CHAPTER XXXI.
_A CATECHIST_.
Mr. Geddie parted from his companions in the village, and finding hehad missed the Laird, set forth on a solitary walk back to Auchlippie.It had been but a sorry day's work, with much that was painful in itscourse, and no good done to show for it. He sighed as he passed in thewaning light the remembered landmarks of the morning, and recalled thevery different state of feeling in which he had then remarked them.The light had faded in himself as well as in the sky overhead. Then,was he not going forth in his might? a Gideon in armour to vanquishthe armies of the aliens? or Ithuriel, perhaps, his bright pinionsflashing in the sun, the long sharp spear of truth in his hand,gleaming like a star, and ready to pierce through sin and falsehood?Now it was different. The spear was blunted or had lost its point, thewings hung limp and useless from his shoulders, and the feathers wereall in disarray, like some poor game-bird worsted in the fight, orcaught in heavy rain; the gay plumage draggled pitifully and dim, theneck and tail, that erst stood so erect, now drooping and forlorn inwisps of humiliation. The day had faded and the sun had gone down. Itwas a new chapter added to his ministerial experience. Alas, for thepersistency of the besotted human heart in sin, and its callousinsensibility to words in season, spoken in love and faithfulness.Mankind must be wickeder even than he had thought, and he had beentaught to believe in their total depravity. It never occurred to himthat there might be some mistake. The accusers comprised nearly thewhole body of office-bearers in the church--the excellent of theearth, men with the same 'views' and shibboleths as himself; andmore than that, most attentive hearers and great admirers of hispreaching--the strongest possible proof in favour of their credibilityand soundness of judgment. He felt fully justified in adopting theirsuspicions and accepting them as certainties--facts either alreadyestablished or about to be proved, and then with the characteristictenacity of the clerical mind, he held them fast. It was true thatthis accused brother had hitherto led an exemplary life, that,refusing opportunities of greater ease and emolument, he had declinedto be a candidate for more than one city charge, and that his life inthe parish had hitherto been an almost apostolic example of all thecharities and virtues; still, to err was human; and had not the mostconspicuous saints been permitted at times, (doubtless for wisepurposes and the good of their souls, in saving them from spiritualpride), to fall into grievous sin? 'Humanly speaking,' and 'to the eyeof sense,' the man's whole walk and conversation' stamped the chargewith improbability. But what was that to the theologian equipped atall points to contend with error? The doctrine of total depravityremoved all difficulty on that point, and the more improbable from amere worldly point of view, the more likely it became when attributedto a wile of the enemy. He felt that his erring brother must have beenover confident, hence his fall. Still it was a new view of totaldepravity, and an appalling one, that it should have been able towithstand his preaching. He went over in his mind all the tellingthings he had said, and considered how they might have beenintensified, but he found that he could have added little to theirforce. And yet all had been in vain. His words had fallen like dropsof rain on the flinty hardness of that obdurate heart, and failed ofany effect. It was a bitter experience, but he resolved to profit byit, and as he went along he thought over the heads for a discourse tobacksliders, in which this sad incident should be introduced, andmight perhaps even turn to good in the end, if it warned some waywardsheep to retrace his steps.
Thus meditating, Mr. Geddie beguiled the time away. He had come withinsight of Auchlippie gate, whence Joseph Smiley was issuing at thatmoment, and coming towards him. Joseph descried his reverencesimultaneously, and prepared for an interview by passing his sleeveacross his lips. 'I wuss he mayna be findin' out the dram on me,' hemuttered to himself; but added reassuringly--'Hoot, no! They'reglaiket bodies thae ministers! They wadna ken their ain parritch ginye didna haud the spune fornent their nebs.'
'Well, my friend!' said Mr. Geddie, with outstretched hand and acondescending smile. 'I am glad to have another opportunity ofspeaking to you. That was a very sad meeting at which I saw you giveyour evidence yesterday--a sad and a humbling investigation!'
'Hech, sir, an' it was a' that. Terrible backslidings were na they,sir? But ye see, sir, it's just the flesh 'at's sae weak. We canna a'houpe to be strong in the word, an' able to resist, sir, as _ye_ can,an' sae there's aye some o' 's gettin' a tum'le.'
'I fear, my friend, I must not venture to rejoice in my strength,'replied the minister, much gratified, and smiling with pensiveradiance, as one who, after long neglect, is appreciated at last. 'Itis humility alone that can hope to pass scatheless along the seductivepaths of life.'
'Deed ay, sir. Let him 'at thinks he's stan'in' tak tent he dizna fa',says Scripter. We're but puir craeters! That's me an' my likes, Imean, sir. As for a godly minister an' a powerfu' preacher, wha'spraise is in a' the churches, I wadna venture to say the like o' him.'
