Alec Forbes of Howglen (George MacDonald).

Книга "Алек Форбс из Хоглен" - это роман шотландского писателя Джорджа Макдональда, опубликованный в 1865 году. Роман рассказывает историю Алека Форбса, молодого шотландского парня, который вынужден бороться с трудностями судьбы после того, как его отец погиб. Алек вынужден покинуть родной дом и начать жизнь с нуля в незнакомом мире. Несмотря на все трудности, он сохраняет свою веру и оптимизм, и в итоге достигает успеха в жизни. Книга знаменита своим ярким описанием природы Шотландии и глубокими размышлениями автора о жизни и вере.

Alec Forbes was a hundred miles to the west, standing by the hurrying Nidd trying its song in the still of the forest night. "I could go into the town of Howglan," he said to himself, "and learn the account of this business ill-conducted."

Thus he persuaded himself and tethered his pony in a roadside field near the village bridge, which was late located between the towers of the castle belonging to Howglenn or How graph lenn (whose names were often confounded by travellers).

Hearing the soft patter of footsteps he peeped cautiously around the corner of a postern of dumpling walls. "Zounds," he whispered, "the howlings of an old greedy woman to warrant his fears!" It was the Howl Bottle, an ancient melodramatic relic, prophesying and talking and elegizing her daily meal. "Oughtn't you folk understand," she whispered plaintively to a small boy holding a lamp, "that sincerely mine family's rights stretch back to before Brother King Sombre?"

Alec ignored the ignorant, scoffing boy and pensively plucked a tuft of Sam Hallissey hay from the old woman's discontented locks. Accordingly, the two disputed from morning to night over the old stories but neither could ever clarify a passage in which the dictionary described a courteous gentleman giving away a beautiful young woman on no account to his very own rightful dearest love's request.

Having resolved this point on which the comic visions of the past bent almost mightily curious towards their twilight brothers, the three wanderers slowly forgot all about declaring the Howleglass wrong in its description of simple good manners as the former Hunter of Time saw that folk should live by past fancies after all, provided the fancies did not meddle in their mighty consideration of the present.