y curtained sanctuary came a profaning
sound; a clear, joyous shout rang through the sacred aisles; and, down
the narrow pathway, leaping over fallen logs, whipping aside the laden
branches and scattering their snow-crowns in a whirling mist about him,
destroying, in his ruthless progress, both the sanctity and the beauty
of the place, came a human figure, a little figure, straight and
sturdy, and as lithe and active as any other wild, forest-creature.
His small, red-mittened hands, the scarlet woollen scarf about his
neck, and his rosy cheeks made a bold dash of colour in the sombre
gloom, as his abounding life disturbed the winter death-sleep.

On he came, leaping from log to log like a hare, and setting the
stately forest arches ringing to a rollicking Scottish song, tuneful
and incongruous,--

"Wi' a hundred pipers an' a', an' a',
Wi' a hundred pipers an' a', an' a',
We'll up an gie them a blaw, a blaw!
Wi' a hundred pipers an' a', an' a'!"

But as he plunged down the hill into the grey depths he suddenly ceased
singing. The awe of the place touched his child's spirit. Reared in
the forest though he had been, he suddenly felt strangely unfamiliar
with his surroundings. He had never before experienced anything like
fear in the woods. The rigours of seven Canadian winters had bred a
hardy spirit in this little backwoodsman, and besides what was there to
dread in the forest? It had been his playground ever since he was
first able to steal away from Granny and toddle off to "the bush" to
gather blue flags and poke up the goggle-eyed frogs from their fragrant
musk-pools. But here was something unfamiliar; a strange uncanny place
the swamp seemed to-day; and, being Nature's intimate, he fell into
sudden sympathy with her awe-stricken mood.

He sped silently forward, glancing fearfully down the dim, shadowy
aisles, so ghostly, so mysterious, dreading he knew not what.

"Eh, eh, it will be a fearsome place," he whispered. "It's jist,--eh,
it must be the 'valley of the shadow'!" And then he suddenly
remembered the psalm that Granny had taught him as soon as he could
speak,--

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me."

He whispered it over from beginning to end, not because he comprehended
its meaning as applied to his case, but because it was associated with
Granny and all things good, and, therefore, gave him a sense of
comfor