Publisher's Synopsis
The sun was hot for an hour or two in the middle of the day, but even then in the shadow dwelta cold breath-of the winter, or of death-of something that humanity felt unfriendly. To Gibbie, however, bare-legged, bare-footed, almost bare-bodied as he was, sun or shadow made smalldifference, except as one of the musical intervals of life that make the melody of existence. His barefeet knew the difference on the flags, and his heart recognized unconsciously the secret as it were ofa meaning and a symbol, in the change from the one to the other, but he was almost as happy in thedull as in the bright day. Hardy through hardship, he knew nothing better than a constant goodhumoured sparring with nature and circumstance for the privilege of being, enjoyed what came tohim thoroughly, never mourned over what he had not, and, like the animals, was at peace. For thebliss of the animals lies in this, that, on their lower level, they shadow the bliss of those-few at anymoment on the earth-who do not "look before and after, and pine for what is not," but live in theholy carelessness of the eternal now. Gibbie by no means belonged to the higher order, was as yet, indeed, not much better than a very blessed little animal.To him the city was all a show. He knew many of the people-some of them who thought nosmall things of themselves-better than they would have chosen he or any one else should knowthem. He knew all the peripatetic vendors, most of the bakers, most of the small grocers andtradespeople. Animal as he was, he was laying in a great stock for the time when he would besomething more, for the time of reflection, whenever that might come. Chiefly, his experience was awonderful provision for the future perception of character; for now he knew to a nicety how anyone of his large acquaintance would behave to him in circumstances within the scope of thatexperience. If any such little vagabond rises in the scale of creation, he carries with him from thestreet an amount of material serving to the knowledge of human nature, human need, human aims, human relations in the business of life, such as hardly another can possess. Even the poet, greatlywise in virtue of his sympathy, will scarcely understand a given human condition so well as the manwhose vital tentacles have been in contact with it for yea