"But wae's me"--and Jamie broke down utterly behind a fir tree, so
tender a thing is a cynic's heart--"that fouk 'ill tak a man's best
wark a' his days withoot a word an' no dae him honour till he dees.
Oh, if they hed only githered like this juist aince when he wes
livin', an' lat him see he hedna laboured in vain. His reward hes
come ower late, ower late."
During Jamie's vain regret, the Castle trap, bearing the marks of a
wild passage in the snow-covered wheels, a broken shaft tied with
rope, a twisted lamp, and the panting horses, pulled up between two
rows of farmers, and Drumsheugh received his lordship with evident
emotion.
"Ma lord ... we never thocht o' this ... an' sic a road."
"How are you, Drumsheugh? and how are you all this wintry day?
That's how I'm half an hour late; it took us four hours' stiff work
for sixteen miles, mostly in the drifts, of course."
"It wes gude o' yir lordship, tae mak sic an effort, an' the hale
Glen wull be gratefu' tae ye, for ony kindness tae him is kindness
tae us."
"You make too much of it, Drumsheugh," and the clear, firm voice was
heard of all; "it would have taken more than a few snow drifts to
keep me from showing my respect to William MacLure's memory."
When all had gathered in a half circle before the kitchen door, Lord
Kilspindie came out--every man noticed he had left his overcoat, and
was in black, like the Glen--and took a place in the middle with
Drumsheugh and Burnbrae, his two chief tenants, on the right and
left, and as the minister appeared every man bared his head.
The doctor looked on the company--a hundred men such as for strength
and gravity you could hardly have matched in Scotland--standing out
in picturesque relief against the white background, and he said:
"It's a bitter day, friends, and some of you are old; perhaps it
might be wise to cover your heads before I begin to pray."
Lord Kilspindie, standing erect and greyheaded between the two old
men, replied:
"We thank you, Dr. Davidson, for your thoughtfulness; but he endured
many a storm in our service, and we are not afraid of a few minutes'
cold at his funeral."
A look flashed round the stern faces, and was reflected from the
minister, who seemed to stand higher.
His prayer, we noticed with critical appreciation, was composed for
the occasion, and the first part was a thanksgiving to God for the
life-work of our doctor, wherein each clause was a reference to his
services and sacrifices. No one moved or said Amen--it had been
strange with us--but when every man had heard the gratitude of his
dumb heart offered to Heaven, there was a great sigh.
After which the minister prayed that we might have grace to live as
this man had done from youth to old age, not for himself, but for
others, and that we might be followed to our grave by somewhat of
"that love wherewith we mourn this day Thy servant departed." Again
the same sigh, and the minister said Amen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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