--There is one who understands every boy as well as
if there were no other boy in the whole world."
"Then why doesn't every boy go to him when he can't get fair play?"
"Ah, why? That is just what I want you to do. He can do better
than give you fair play even: he can make you give other people fair
play, and delight in it."
"Tell me where he is."
"That is what I have to teach you: mere telling is not much use.
Telling is what makes people think they know when they do not, and
makes them foolish."
"What is his name?"
"I will not tell you that just yet; for then you would think you
knew him, when you knew next to nothing about him. Look here; look
at this book," he went on, pulling a copy of Boethius from his
pocket; "look at the name on the back of it: it is the name of the
man that wrote the book."
Davie spelled it out.
"Now you know all about the book, don't you?"
"No, sir; I don't know anything about it."
"Well then, my father's name is Robert Grant: you know now what a
good man he is!"
"No, I don't. I should like to see him though!"
"You would love him if you did! But you see now that knowing the
name of a person does not make you know the person."
"But you said, sir, that if you told me the name of that person, I
should fancy I knew all about him: I don't fancy I know all about
your father now you have told me his name!"
"You have me there!" answered Donal.
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