That is the place I came from , ' he said , ` and it 's where it befits that my boy should return . He is a steady lad , ' your father said , ` and a canny goer ; and I doubt not he will come safe , and be well lived where he goes . ' '' `` The house of Shaws ! '' I cried . `` What had my poor father to do with the house of Shaws ? '' `` Nay , '' said Mr. Campbell , `` who can tell that for a surety ? But the name of that family , Davie , boy , is the name you bear -- Balfours of Shaws : an ancient , honest , reputable house , peradventure in these latter days decayed . Your father , too , was a man of learning as befitted his position ; no man more plausibly conducted school ; nor had he the manner or the speech of a common dominie ; but -LRB- as ye will yourself remember -RRB- I took aye a pleasure to have him to the manse to meet the gentry ; and those of my own house , Campbell of Kilrennet , Campbell of Dunswire , Campbell of Minch , and others , all well-kenned gentlemen , had pleasure in his society . Lastly , to put all the elements of this affair before you , here is the testamentary letter itself , superscrived by the own hand of our departed brother . '' He gave me the letter , which was addressed in these words : `` To the hands of Ebenezer Balfour , Esquire , of Shaws , in his house of Shaws , these will be delivered by my son , David Balfour . '' My heart was beating hard at this great prospect now suddenly opening before a lad of seventeen years of age , the son of a poor country dominie in the Forest of Ettrick . `` Mr. Campbell , '' I stammered , `` and if you were in my shoes , would you go ? '' `` Of a surety , '' said the minister , `` that would I , and without pause . A pretty lad like you should get to Cramond -LRB- which is near in by Edinburgh -RRB- in two days of walk . If the worst came to the worst , and your high relations -LRB- as I can not but suppose them to be somewhat of your blood -RRB- should put you to the door , ye can but walk the two days back again and risp at the manse door . But I would rather hope that ye shall be well received , as your poor father forecast for you , and for anything that I ken come to be a great man in time . And here , Davie , laddie , '' he resumed , `` it lies near upon my conscience to improve this parting , and set you on the right guard against the dangers of the world . '' Here he cast about for a comfortable seat , lighted on a big boulder under a birch by the trackside , sate down upon it with a very long , serious upper lip , and the sun now shining in upon us between two peaks , put his pocket-handkerchief over his cocked hat to shelter him . There , then , with uplifted forefinger , he first put me on my guard against a considerable number of heresies , to which I had no temptation , and urged upon me to be instant in my prayers and reading of the Bible . That done , he drew a picture of the great house that I was bound to , and how I should conduct myself with its inhabitants .
`` Be soople , XXXXX , in things immaterial , '' said he .
Balfour Campbell Davie Edinburgh Esquire goer heresies peradventure risp trackside