ever so tired--"

"Will ye lippen her to me? I have carried Marjorie many a time," said
John Beaton, coming forward and holding out his arms.

Allison raised her eyes to his for an instant, and then--not with a
smile, but with a sudden faint brightening of the whole face, better to
see than any smile, John thought--she put the child in his arms.

"Ay, I think I may lippen her to you, since ye have carried her before."

So the child was wrapped warmly, and was well content.

"And as ye have the cairt, and I'm not needed with the bairns, I'll awa'
hame, where my work is waiting me," said Allison to Robin, and she lost
no time.

They saw her appearing and disappearing, as she kept her way among the
heather for a while; and then John Beaton said, with a long breath, that
they would need to go. So the mistress was made comfortable in the cart
with as many of the little ones as could be packed into it, and Robin
took the reins. The rest of them went down the hill in a body, and all
got safely home at last. And the happiest of them all was Marjorie when
John laid her tired, but smiling and content, upon her little couch.

"Oh, mother! it's fine to be like the other bairns. I have had such a
happy day. And, mother," she whispered, as her mother bent over her,
undoing her wraps, "you'll need to ask John to stay to tea."

But John would not stay. He must take tea with his mother this first
night, he said, which Marjorie owned was but right. So he went away.
He came back again to worship, however, after Marjorie was in bed.

Peter Gilchrist was there too, and Saunners Crombie. It was a way the
folk o' the little kirk had, to time their business at the smithy or the
mill, so as to be able to drop in at the usual hour for family worship
at the manse. At such times there was rather apt to be "lang worship,"
not always so welcome to the tired lads as to the visitors, and to-night
Jack and Davie murmured audibly to their mother when the chapter was
given out.

For the chapter was about Jacob seeking for his father's blessing, and
the lads felt that Peter and Saunners might keep on to any length about
him. And so it proved. Decided opinions were expressed and maintained
as eagerly as though each one present had a personal interest in the
matter. Peter Gilchrist had his misgivings about Jacob. He was "a
pawkie lad" in Peter's estimation--"nae just fair forth the gait in his
dealings with his brother, and even waur