Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories
“Come in, come in; it's an awfu' day to be oot, an' ye dinna look
strong; na, na, a dinna gang to Saint Agatha's, for ye ken we've a Kirk
o' oor ain, an' a properly ordained minister, but a'm gled to see ye;
a'm thankfu' for my ain preevileges, but a'm no bigoted.
“Sit doon there by the fire an' dry yersel; a cudna manage wi' a
prayer-book masel, but we've had mony advantages in Scotland, and it
suits the English fouk. A hed a cousin' at married an Episcopalian,
and she gied wi' him as long as he lived, though of course it was a
deprivation.
“'A schismatic?'--a've heard the word: they used to misca' the English
bishops that way in the North--an' ye called to warn me. Noo that was
kind, and, of coorse, ye did na know that a sit under Mr. McCaw; but
Losh keep us! ye're juist dreeping; a'll get ye a pair o' the lad's
slippers an' mak ye a warm cup o' tea.
“A hed a laddie juist your age, an' ma heart warms to young men that
are na verra strong. Say awa'; a'll hear ye though a'm in the next room.
There noo, drink up your tea, an' that's short-bread frae Edinburgh,
Let's hear noo aboot yer Kirk; somebody was sayin' that ye carried
on the same antics as the Papists; but a'm no believin' that. Are ye
feelin' warmer noo, ma puir wee mannie?” and the good woman encompassed
Jinks with motherly attentions, but refused to take seriously his
efforts to convert her from the Kirk to the Church. Nor did he think it
an encouraging sign that Mrs. Gillespie pressed him to give her “a
cry” every time he was in the street, and sent him three pots of black
currant jam for his chest The most disappointing encounter was with our
Scots doctor, who had looked into St Agatha's one evening in passing and
found Jinks warning Dissenters of all kinds, among whom the Doctor found
to his amusement that he was included of their doom if they died in
schism. The Doctor's delight reached its height when Jinks, standing
at his full height of five feet four, and looking more than ever like a
dear little boy, opened his arms and invited every wandering prodigal to
return to the bosom of Mother Church.
“Jinksy”--and the Doctor laid hold of the Father next day on the
street--“what sort of nonsense was yon ye were talking in your kirk last
night?
“Hurt my feelings”--as Jinks was explaining that he had only been
declaring the truth, and that he did not wish to offend any one--“it
would take three men of your size to offend me. But I say, Jinksy, do
you ever take a holiday in Scotland? You hope to do some day. Then I'll
give ye a bit of advice: if you ever feel a turr-murring in your inside,
take the first train for Carlisle. Why? Because if you die in Scotland,
you'll die a Dissenter; and then, my little man, you know where you'll
go to”; for the Doctor's hand in humour was heavy, and his style was
that of an elephant crashing through a wood.
VI
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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