Kidnapped | Page 5

life, like a good staff for the road,
and a good pillow to your head in sickness. And as for the last, which is cubical, that'll
see you, it's my prayerful wish, into a better land."
With that he got upon his feet, took off his hat, and prayed a little while aloud, and in
affecting terms, for a young man setting out into the world; then suddenly took me in his
arms and embraced me very hard; then held me at arm's length, looking at me with his
face all working with sorrow; and then whipped about, and crying good-bye to me, set off
backward by the way that we had come at a sort of jogging run. It might have been
laughable to another; but I was in no mind to laugh. I watched him as long as he was in
sight; and he never stopped hurrying, nor once looked back. Then it came in upon my
mind that this was all his sorrow at my departure; and my conscience smote me hard and
fast, because I, for my part, was overjoyed to get away out of that quiet country-side, and
go to a great, busy house, among rich and respected gentlefolk of my own name and
blood.
"Davie, Davie," I thought, "was ever seen such black ingratitude? Can you forget old
favours and old friends at the mere whistle of a name? Fie, fie; think shame."
And I sat down on the boulder the good man had just left, and opened the parcel to see
the nature of my gifts. That which he had called cubical, I had never had much doubt of;
sure enough it was a little Bible, to carry in a plaid-neuk. That which he had called round,
I found to be a shilling piece; and the third, which was to help me so wonderfully both in
health and sickness all the days of my life, was a little piece of coarse yellow paper,
written upon thus in red ink:
"TO MAKE LILLY OF THE VALLEY WATER.--Take the flowers of lilly of the valley
and distil them in sack, and drink a spooneful or two as there is occasion. It restores
speech to those that have the dumb palsey. It is good against the Gout; it comforts the
heart and strengthens the memory; and the flowers, put into a Glasse, close stopt, and set
into ane hill of ants for a month, then take it out, and you will find a liquor which comes
from the flowers, which keep in a vial; it is good, ill or well, and whether man or
woman."

And then, in the minister's own hand, was added:
"Likewise for sprains, rub it in; and for the cholic, a great spooneful in the hour."
To be sure, I laughed over this; but it was rather tremulous laughter; and I was glad to get
my bundle on my staff's end and set out over the ford and up the hill upon the farther side;
till, just as I came on the green drove-road running wide through the heather, I took my
last look of Kirk Essendean, the trees about the manse, and the big rowans in the kirkyard
where my father and my mother lay.

CHAPTER II
I COME TO MY JOURNEY'S END
On the forenoon of the second day, coming to the top of a hill, I saw all the country fall
away before me down to the sea; and in the midst of this descent, on a long ridge, the city
of Edinburgh smoking like a kiln. There was a flag upon the castle, and ships moving or
lying anchored in the firth; both of which, for as far away as they were, I could
distinguish clearly; and both brought my country heart into my mouth.
Presently after, I came by a house where a shepherd lived, and got a rough direction for
the neighbourhood of Cramond; and so, from one to another, worked my way to the
westward of the capital by Colinton, till I came out upon the Glasgow road. And there, to
my great pleasure and wonder, I beheld a regiment marching to the fifes, every foot in
time; an old red-faced general on a grey horse at the one end, and at the other the
company of Grenadiers, with their Pope's-hats. The pride of life seemed to mount into my
brain at the sight of the red coats and the hearing of that merry music.
A little farther on, and I was told I was in Cramond parish, and began to substitute in my
inquiries the name of the house of Shaws. It was a word that seemed to surprise those of
whom I sought my way. At first I thought the plainness of my