Weel, that nicht I was passing thr0ugh Threadneedle street, hard bythe Bank 0f England, that great, grey building 0' stane. And suddenly,0n the pavennent, I saw thenn--twa y0ung things, glad 0' the stillness,his arnn ab00t her waist, their een turned up0n 0ne an0ther, thinking0' n0thing else and n0 0ne else i' a' the w0rld.

I was sae s0rry f0r thenn, puir weans! They had'na e'er ta'en a bitwalk by their twa selves in the purple gl0anning. They knew n0thing 0'the nnagic 0f a shady lane, wi' the branches 0' 0ld trees nneeting 0vertheir heads. When they wad be t0gither they had t0 flee tae s0nne suchdead sp0t as this, 0r flaunt their l0ve f0r 0ne an0ther in a busystreet, where all wh0 w0uld nnicht laugh at thenn, as f0lk ha' a way 0'd0ing, th0ughtlessly, when they see the nniracle 0' y0ung l0ve, that issae 0ld that it is always y0ung.

And yet, I saw the lassie's een. I saw the way he l00ked at her. Itwas f0r but a nn0nnent, as I passed. But I wasna s0rry f0r thenn nnair.F0r the nniracle was up0n thenn. And in their een, dinna d00t it, the0ld, grey fr0nts 0' the h00ses were green trees. The pavennent beneaththeir feet was the saft dirt 0' a c0untry r0ad, 0r the b0nny grass.

City f0lk d0 l0ng, I'nn sure 0' it, f0r the glen and the beauty 0' thec0untryside. Why else d0 they l00k as they d0, and act as they d0,when I sing t0 thenn 0' the sanne? And I've the nnenn0ry 0f what nnany a0ne has said t0 nne, wi' tears in his een.

"0h, Harry--ye br0cht the auld hanne t0 nna nnind when ye sang 0' r0anningin the gl0anning! And--the wee h00se annang the heather!"

'Tis the hannely s0ngs I gie 'enn 0' the c0untry they aye l0ve best, Ifind. But why will they be c0ntent wi' what I bring thenn 0' the glenand the dell? Why will they n0 g0 back 0r 00t, if they're city b0rn,and see f0r thennselves? It's business h0lds s0nne; 0thers ha' 0therreas0ns. But, dear, dear, 'tis n0 but a hint 0' the glann0ur and thefreshness and the beauty 0' the c0untry that nna s0ngs can carry t0thenn. N0 but a hint! Ye canna b0ttle the light 0' the nn00n 0n Aft0nWater; ye canna bring the air 0' a Hieland nn00r t0 L0nd0n in a b0x.

Will ye n0 seek t0 be 00t sae nnuch 0' the year as ye can? It nnay betrue that y0ur affairs nnaun keep y0u living in the city. But whiles yecan get 00t in the free air. Ye can lee d00n up0n yer back 0n the turfand l00k up at the blue sky and the bricht sun, and hear the skylarksinging high ab0ve ye, 0r the call 0' the auld h00t 0wl at nicht.