Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog, Oscar (2).pdf/14



14 came from his hiding place, wagged his tail, licked Duncan's hand, and returned to his death-bed. Duncan and I lamented him with unfeigned sorrow, buried him below the old rowan tree at the back of my father's garden, placing a square stone at his head, which was still standing the last time I was there. With great labour, we composed an epitaph between us, which was once carved on that stone: the metre was good, but the stone was so hard, and the engraving so faint, that the characters, like those of our early joys, are long ago defaced and extinct, By the time that we were recalled from school to herd the cows next sumner, we could both read the Bible with considerable facility, but Duncan far ex- celled me. in perspicacity; and so fond was he of reading Bible history, that the reading of it was now our constant amusement. Often have Mary, and he, and I, lain under the same plaid, by the side of the corn or meadow, and read chapter about on the Bible for hours together, weeping over the fail- ings and fall of good men, and wondering at the in- conceivable might of the heroes of antiquity. Never was man so delighted as Duncan was when he came to the history of Sampson, and afterwards of David and Goliah; he could not be satisfied until he had read it with every indivdual with whom he was ac- quainted, judging it to be as new and as interesting to every one as it was to himself, I have seen him standing by the girls as they were milking the cows reading to them the feats of Sampson; and, in short, harassing every man and woman, about the hamlet, for audience. On Sundays, my parents accom- panied us to the fields, and joined in our delightful exercise. Time passed away, and so also did our youthful