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A very different kind of dominie was Cursing Ballingall, who had been dropped at Thrums by a travelling circus, and first became familiar to the town as, carrying two carpet shoes, two books, a pillow, and a saucepan, which were all his belongings, he wandered from manse to manse offering to write sermons for the ministers at circus prices.
The women do their best in a rough and ready way; but, sir, it cowed to see that lassie easying a pillow for Ballingall's head, or changing a sheet without letting in the air, or getting a poultice on his back without disturbing the one on his chest. I had just to let her see how to do these things once, and after that Ballingall complained if any other soul touched him."
"The same, but I doubt he'll keep school no longer." "Is he dying?" "I'm afraid there's no doubt of it. Will you go?" "I should love to go," she cried. "Love!" he echoed, looking at her with displeasure. "You can't love to go, so talk no more nonsense, but go, and I'll give you a bawbee." "I don't want a bawbee," she said. "Do you think they will let me go in to see Ballingall?"
"Some one she had an affection for?" "My certie, no! I'm afraid it is long since anybody had an affection for shilpit, hirpling, old Ballingall, and as for this lassie Grizel, she had never spoken to him until I sent her on an errand to his house a week ago. Most lassies of her age skirl to get away from the presence of death, but she prigged, sir, fairly prigged, to get into it!"
Well, it appears that Grizel had prigged with the women to let her be present at Ballingall's straiking, and they had refused." "I should think so," exclaimed McQueen, with a shudder. "But that's not all. She came to me in her difficulty, and said that if I didna promise her this privilege she would nurse Ballingall no more." "Ugh! That shows at least that pity for him had not influenced her."
"Ah," said McLean, "then perhaps I was uncharitable, and the nurse's instinct is the true explanation." "No, you're wrong again, though I might have been taken in as well as you but for the one thing I spoke of. Three days ago Ballingall had a ghost of a chance of pulling through, I thought, and I told the lassie that if he did, the credit would be mainly hers.
The reason she sat so much with Ballingall was just to find out what doctors did to dying people to make them live a little longer, and she watched his straiking to be able to do it to her mamma when the time came. She was sure none of the women would consent to straik her mamma.
"There's no love lost between us," he replied, "for I think you're the dourest lassie I ever clapped eyes on, but there's no other litlin handy, so you must do as you are bid, and take this bottle to Ballingall's." "Is it a medicine bottle?" she asked, with sudden interest. "Yes, it's medicine. Do you know Ballingall's house in the West town end?" "Ballingall who has the little school?"
But she was used to standing up to hard men, and she answered, defiantly: "I did mean to tell you, that day you sent me with the bottle to Ballingall, I was waiting at the surgery door to tell you, but you were cruel, you said I was a thief, and then how could I tell you?"
"No, she cared not a doit for him. I question if she's the kind that could care for anyone. It's plain by her thrawn look when you speak to her about her mother that she has no affection even for her. However, there she was, prepared to leave Ballingall to his fate if I did not grant her request, and I had to yield to her." "You promised?"
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