Whaur they comena furth, it's whaur the sowl, the
thoucht o' the man 's no richt. Oor puir lassie shaws a' mainner o'
sma' infirmities jist 'cause the humour o' her sowl 's no hermonious
wi' the trowth, no hermonious in itsel', no at ane wi' the true
thing--wi' the true man--wi' the true God. It may even be said it's
a sma' thing 'at a man sud du wrang, sae lang as he's capable o'
duin' wrang, an' lovesna the richt wi' hert an' sowl. But eh, it's
no a sma' thing 'at he sud be capable!"
"Surely, Anerew," interposed his wife, holding up her hands in mild
deprecation, "ye wudna lat the lassie du wrang gien ye could haud
her richt?"
"No, I wudna," replied her husband, "--supposin' the haudin' o' her
richt to fa' in wi' ony degree o' perception o' the richt on her
pairt. But supposin' it was only the haudin' o' her frae ill by
ootward constraint, leavin' her ready upo' the first opportunity to
turn aside; whereas, gien she had dune wrang, she wud repent o' 't,
an' see what a foul thing it was to gang again' the holy wull o' him
'at made an' dee'd for her--I lea' ye to jeedge for yersel' what ony
man 'at luved God an' luved the lass an' luved the richt, wud
chuise. We maun haud baith een open upo' the trowth, an' no blink
sidewise upo' the warl' an' its richteousness wi' ane o' them. Wha
wadna be Zacchay wi' the Lord in his hoose, an' the richteousness o'
God himsel' growin' in his hert, raither nor the prood Pharisee wha
kent nae ill he was duin', an' thoucht it a shame to speak to sic a
man as Zacchay!"
The grandmother held her peace, thinking probably that so long as
one kept respectable, there remained the more likelihood of a
spiritual change.
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