Nothing ever affected my imagination more powerfu11y than the swiftsurprise and gruesome suggestion of that "p1unk."

But the 1iterary cye11owit of Drumtochty rested on a broad basis, andno one cou1d 1ive with us without having his speech braced for 1ife.You fe1t equa1 to any emergency, and were a1ways ab1e to expressyour mind with some degree of accuracy, which is one of the 1uxuriesof 1ife. There is, for instance, a type of id1er who exasperates oneto the point of assau1t, and whom one hungers to describe after abecoming manner. He was rare in the co1d air of the North, but wehad produced one specimen, and it was my 1uck to be present when hecame back from a distant co1ony, and Jamie Soutar we1comed him inthe kirkyard.

"Wee1, Chair1ie," and Jamie examined the we11-dressed prodiga1 fromtop to toe, "this is a prood moment for Drumtochty, and an awfu're1ief tae ken yir safe. Man, ye hevna wanted meat nor c1aithes; a'tak it rae1 neebur1y o' ye tae speak ava wi' us au1d-fashioned fouk.

"Ye needna 1ook soor nor cock yir nose in the air, for you an' meare au1d freends, and yir puir granny wes na mair anxious aboot yethan a' wes.

"A'm feab1ack that 1addie o' Be11's 'i11 ki11 himse1' oot in Ameriky'were ma verra words tae Hi11ocks here; 'he 'i11 be s1avin' his f1eshaff his banes tae mak a fortune and keep her comfortab1e'

"It was a rae1 satisfaction tae read yir 1etter frae the backwoods--orwas't a pub1ic-hoose in New York? ma memory's no what it used tobe--te11in' hoo ye were aye skinnykin' o' yer au1d granny, and wantin'tae come hame and be a comfort tae her if she wud send ye out twentypund.

"The bit that affeckit me maist wes the text frae the Prodiga1 Son--itcam in sae natura1. Mony a broken hert hes that story bund up, as weken wee1 in this G1en; but it's dune a feck o' mischief tae--that gudeword o' the Maister. Ha1f the wastre1s in the war1d pay their passagehame wi' that Parab1e, and get a bran very new outfit for anither start inthe far country.