'I fear we are all alike, Joseph! (is not that your name?) said Mr.Geddie, slowly shaking his head, and blushing with pleasure so far ashis drab and yellow complexion would allow. 'I fear we are all alike,'he repeated, still toying with the sweet morsel before he swallowedit.
'Ou ay, sir! Dawvit was a man, an' sae was Sant Paul! A man of likepaussions, an' sae aiblins a body micht ventur to say o' yersel'; butit's terrible odds atween the likes o' ye, an' hiz 'at's creepin' onwur bellies, as I may say, just worms o' the dust!'
'Alas! alas! Joseph, there are no exceptions! Just look at the unhappyman who has created so sad a scandal in this very parish!'
'Nae doubt, sir, an' I'm wae to think o't. But after a' he's butyoung--an' he's no ordeened--an' ye ken, sir, his faither was amoderate! That maks a terrible odds! What says Scripter? "The faithershae aeten soor grapes," (gye an' like the grosets, I'm thinkin', aforethey're just ripe), an the bairns' teeth is set on edge. (I see na saeweel what that means, but I'm thinkin' it's just 'at it gars theirrotten teeth dirl). An' again the sins o' the faithers on the childrentil the third an' fourth generation. Hech, sirse! It's weel for me mygranny wasna a moderate! an' as for my faither, I ne'er heard tell o'him.'
'Yes, Joseph! (I believe I am right in calling you Joseph?) But youhave a fine lively knowledge of Scripture, and I think--I hope--I mayalmost say I am sure, from what I have seen, that the root of thematter is in you. Now, my friend, would you not like to come forwardopenly, to take a plainer, bolder, stronger, nobler stand for thetruth? Does not your heart burn within you? when you see this glen andother glens too, my brother, there are so many other glens, given overto sin and worldliness, or it may be to moderatism--as soul-destroyingan error as any of them. Does not your heart burn within you? And doyou not feel constrained to cry aloud--"Here am I, send me?" To put itto you in plainer, if less moving words, how would you like to be acatechist?'
Joseph's heart did indeed burn at the suggestion, though not perhapsexactly in the sense intended by Mr. Geddie. It had been promotion forhim when he was made beadle and appointed to carry the great Bible upand down the pulpit stairs,--a ministrant, and in his own opinion anessential one, in all the public functions of religion; and he lovedto skip about among the hushed and reverent worshippers, showing onewhere he might sit, and admonishing another to behave. But what wasall that to being a catechist? which was 'the next door,' as he toldhimself, 'to a minister a' thegither;' not merely to go up the pulpitstairs, but to go into the pulpit and sit down, while future beadleswould meekly follow, and close the pulpit door behind his reverence.It was too delightful! An utterly beatific vision! He had just partedfrom Jean Macaulay, and his mind had been full of schemings how tosecure her for a wife. But would Jean make a help-meet for acatechist? Even with Elspeth's croft and her savings, he feared Jeanwould scarcely be equal to that higher sphere; and before even he hadreplied to Mr. Geddie, he had almost made up his mind that she wouldnot suit.
'Aweel, sir! there's nae misdoubtin' but it wad be a preevilege to belayin'
out the truith afore the neglecket puir. But whaur was't ye waswantin't for?'
'There is a neglected district along the coast, where the people aretoo poor to support a minister; but yet they should not be left a preyto Erastianism, and it has been proposed to send some pious man tolabour among them who would read to them and talk to them, enlightenthem on Free Church principles, and address them occasionally. Howwould the work suit you? And would you like to give it a trial?'
'Aweel sir! I wad like weel to be direckin' the puir bodies the gatethey suld gang. An' what's the waages, sir? Or I'm thinkin' I haeheard tell it's saalary ye ca' a catechist's pay, being mairhonorable.'
'About thirty pounds a-year we think we could raise. You would liveamong them, of course, and you would find it a most interesting andconstant employment. I should think for an earnest and active man likeyou it would be the very thing.'
'But thirty pound the year's no twal shilling e'y week, an' the folkye say's puir, an' gin a man gaed out an' in amang them, he beut tohelp them whiles wi' siller. I see na hoo yer catechist cud do't atthe price.'
'Think on the privilege, Joseph! And if you do well no doubt we willbe able to find higher work for you.'
'Ay! But a man canna just eat an' drink his preevileges, an' he cannasell them for siller to buy shune! I'm but a bederal, sir, but weekout an' week in, it 's liker twunty shillin's, what I can mak atweenthat an' my tred.'
'Well! we must think it over, Joseph, and you can write to me what youthink you could undertake the work for, and we'll consider how much wecan give. Mr. Sangster! I am so sorry to have missed you, but Iunderstood you had gone home.'
'I have been waiting for you at the inn for an hour past. Never mind!get in now.'
The Laird in his gig had driven up during the negotiation with theproposed catechist. He now caught up Mr. Geddie, and left Joseph inthe middle of the road to pursue his reflections.