donal grant-第18章

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〃The　least　funny；　the　most　serious　lesson　you　could　teach　me！　　You
are　a　book　God　has　begun；　and　he　has　sent　me　to　help　him　go　on　with
it；　so　I　must　learn　what　he　has　written　already　before　I　try　to　do
anything。〃

〃But　you　know　what　a　boy　is；　sir！　　Why　should　you　want　to　learn　me？〃

〃You　might　as　well　say　that；　because　I　have　read　one　or　two　books；　I
must　know　every　book。　　To　understand　one　boy　helps　to　understand
another；　but　every　boy　is　a　new　boy；　different　from　every　other　boy；
and　every　one　has　to　be　understood。〃

〃Yesfor　sometimes　Arkie　won't　hear　me　out；　and　I　feel　so　cross
with　her　I　should　like　to　give　her　a　good　box　on　the　ear。　　What　king
was　it；　sir；　that　made　the　law　that　no　lady；　however　disagreeable；
was　to　have　her　ears　boxed？　　Do　you　think　it　a　good　law；　sir？〃

〃It　is　good　for　you　and　me　anyhow。〃

〃And　when　Percy　says；　'Oh；　go　away！　don't　bother；'　I　feel　as　if　I
could　hit　him　hard！　　Yet；　if　I　happen　to　hurt　him；　I　am　so　sorry！
and　why　then　should　I　want　to　hurt　him？〃

〃There's　something　in　this　little　fellow！〃　said　Donal　to　himself。
〃Ah；　why　indeed？〃　he　answered。　〃You　see　you　don't　understand
yourself　yet！〃

〃No　indeed！〃

〃Then　how　could　you　think　I　should　understand　you　all　at　once？and
a　boy　must　be　understood；　else　what's　to　become　of　him！　　Fancy　a
poor　boy　living　all　day；　and　sleeping　all　night；　and　nobody
understanding　him！〃

〃That　would　be　dreadful！　　But　you　will　understand　me？〃

〃Only　a　little：　I'm　not　wise　enough　to　understand　any　boy。〃

〃Thenbut　isn't　that　what　you　said　you　came　for？I　thought〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　Donal；　〃that　is　what　I　came　for；　but　if　I　fancied　I
quite　understood　any　boy；　that　would　be　a　sure　sign　I　did　not
understand　him。There　is　one　who　understands　every　boy　as　well　as
if　there　were　no　other　boy　in　the　whole　world。〃

〃Then　why　doesn't　every　boy　go　to　him　when　he　can't　get　fair　play？〃

〃Ah；　why？　　That　is　just　what　I　want　you　to　do。　　He　can　do　better
than　give　you　fair　play　even：　he　can　make　you　give　other　people　fair
play；　and　delight　in　it。〃

〃Tell　me　where　he　is。〃

〃That　is　what　I　have　to　teach　you：　mere　telling　is　not　much　use。
Telling　is　what　makes　people　think　they　know　when　they　do　not；　and
makes　them　foolish。〃

〃What　is　his　name？〃

〃I　will　not　tell　you　that　just　yet；　for　then　you　would　think　you
knew　him；　when　you　knew　next　to　nothing　about　him。　　Look　here；　look
at　this　book；〃　he　went　on；　pulling　a　copy　of　Boethius　from　his
pocket；　〃look　at　the　name　on　the　back　of　it：　it　is　the　name　of　the
man　that　wrote　the　book。〃

Davie　spelled　it　out。

〃Now　you　know　all　about　the　book；　don't　you？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　don't　know　anything　about　it。〃

〃Well　then；　my　father's　name　is　Robert　Grant：　you　know　now　what　a
good　man　he　is！〃

〃No；　I　don't。　　I　should　like　to　see　him　though！〃

〃You　would　love　him　if　you　did！　　But　you　see　now　that　knowing　the
name　of　a　person　does　not　make　you　know　the　person。〃

〃But　you　said；　sir；　that　if　you　told　me　the　name　of　that　person；　I
should　fancy　I　knew　all　about　him：　I　don't　fancy　I　know　all　about
your　father　now　you　have　told　me　his　name！〃

〃You　have　me　there！〃　answered　Donal。　〃I　did　not　say　quite　what　I
ought　to　have　said。　　I　should　have　said　that　when　we　know　a　little
about　a　person；　and　are　used　to　hearing　his　name；　then　we　are　ready
to　think　we　know　all　about　him。　　I　heard　a　man　the　other　daya　man
who　had　never　spoken　to　your　fathertalk　as　if　he　knew　all　about
him。〃

〃I　think　I　understand；〃　said　Davie。

To　confess　ignorance　is　to　lose　respect　with　the　ignorant　who　would
appear　to　know。　　But　there　is　a　worse　thing　than　to　lose　the　respect
even　of　the　wiseto　deserve　to　lose　it；　and　that　he　does　who　would
gain　a　respect　that　does　not　belong　to　him。　　But　a　confession　of
ignorance　is　a　ground　of　respect　with　a　well…bred　child；　and　even
with　many　ordinary　boys　will　raise　a　man's　influence：　they　recognize
his　loyalty　to　the　truth。　　Act…truth　is　infinitely　more　than
fact…truth；　the　love　of　the　truth　infinitely　beyond　the　knowledge　of
it。

