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.Thefac is, your feet's by ordinar sma', Steenie, and can add but unco little to yerweicht!''It's a' 'at ye ken, mother!' answered Steenie with a smile.'But, 'deed, I gotmy information aboot the feet o' fowk frae naegate i' this warl'! The bonny manhimsel sent word aboot them.He tellt the minister 'at tellt me, ance I was atthe kirk wi' you, mother-lang, lang syne-twa or three hun'er years, I'mthinkin'.The bonny man tellt his ain fowk first that he was gaein awa in orderthat they michtna be able to do wantin him, and bude to stir themselves and comeup efter him.And syne he slippit aff his feet, and gaed awa up intil the airwhaur the snaw comes frae.And ever sin syne he comes and gangs as he likes.Andefter that be telled the minister to tell hiz 'at we was to lay aside the weichtthat sae easy besets us, and rin.Noo by rin he maun hae meaned rin up, for abody's no to rin frae the deevil but resist him; and what is't that haudsonybody frae rinnin up the air but his feet? There!-But he's promised to help meaff wi' my feet some day: think o' that!-Eh, gien I cud but get my feet aff! Eh,gien they wad but stick i' my shune, and gang wi' them whan I pu' them aff!They're naething efter a', ye ken, but the shune o' my sowl!'A gust of wind drove against the house, and sank as suddenly.'That'll be ane o' them!' said Steenie, rising hastily.'He'll be wantin me!It's no that aften they want onything o' me ayont the fair words a' God'scraturs luik for frae ane anither, but whiles they do want me, and I'm thinkinthey want me the nicht.I maun be gaein!''Hoots, laddie!' returned his mother, 'what can they be wantin, thae gran'offishers, o' siclike as you? Sit ye doon, and bide till they cry ye plain.Iwud fain hae ye safe i' the hoose the nicht!''It's a' his hoose, mother! A' theroot's therein to him.He's in's ain hoose a'the time, and I'm jist as safe atween his wa's as atween yours.Didna naebodyever tell ye that, mother? Weel, I ken it to be true! And for wantin sic like asme, gien God never has need o' a midge, what for dis he mak sic a lot o' them?'' 'Deed it's true eneuch ye say!' returned his mother.'But I div won'er ye'reno fleyt!''Fleyt!' rejoined Steenie; 'what for wud I be fleyt? What is there to be fleytat? I never was fleyt at face o' man or wuman-na, nor o' beast naither!-I wasance, and never but that ance, fleyt at the face o' a bairn!''And what for that, Steenie?'He was rinnin efter his wee sister to lick her, and his face was the face o' adeevil.He nearhan' garred me hate him, and that wud hae been a terrible sin.But, eh, puir laddie, he hed a richt fearsome wife to the mither o' him! I'mthinkin the bonny man maun hae a heap o' tribble wi' siclike, be they bairns ormithers!''Eh, but ye're i' the richt there, laddie!-Noo hearken to me: ye maunna gang thenicht!' said his mother anxiously.'Gien yer father and Kirsty wad but come into persuaud ye! I'm clean lost wi'oot them!''For the puir idiot hasna the sense to ken what's wantit o' him!' supplementedSteenie, with a laugh almost merry.'Daur ye,' cried his mother indignantly, 'mint at sic a word and my bairnthegither? He's my bonny man!''Na, mother, na! He's the bonny man at wha's feet I sall ae day sit, clothed andi' my richt min'.He is the bonny man!''Thank the Lord,' continued his mother, still harping on the outrage of such ascalled her child an idiot, ' 'at ye're no an orphan-'at there's three o' 's totak yer part!''Naebody can be an orphan,' said Steenie, 'sae lang's God's nae deid.''Lord, and they ca' ye an idiot, div they!' exclaimed Marion Barclay.-'Weel, beye or no, ye're ane o' the babes in wha's mooth he perfecteth praise!''He'll du that some day, maybe!' answered Steenie.'But! eh, Steenie,' pursued his mother, 'ye winna gang the nicht!''Mother,' he answered, 'ye dinna ken, nor yet do I, what to mak o' me-what witsI hae, and what wits I haena; but this ye'll alloo, that, for onything ye ken,the bonny man may be cryin upon me to gang efter some puir little yowie o' his,oot her lane i' the storm the nicht!'With these words he walked gently from the kitchen, his dog following him.A terrible blast rushed right into the fire when he opened the door.But he shutit behind him easily, and his mother comforted herself that she had known himout in worse weather.Kirsty entered a moment after, and when her father came infrom the loft he called his workshop, they had their tea, and sat round the fireafter it, peacefully talking, a little troubled, but nowise uneasy that theirSteenie, the darling of them all, was away on the Horn: he knew every foot ofits sides better than the collie who, a moment ago asleep before the fire, wasnow following at his master's heel
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