s from enemy invasion. These
things wrought in old McTavish an uncontrollable anger, and no sooner
had the tumultuous applause died away than he was on his feet and in a
high, rasping voice demanding audience.

"Will ye per-r-rmit me, Mr. Chair-r-rman, a few words in regar-r-d
to the remarkable address to which we haf listened?" Permission was
graciously granted by the chairman, surprise and complaisant delight
mantling the steaming face of Mr. Alvin P. Jones, albeit at his heart
there lurked a certain uneasiness, for on more than one occasion had he
suffered under the merciless heckling of the little Scotchman.

"'Tis a wonderful address we haf been hearing, an eloquent address. Some
of it iss true an' some of it iss lies [commotion in the audience--the
smile on Mr. Alvin P. Jones's face slightly less expansive]. The speaker
has told us about Canada, its great extent, its vast r-r-resources.
Some of us haf known about these things while yet his mother was
still sucking him [snickers of delight from the younger members of the
audience and cries of, 'Go to it, Mack]. 'Tis a great Dominion whatefer
and will be a gr-r-reater Dominion yet so lang as it keeps to right
ways. He has told us of the mighty achievements of Cher-r-rmany. I will
jist be askin' him what has Cher-r-rmany done for this country or for
any country but her ainsel? She has cluttered us up wi' pot-metal,
cutlery an' such things, an' cheap cloth that ye can put yer finger
through, an' that will be done in a month's wear-r-ring. Musick, ye'll
be sayin'! Musick! I was in Calgary not long since. They took me to what
they will be callin' a music-kale [delighted roars of laughter from the
audience]. A music-kale indeed! I haf hear-r-rd of cauld kale an' het
kale, of kale porridge an' kale brose, but nefer haf I hear-r-rd before
of a music-kale. Bless me, man, I cud make neither head nor tail o' it,
and they wer-r-re no better themsel's. They had printed notes about it
an' a bit man makin' a speech about it, but not one of them knew a
thing about the hale hypotheck. Musick, quare musick I call it! If it
is musick yer wantin', gif me Angus there wi' the pipes [wild cheers
testifying to Angus's popularity] or the master-r-r himsel' an' the
young lady here [this with a courteous bow to Miss Switzer] wi' their
feeddles. That's what I will be callin' musick. An' lairnin'! Lairnin'
that will lay sacraleegious hands upon the Sacred Word, an' tear-r-r it
to bits. That l