Sometimes the sinner in question had been unwittingly tempted into the
'narrow path' by the gratification of his ambitions on some point or
other, conversion resulting, as in the case of Tom Appleby--once a
fire-hot Socialist, now a sleek Conservative--from unexpected
prosperity.
At other times the same end had been attained by a crafty flattery.
Suppose a man ambitious of eminence and State distinction: he might be
diverted from politics to the Church, and many were the instances
given of bold and ambitious men who had done great work and attained
high place as the servants of St. Peter.
Could Scotty not be caught hold of in some such fashion? queried
Geordie to himself, as he sat by his fireside that night, deeply
pondering the records he had just been studying. 'I divvn't think he's
ambitious, for he cares nowt aboot politics, an' he never even thought
o' stannin' for election on wor Parish Cooncil. Aal he cares for is
his beer, an' his quoits, an' bettin', an'--an'--his pansies; an' I
doot I cannot catch haud ov him in any one of those partic'lors, for
it wouldn't be fittin' for us that's a local preacher to gan an' send
him a barril o' beer, or back him at a quoitin' match. But
stay--there's the pansies; he's pansy champion, dootless; but then I's
leek champion, an' if I can grow leeks, I's warn'd but I can grow
pansies, for flooers is easier grown nor vegetables.'
Geordie puffed at his pipe vigorously for a minute or two in silence
as he turned the matter over in his mind.
A light kindled slowly in the back of his deep-set eye, a smile showed
upon his lips, then he cuffed himself vigorously upon the knee.
'Ho-way, gan on, Geordie!' he encouraged himself aloud; 'thoo's
turnin' a fair Jesu-yte, I's warn'd!'
* * * * *
As the day appointed for the annual meeting of the Flower Show drew
near, Geordie had been heard to drop hints of the 'wonnerfu' new
specie' of pansies he had become possessed of--'seedlin's' he had
obtained 'doon the south-country way,' and it was not long before the
rumour reached the ears of Scotty.
Nothing could exceed the contempt of the latter when he heard of
Geordie's trying to grow pansies--'him that's just a vegetable man, a
tormut (turnip) grower, a sort o' ha'penny farmer,' and as for
anything good in the way of seedlings coming out of the south-country,
it was just 'bang ridi'klous, for a' folk kenned that a' the best
growers lived in auld Scotland.'
By-and-by some mischievous individual told Scotty that Geordie was
'full' set upon being pansy champion, and was so cock-sure about it
that he was willing to back himself to win.
Scotty was so annoyed at this that the next time he came across
Geordie he could not refrain from jeering at his attempt at pansy
growing. 'Wey, it'll be as muckle as ye can do to tell a pansy frae a
vi'let!' he cried.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account