They　went　out　together；　and　when　they　had　gone　the　round　of　the
place　outside；　Davie　would　have　taken　him　over　the　house；　but　Donal
said　they　would　leave　something　for　another　time；　and　made　him　lie
down　for　ten　minutes。　　This　the　boy　thought　a　great　hardship；　but
Donal　saw　that　he　needed　to　be　taught　to　rest。　　Ten　times　in　those
ten　minutes　he　was　on　the　point　of　jumping　up；　but　Donal　found　a
word　sufficient　to　restrain　him。　　When　the　ten　minutes　were　over；　he
set　him　an　addition　sum。　　The　boy　protested　he　knew　all　the　rules　of
arithmetic。

〃But；〃　said　Donal；　〃I　must　know　that　you　know　them；　that　is　my
business。　　Do　this　one；　however　easy　it　is。〃

The　boy　obeyed；　and　brought　him　the　sumincorrect。

〃Now；　Davie；〃　said　Donal；　〃you　said　you　knew　all　about　addition；　but
you　have　not　done　this　sum　correctly。〃

〃I　have　only　made　a　blunder；　sir。〃

〃But　a　rule　is　no　rule　if　it　is　not　carried　out。　　Everything　goes　on
the　supposition　of　its　being　itself；　and　not　something　else。　　People
that　talk　about　good　things　without　doing　them　are　left　out。　　You
are　not　master　of　addition　until　your　addition　is　to　be　depended
upon。〃

The　boy　found　it　hard　to　fix　his　attention：　to　fix　it　on　something
he　did　not　yet　understand；　would　be　too　hard！　he　must　learn　to　do　so
in　the　pursuit　of　accuracy　where　he　already　understood！　then　he
would　not　have　to　fight　two　difficulties　at　oncethat　of
understanding；　and　that　of　fixing　his　attention。　　But　for　a　long
time　he　never　kept　him　more　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　at　work　on　the
same　thing。

When　he　had　done　the　sum　correctly；　and　a　second　without　need　of
correction；　he　told　him　to　lay　his　slate　aside；　and　he　would　tell
him　a　fairy…story。　　Therein　he　succeeded　tolerablyin　the　opinion
of　Davie；　wonderfully：　what　a　tutor　was　this；　who　let　fairies　into
the　school…room！

The　tale　was　of　no　very　original　constructionthe　youngest　brother
gaining　in　the　path　of　righteousness　what　the　elder　brothers　lose
through　masterful　selfishness。　　A　man　must　do　a　thing　because　it　is
right；　even　if　he　die　for　it；　but　truth　were　poor　indeed　if　it　did
not　bring　at　last　all　things　subject　to　it！　　As　beauty　and　truth　are
one；　so　are　truth　and　strength　one。　　Must　God　be　ever　on　the　cross；
that　we　poor　worshippers　may　pay　him　our　highest　honour？　　Is　it　not
enough　to　know　that　if　the　devil　were　the　greater；　yet　would　not　God
do　him　homage；　but　would　hang　for　ever　on　his　cross？　　Truth　is　joy
and　victory。　　The　true　hero　is　adjudged　to　bliss；　nor　can　in　the
nature　of　things；　that　is；　of　God；　escape　it。　　He　who　holds　by　life
and　resists　death；　must　be　victorious；　his　very　life　is　a　slaying　of
death。　　A　man　may　die　for　his　opinion；　and　may　only　be　living　to
himself：　a　man　who　dies　for　the　truth；　dies　to　himself　and　to　all
that　is　not　true。

〃What　a　beautiful　story！〃　cried　Davie　when　it　ceased。　〃Where　did　you
get　it；　Mr。　Grant？〃

〃Where　all　stories　come　from。〃

〃Where　is　that？〃

〃The　Think…book。〃

〃What　a　funny　name！　　I　never　heard　it！　　Will　it　be　in　the　library？〃

〃No；　it　is　in　no　library。　　It　is　the　book　God　is　always　writing　at
one　end；　and　blotting　out　at　the　other。　　It　is　made　of　thoughts；　not
words。　　It　is　the　Think…book。〃

〃Now　I　understand！　　You　got　the　story　out　of　your　own　head！〃

〃Yes；　perhaps。　　But　how　did　it　get　in　to　my　head？〃

〃I　can't　tell　that。　　Nobody　can　tell　that！〃

〃Nobody　can　that　never　goes　up　above　his　own　headthat　never　shuts
the　Think…book；　and　stands　upon　it。　　When　one　does；　then　the
Think…book　swells　to　a　great　mountain　and　lifts　him　up　above　all　the
world：　then　he　sees　where　the　stories　come　from；　and　how　they　get
into　his　head。Are　you　to　have　a　ride　to…day？〃

〃I　ride　or　not　just　as　I　like。〃

〃Well；　we　will　now　do　just　as　we　both　like；　I　hope；　and　it　will　be
two　likes　instead　of　onethat　is；　if　we　are　true　friends。〃

〃We　shall　he　true　friendsthat　we　shall！〃

〃How　can　that　bebetween　a　little　boy　like　you；　and　a　grown　man
like　me？〃

〃By　me　being　good。〃

〃By　both　of　us　being　goodno　other　way。　　If　one　of　us　only　was
good；　we　could　never　be　true　friends。　　I　must　be　good　as　well　as
you；　else　we　shall　never　understand　each　other！〃

〃How　kind　you