I said nothing, and know nothing, against yours more than any other shop for the sale of drink in my parish."
"The Lord's my shepherd! Wad ye even (compare) my hoose to Jock Thamson's or Jeemie Deuk's, baith i' this perris?"
"My good woman,—"
"Naither better nor waur nor my neepers," interrupted Mistress Croale, forgetting what she had just implied: "a body maun live."
"There are limits even to that most generally accepted of all principles," returned Mr. Sclater; "and I give you fair warning that I mean to do what I can to shut up all such houses as yours in my parish. I tell you of it, not from the least hope that you will anticipate me by closing, but merely that no one may say I did anything in an underhand fashion."
The calmness with which he uttered the threat alarmed Mistress Croale. He might rouse unmerited suspicion, and cause her much trouble by vexatious complaint, even to the peril33 of her license34. She must take heed, and not irritate her enemy. Instantly, therefore, she changed her tone to one of expostulation.
"It's a sair peety, doobtless," she said, "'at there sud be sae mony drouthie thrapples i' the kingdom, sir; but drouth maun drink, an' ye ken35, sir, gien it war hauden frae them, they wad but see deils an' cut their throts."
"They're like to see deils ony gait er' lang," retorted the minister, relapsing into the vernacular36 for a moment.
"Ow, deed maybe, sir! but e'en the deils themsels war justifeed i' their objection to bein' committed to their ain company afore their time."
Mr. Sclater could not help smiling at the woman's readiness, and that was a point gained by her. An acquaintance with Scripture37 goes far with a Scotch38 ecclesiastic39. Besides, the man had a redeeming40 sense of humour, though he did not know how to prize it, not believing it a gift of God.
"It's true, my woman," he answered. "Ay! it said something for them, deils 'at they war, 'at they preferred the swine. But even the swine cudna bide41 them!"
Encouraged by the condescension42 of the remark, but disinclined to follow the path of reflection it indicated, Mistress Croale ventured a little farther upon her own.
"Ye see, sir," she said, "as lang's there's whusky, it wull tak the throt-ro'd. It's the naitral w'y o' 't, ye see, to rin doon, an' it's no mainner o' use gangin' again natur. Sae, allooin' the thing maun be, ye'll hae till alloo likewise, an' it's a trouth I'm tellin' ye, sir, 'at it's o' nae sma' consequence to the toon 'at the drucken craturs sud fill themsels wi' dacency—an' that's what I see till. Gang na to the magistrate43, sir; but as sune's ye hae gotten testimony44—guid testimony though, sir—'at there's been disorder45 or immorawlity i' my hoose, come ye to me, an' I'll gie ye my han' to paper on't this meenute, 'at I'll gie up my chop, an' lea' yer perris—an' may ye sune get a better i' my place. Sir, I'm like a mither to the puir bodies! An' gin ye drive them to Jock Thamson's, or Jeemie Deuk's, it'll be just like—savin' the word, I dinna inten' 't for sweirin', guid kens46!—I say it'll just be dammin' them afore their time, like the puir deils. Hech! but it'll come sune eneuch, an' they're muckle to be peetied!"
"And when those victims of your vile47 ministrations," said the clergyman, again mounting his wooden horse, and setting it rocking, "find themselves where there will be no whisky to refresh them, where do you think you will be, Mistress Croale?"
"Whaur the Lord wulls," answered the woman. "Whaur that may be, I confess I'm whiles laith to think. Only gien I was you, Maister Sclater, I wad think twise afore I made ill waur."
"But hear me, Mistress Croale: it's not your besotted customers only I have to care for. Your soul is as precious in my sight as any of which I shall have to render an account."
"As Mistress Bonniman's, for enstance?" suggested Mrs. Croale, interrogatively, and with just the least trace of pawkiness in the tone.
The city, large as it was, was yet not large enough to prevent a portion of the private affairs of individuals from coming to be treated as public property, and Mrs. Bonniman was a handsome and rich young widow, the rumour48 of whose acceptableness to Mr. Sclater had reached Mistress Croale's ear before ever she had seen the minister himself. An unmistakable shadow of confusion crossed his countenance49; whereupon with consideration both for herself and him, the woman made haste to go on, as if she had but chosen her instance at merest random50.
"Na, na, sir! what my sowl may be in the eyes o' my Maker51, I hae ill tellin'," she said, "but dinna ye threip upo' me 'at it's o' the same vailue i' your eyes as the sowl o' sic a fine bonny, winsome52 leddy as yon. In trouth," she added, and shook her head mournfully, "I haena had sae mony preevileeges; an' maybe it'll be seen till, an' me passed ower a wheen easier nor some fowk."
"I wouldn't have you build too much upon that, Mistress Croale," said Mr. Sclater, glad to follow the talk down another turning, but considerably53 more afraid of rousing the woman than he had been before.
