'
"'Sam,' said she, a pattin' of me on the cheek, 'you have twice as
much sense as your father has after all. You take after me.'
"I was so simple, I didn't know what to do. So I said yes to mother
and yes to father; for I knew I must honour and obey my parents, so I
thought I would please both. I made up my mind I wouldn't get books to
learn Gaelic or teach English, but do it by talking, and that I
wouldn't mind father seein' me, but I'd keep a bright look out for the
old lady."
"Oh dear! how innocent that was, warn't it?" said they.
"Well, it was," said I; "I didn't know no better then, and I don't
now; and what's more, I think I would do the same agin, if it was to
do over once more."
"I have no doubt you would," said Janet.
"Well, I took every opportunity when mother was not by to learn words.
I would touch her hand and say, 'What is that?' And she would say,
'L?uch,' and her arm, her head, and her cheek, and she would tell me
the names; and her eyes, her nose, and her chin, and so on; and then I
would touch her lips, and say, 'What's them?' And she'd say.
'Bhileau?' And then I'd kiss her, and say, 'What's that?' And she'd
say. 'Pog.' But she was so artless, and so was I; we didn't know
that's not usual unless people are courtin; for we hadn't seen
anything of the world then.
"Well, I used to go over that lesson every time I got a chance, and
soon got it all by heart but that word Pog (kiss), which I never could
remember.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124