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 , Davie , in things immaterial , '' said he . `` Bear ye this in mind , that , though gentle born , ye have had a country rearing . Dinnae shame us , Davie , dinnae shame us ! In yon great , muckle house , with all these domestics , upper and under , show yourself as nice , as circumspect , as quick at the conception , and as slow of speech as any . As for the laird -- remember he 's the laird ; I say no more : honour to whom honour . It 's a pleasure to obey a laird ; or should be , to the young . '' `` Well , sir , '' said I , `` it may be ; and I 'll promise you I 'll try to make it so . '' `` Why , very well said , '' replied Mr. Campbell , heartily . `` And now to come to the material , or -LRB- to make a quibble -RRB- to the immaterial . I have here a little packet which contains four things . '' He tugged it , as he spoke , and with some great difficulty , from the skirt pocket of his coat . `` Of these four things , the first is your legal due : the little pickle money for your father 's books and plenishing , which I have bought -LRB- as I have explained from the first -RRB- in the design of re-selling at a profit to the incoming dominie . The other three are gifties that Mrs. Campbell and myself would be blithe of your acceptance .
The first , which is round , will likely please ye best at the first off-go ; but , O XXXXX , laddie , it 's but a drop of water in the sea ; it 'll help you but a step , and vanish like the morning .
Cramond Davie days dominie first laddie re-selling risp soople trackside