George MacDonald

Heather and Snow George MacDonald

Upon neighbouring stones, earth-fast, like two islands of an archipelago, in an ocean of heather, sat a boy and a girl, the girl knitting, or, as she would have called it, weaving a stocking, and the boy, his eyes fixed on her face, talking with an animation that amounted almost to excitement. He hadgreat fluency, and could have talked just as fast in good English as in the dialect in which he wasnow pouring out his ambitions-the broad Saxon of Aberdeen. He was giving the girl to understand that he meant to be a soldier like his father, and quite as gooda one as he. But so little did he know of himself or the world, that, with small genuine impulse toaction, and moved chiefly by the anticipated results of it, he saw success already his, and a gratefulcountry at his feet. His inspiration was so purely ambition, that, even if, his mood unchanged, hewere to achieve much for his country, she could hardly owe him gratitude.'I'll no hae the warl' lichtly (make light of) me!' he said.'Mebbe the warl' winna tribble itsel aboot ye sae muckle as e'en to lichtly ye!' returned hiscompanion quietly.'Ye do naething ither!' retorted the boy, rising, and looking down on her in displeasure. 'What forare ye aye girdin at me? A body canna lat his thouchts gang, but ye're doon upo them, like doos upocorn!''I wadna be girdin at ye, Francie, but that I care ower muckle aboot ye to lat ye think I haud thesame opingon o' ye 'at ye hae o' yersel, ' answered the girl, who went on with her knitting as shespoke.'Ye'll never believe a body!' he rejoined, and turned half away. 'I canna think what gars me keepcomin to see ye! Ye haena a guid word to gie a body!''It's nane ye s' get frae me, the gait ye're gaein, Francie! Ye think a heap ower muckle o' yersel. What ye expec, may some day a' come true, but ye hae gien nobody a richt to expec it alang wi' ye, and I canna think, gien ye war fair to yersel, ye wad coont yersel ane it was to be expeckit o'!''I tauld ye sae, Kirsty! Ye never lay ony weicht upo what a body says!'That depen's upo the body. Did ye never hear maister Craig p'int oot the differ atween believin abody and believin in a body, Francie?''No-and I dinna ca