The two lads ran up the street quickly, for school began at nine
o'clock, and they were already behind their usual time. At the corner
Don turned and waved his hand to his mother. He never forgot to
do this, for he knew that she was always waiting there to bid him
good-bye. Though Donald was the only child, he was not a bit spoiled;
he was a warm-hearted laddie, and staunch in his affections and
friendships.
The schools and colleges in Scotland are among the best in the world,
and there is nothing a Scotsman prizes more, whether he be rich or
poor, than a good education. Many a lad who has not enough money will
go through all sorts of hardship, and live on a little porridge and
milk, in order to save enough to put him through one of the four famous
Scotch Universities.
All little American cousins must have heard of the wealthy Scotsman,
Mr. Carnegie, who is so fond of making presents of libraries to the
cities and towns throughout the English-speaking world. Well, he has
greatly helped the Scotch boys to get an education by giving large sums
of money to the Universities of Scotland, in order that they may be
able to lend substantial aid to those entering their colleges.
"Let's play 'beezee;' there's Willie and Archie now with the ball,"
said Sandy, as he and Don came out of school for the half-hour's recess
at eleven o'clock.
"Beezee" is a game which would remind American boys of baseball. The
boys wrap their mufflers around their hand and throw the ball, which is
an India-rubber one, instead of using a bat, and run to bases in much
the same way as in baseball.
At two o'clock, when the school work is over for the day, Donald and
Sandy lost no time in getting home for dinner, which was awaiting them.
And so was "Rob Roy," who soon learned just what hour Donald might be
expected, and rushed to meet him the minute Don opened the door.
To-day, when Don had finished his soup, his father helped him to some
of the "jiggot." You probably wonder what that is. Well, it is simply a
leg of mutton, and comes from the French word "_gigot_." You will find
that the Scotch use many words which must have come originally from the
French, though most of them have been changed so much that the real
French words wouldn't know them for cousins even.
In the old days there was a strong friendship between Scotland and
France. One of the early French kings, Louis XI., had a body-guard of
Scottish archers; for the Scotch soldiery have always been famous for
their bravery. Mary, Queen of Scots, was partly French herself, and was
the wife of a French king, François II., as well as Queen of Scotland.
When he died she came back to Scotland to live, and with her, no doubt,
came many French people and French customs. So this may account for
many of these French words in the Scotch speech of to-day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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