sisters were met to edify one another--it was not, as
the minister said, those who were best fitted for it who were the
readiest to claim the right or the privilege, whichever it might be
called; and as for him, he was not urgent about the matter, either to
encourage or restrain.

The brethren, as a rule, were ready enough to fill up the time with
exhortation or discussion, and might have been in danger sometimes of
becoming too eager and energetic in their utterances if Mr Hume had
not, with equal gentleness and firmness, exercised his right to rule
among them. To-night the folk had their Testaments open at one of the
chapters of Galatians, and when Allison's attention was first caught,
the word was being passed backward and forward between Peter Gilchrist,
one of the staunchest supporters of the little kirk, and old Saunners
Crombie, staunch, too, in his way. Peter had grown both in knowledge
and in grace since the day when he had become a friend of the minister,
and he could take his part with the rest. He had "grown mair in gress
than in knowledge, if sic a thing were possible," his friendly opponent,
Saunners, declared.

And in Saunners' sense it was perhaps true. For "hair-splitting" and
the art of finding and formulating distinctions where no real difference
exists, to be learned well, must be learned young, and Peter's
simplicity and common sense, which did him good service at other times,
were rather apt to be at fault when "tackled by auld Saunners and his
meta_pheesics_."

The subject under discussion to-night was the "old law" (la, like the
sixth musical note), and its relation to the life and duty of those who
had the privilege of living under the new dispensation of grace, and it
had fallen, for the most part, to these two to discuss it. The
minister's turn would come next; but in the meantime auld Saunners, with
his elbows on his knees, and his Bible held faraway from his too
youthful horn spectacles, laid down the law in a high, monotonous voice,
never for a moment suffering himself to be disturbed by the frequent but
timid interruptions of Peter, till his own say should be said. Peter
fidgeted on his seat and appealed to the minister with his eyes. But
the minister only smiled and nodded and bided his time.

How earnest they were, Allie thought. It was a great matter to them,
apparently. Yes, and to the rest as well. For all the folk were
looking and listening, and some nodded an approval