"I pey my w'y," she said, with modest firmness. "I put my penny, and whiles my saxpence, intil the plate at the door when I gang to the kirk—an' I was jist thinkin' I wad win there the morn's nicht at farest, whan I turnt an' saw ye stan'in there, sir; an' little I thoucht—but that's neither here nor there, I'm thinkin'. I tell as feow lees as I can; I never sweir, nor tak the name o' the Lord in vain, anger me 'at likes; I sell naething but the best whusky; I never hae but broth55 to my denner upo' the Lord's day, an' broth canna brak the Sawbath, simmerin' awa' upo' the bar o' the grate, an' haudin' no lass frae the kirk; I confess, gien ye wull be speirin', 'at I dinna read my buik sae aften as maybe I sud; but, 'deed, sir, tho' I says't 'at sud haud my tongue, ye hae waur folk i' yer perris nor Benjie Croale's widow; an' gien ye wunna hae a drap to weet yer ain whustle for the holy wark ye hae afore ye the morn's mornin', I maun gang an' mak my bed, for the lass is laid up wi' a bealt thoom, an' I maunna lat a' thing gang to dirt an' green bree; though I'm sure it's rale kin8' o' ye to come to luik efter me, an' that's mair nor Maister Rennie, honest gentleman, ever did me the fawvour o', a' the time he ministered the perris. I haena an ill name wi' them 'at kens me, sir; that I can say wi' a clean conscience; an' ye may ken me weel gien ye wull. An' there's jist ae thing mair, sir: I gie ye my Bible-word, 'at never, gien I saw sign o' repentance56 or turnin' upo' ane o' them 'at pits their legs 'aneth my table—Wad ye luik intil the parlour, sir? No!—as I was sayin', never did I, sin' I keepit hoose, an' never wad I set mysel' to quench57 the smokin' flax; I wad hae no man's deith, sowl or body, lie at my door."
"Well, well, Mistress Croale," said the minister, somewhat dazed by the cataract58 he had brought upon his brain, and rather perplexed59 what to say in reply with any hope of reaching her, "I don't doubt a word of what you tell me; but you know works cannot save us; our best righteousness is but as filthy60 rags."
"It's weel I ken that, Mr. Sclater. An' I'm sure I'll be glaid to see ye, sir, ony time ye wad dee me the fawvour to luik in as ye're passin' by. It'll be none to yer shame, sir, for mine's an honest hoose."
"I'll do that, Mistress Croale," answered the minister, glad to escape. "But mind," he added, "I don't give up my point for all that; and I hope you will think over what I have been saying to you—and that seriously."
Mistress Croale turned to the shelves behind her, took again the bottle she had replaced, poured out a large half-glass of whisky, and tossed it off. She had been compelled to think and talk of things unpleasant, and it had put her, as she said, a' in a trim'le. She was but one of the many who get the fuel of their life in at the wrong door, their comfort from the world-side of the universe. I cannot tell whether Mr. Sclater or she was the farther from the central heat. The woman had the advantage in this, that she had to expend62 all her force on mere32 self-justification, and had no energy left for vain-glory. It was with a sad sigh she set about the work of the house. Nor would it have comforted her much to assure her that hers was a better defence than any distiller in the country could make. Even the whisky itself gave her little relief; it seemed to scald both stomach and conscience, and she vowed63 never to take it again. But alas64! this time is never the time for self-denial; it is always the next time. Abstinence is so much more pleasant to contemplate65 upon the other side of indulgence! Yet the struggles after betterment that many a drunkard has made in vain, would, had his aim been high enough, have saved his soul from death, and turned the charnel of his life into a temple. Abject66 as he is, foiled and despised, such a one may not yet be half so contemptible67 as many a so-counted respectable member of society, who looks down on him from a height too lofty even for scorn. It is not the first and the last only, of whom many will have to change places; but those as well that come everywhere between.
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1
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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2
worthiness
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| 价值，值得 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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4
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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infringement
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| n.违反；侵权 | |
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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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8
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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10
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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12
justifying
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| 证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护） | |
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13
abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
justifications
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| 正当的理由，辩解的理由( justification的名词复数 ) | |
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15
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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16
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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19
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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22
miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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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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funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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pomposity
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| n.浮华；虚夸；炫耀；自负 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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29
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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30
subterfuge
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| n.诡计；藉口 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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38
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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ecclesiastic
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| n.教士，基督教会；adj.神职者的，牧师的，教会的 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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43
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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44
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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45
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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46
kens
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| vt.知道（ken的第三人称单数形式） | |
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47
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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48
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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49
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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50
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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51
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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52
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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53
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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54
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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55
broth
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| n.原(汁)汤(鱼汤、肉汤、菜汤等) | |
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56
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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57
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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58
cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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59
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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expend
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| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
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63
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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64
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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65
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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