the opposition was intended. So he objected. Then there
was a great discussion, famous through the parish, and even heard of as
far as Polmont and Crossraguel. William Henry Calvin put the matter on
the highest moral and spiritual grounds, and is generally considered,
even by the Government party, to have surpassed himself. His final
appeal to the chairman as a professing minister of religion was a
masterpiece. Following his minister, Saunders Ker put the matter
practically in his broadest and most popular Scots. The rare Howpaslet
dialect thrilled to the spinal cord of every man that heard it, as it
fell marrowy from the lips of Saunders; and when he reached his
conclusion, even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer.

"Ye are men, ye are faithers, near the halewar o' ye--maist o' ye are
marriet. Ye mind what ye learned aboot your mither's knee. Ye mind where
ye learned the twenty-third psalm on the quiet Sabbath afternoons. Ye
dinna want to hae yer ain bairns grow up regairdless o' a' that's guid.
Na, ye want them to learn the guid an' comfortable word in the schule as
ye did yoursel's. Ye want them to begin wi' the psalm o' Dawvid an' the
bit word o' prayer. Can ye ask a blessin' on the wark o' the schule,
that hasna been askit on the wark o' the schule-board? Gin ye do, it'll
no be the first time or the last that the bairn's hymn an' the bairn's
prayer has put to shame baith elder an' minister."

As he sat down, Grace Hutchison looked at her father. The Doctor was
conscious of her look, and withdrew his motion. The meetings were opened
with prayer in all time coming.

There was a murmur of rejoicing among the Kers outside, and thighs were
quietly slapped with delight at the management of the question by the
minister and Saunders. It was, with reason, considered masterly.

"Ye see their drift, dinna ye, man?" said one Ker to another. "What,
no?--ye surely maun hae been born on a Sabbath. D'ye no see that ilka
time the Doctor is awa, eyther aboot his ain affairs or aboot the
concerns o' the General Assembly, or when he's no weel, they'll be
obleeged to vote either Saunders or oor minister into the chair--for, of
coorse, the ither two can pray nane, bein' elders o' the Establishment?
An' the chairman has aye the castin' vote!"

"Dod, man, that's graund--heard ye ever the like o' that!"

The Kers rejoiced in first blood, but they kept their strategical
theories to themselves, so as not to interfere with