"Weel, ye see, the meanin' o' the haill ballant is no that ill to
win at, seein' the poet himsel' tells us that. It's jist no to be
proud or ill-natured to oor neebours, the beasts and birds, for God
made ane an' a' o's. But there's harder things in't nor that, and
yon's the hardest. But ye see it was jist an unlucky thochtless
deed o' the puir auld sailor's, an' I'm thinkin' he was sair
reprocht in's hert the minit he did it. His mates was fell angry at
him, no for killin' the puir innocent craytur, but for fear o' ill
luck in consequence. Syne when nane followed, they turned richt
roun', an' took awa' the character o' the puir beastie efter 'twas
deid. They appruved o' the verra thing 'at he was nae doot sorry
for.--But onything to haud aff o' themsels! Nae suner cam the calm,
than roun' they gaed again like the weathercock, an' naething wad
content them bit hingin' the deid craytur about the auld man's
craig, an' abusin' him forby. Sae ye see hoo they war a wheen
selfish crayturs, an' a hantle waur nor the man 'at was led astray
into an ill deed. But still he maun rue't. Sae Death got them, an'
a kin' o' leevin' Death, a she Death as 'twar, an' in some respecks
may be waur than the ither, got grips o' him, puir auld body! It's
a' fair and richt to the backbane o' the ballant, Maister
Sutherlan', an' that I'se uphaud."

Hugh could not help feeling considerably astonished to hear this
criticism from the lips of one whom he considered an uneducated man.
For he did not know that there are many other educations besides a
college one, some of them tending far more than that to develope the
common-sense, or faculty of judging of things by their nature. Life
intelligently met and honestly passed, is the best education of all;
except that higher one to which it is intended to lead, and to which