The superintendent of Hunker Court at the date of this first pilgrimage
was a somewhat ineffective gentleman, whose distinguishing trait was
that he appeared to be of a pale sandy complexion all over. That
is, all of him not covered by a tightly-buttoned black surtout.
His name was Samson Langpenny. Why it was so, is historically
uncertain—"Langpenny," probably, owing to his connection with his
father. But "Samson" is wholly inexplicable, and was certainly
exceedingly hard upon Master Langpenny as a boy. For it procured him
many lickings at that delightful season, owing to logic of the usual
schoolboy type and cogency.
"Jock, ye dinna ken wha was the strongest man?"
"It's a lee, I do ken. It was Samson!"
"Na, then it juist isna, for I lickit Samson this mornin' mysel'!"
The second boy thought this over a moment—saw it—considered it rather
good.
"Dod," he said, "I wad like to could say that mysel'. I can lick Samson
mysel' as weel as Pate Tamson!"
Whereupon he went and lurked for Samson till that unfortunate youth
came along. Then he triumphantly established his claim to be the
strongest man by once more thrashing "Samson" Langpenny, while the
tears of the first combat were hardly yet dry upon the cuff of the
coat-sleeve which Master Langpenny ordinarily used instead of a
pocket-handkerchief.
It was quite in accordance with the contrariness of things, that
Samson Langpenny should develop into the superintendent of the
roughest Sunday school in all the South Side of Edinburgh. He had
now a real handkerchief, as every one might see, for he wore about
equal parts of it within his pocket and without. The lower and
unseen portion was the working end. Now, there may be excellent
moral purpose in a judiciously-used pocket-handkerchief. There is,
indeed, a certain literary man whose wife avers that her husband's
toilet consists ordinarily of "four paper knives, four pens, and no
pocket-handkerchief." But this person is not usually held up in Sunday
schools as a shining example. Quite the contrary.
Now, Cleg Kelly had no great personal grievance against his
superintendent. But he said in his vulgar way (for there is no doubt
that he was that kind of boy) that "he did not cotton to that wipe o'
Langpenny's!"
Cleg's present teacher was a young gentleman of the name of Percy
Somerville, whose principal reasons for teaching in Hunker Court were
that he might improve the minds of the youth of the district, and that
he might have a fair chance of seeing Miss Cecilia Tennant home across
the meadows. This last was a pleasant thing to do at any time, but
specially desirable in the summer season, after the heat and turmoil
of Hunker Court, and on this account Samson Langpenny never lacked for
recruits to his teaching staff at that time.
Now, Percy Somerville was "a very nice boy"—these were Miss Tennant's
own words. "But, you know—well, you know—after all, he is only a boy."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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