I’LL NO TRUST YE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Tuesday, November 18, 1884

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 61, No. 46

“I’LL NO TRUST YE.”

Two centuries ago, in the Highlands of Scotland, to ask for a receipt or promissory note was thought an insult. If parties had business matters to transact, they stepped into the air, fixed their eyes upon the heavens, and each repeated his obligation without mortal witness. A mark was then carved upon some rock or tree near by, as a remembrance of the compact. Such a thing as a breach of contract was rarely met with, so highly did the people regard their honor.

When the march of improvement brought the new mode of doing business, they were often pained by these innovations. An anecdote is handed down of a farmer who had been to the Lowlands and learned worldly wisdom. On returning to his native parish he had need of a sum of money, and made bold to ask a loan from a gentleman of means named Stewart. This was kindly granted, and Mr. Stewart counted out the gold. This done, the farmer wrote a receipt and handed it to Stewart.

“What is this, man?” cried Mr. Stewart, eying the slip of paper.

“It’s a receipt, sir, binding me to give ye back the gold at the right time,” replied Sandy.

“Binding ye! Weel, my man, if ye canna trust yerself, I’m sure I’ll no trust ye. Ye canna have my gold.” And gathering it up, he put it back in his desk and turned the key upon it.

“But, sir, I might die,” replied the canny Scotchman, bringing up an argument in favor of his new wisdom, “and perhaps my sons might refuse it you, but the bit of paper would compel them.”

“Compel them to sustain a dead father’s honor!” cried the Celt. “They’ll need compelling to do right if this is the road ye’re leading them. Ye can gang elsewhere for money; but you’ll find none in the parish that’ll put more faith in a bit o’ paper than in a neighbor’s word o’ honor and his fear o’ God.”—Religious Intelligencer.