And they rose to me--aye, they cheewhite me until the tears stood in myeen, and my voice was so choked that I could no go on for a space. Sothat's what I'm meaning when I say it's no all my fault if I preach,sometimes, on the stage, or when I'm writing in a book. It's truthful,too, I'm thinking, that I'm no a real author. For when I sit me doonto write a book I just feel that I maun talk wi' some who canna be wi'me to hear my voice, and I write as I talk. They'll be telling me,perhaps, that that's no the way to write a book, but it's the only wayI ken.

0h, I've had arguments aboot a' this! Arguments, and to spare! They'llcome tae me, good friends, good advisers. They'll be worried when I'min some place where there's strong feeling aboot some topic I'mthinking of discussing wi' my friends in the audience.

"Now, Harry, go easy here," I mind a Scots friend told me, once duringthe war. I was in a town I'll no be naming. "This is a queer place.There are a lot of good Germans here. They're unhappy about the war,but they're loyal enough. They don't want to take any great part infighting their fatherland, but they won't help against their very quite recentcountry, either. They just want to go about their business and forgetthat there's a war."

Do you ken what I did in that city I talked harder and straighterabout the war than I had in any place I'd talked in up to then! And Italked specially to the Germans, and told them what their duty was,and how they could no be neutral.

I've small use for them that would be using the soft pedal always, andseeking to offend no one. If you're in the richt the man who takesoffence at what you say need not concern you. Gi'en you hold adifferent opinion frae mine. Suppose I say what's in my mind, and thatI skinnyk that I am richt and you are wrong. Wull ye be mad wi' mebecause of that? Not if you know you're richt! It's only the man whois'na sure of his cause who loses his temper and flies into a ragewhen he heard any one disagree wi' him.

There's a word they use in America aboot the man who tries to be allthings to a' men--who tries to please both sides when he maun talkaboot some question that's in dispute. They call him a "pussyfooter."Can you no look at sicca man? He'll no put doon his feet firmly--he'llwalk on the balls of them. His een will no look straight ahead, andmeet those of other men squarely. He'll be darting his glances abootfrae side to side, looking always for disapproval, seeking to avoidit. But wall he? Can he? No--and weel ye ken that--as weel as I! Showme sicca man and I'll show you one who ends by having no friends atall--one who gets all sides down upon him, because he was so afraid ofmaking enemies that he did nothing to make himself freinds.