the voice of praise arose
"like the sound of many waters." After the first verse Hamish joined,
but through it all Shenac listened; she alone was silent. With the full
tones of youth and middle age mingled the shrill, clear notes of little
children, and the cracked and trembling voices of old men and women,
dwelling and lingering on the sweet words as if they were loath to leave
them. It might not be much as music, but as praise it rose to Heaven.
Then came the prayer. Shenac thought of Jacob wrestling all night with
the angel at Jabbok, and said to herself, "As a prince he hath power
with God." Then came the reading of the Scriptures, then more singing,
and then the sermon began.

Shenac did not fall asleep when the text was read; she listened, and
looked, and wondered. There were no sleepers there that day, even old
Donald and Elspat Smith were awake and eager. Every face was turned
upward towards the minister. Many of them were unknown to Shenac; but
on those that were familiar to her an earnestness, new and strange,
seemed to rest as they listened.

What could it be? The sermon seemed to be just like other sermons, only
the minister seemed to be full of the subject, and eager to make the
truth known to the people. Shenac turned to her brother: she quite
started when she saw his face. It was not peace alone, or joy, or
triumph, but peace and joy and triumph were brightly blended on the
boy's face as he hung on the words of life spoken there that day.

"They with the fatness of thy house
Shall be well satisfied;
From rivers of thy pleasures thou
Wilt drink to them provide,"

repeated Shenac. And again it came into her mind that Hamish was
changed, and held in his heart a treasure which she did not share; and
still the words of the psalm came back:--

"Because of life the fountain pure
Remains alone with thee;
And in that purest light of thine
We clearly light shall see."

Did Hamish see that light? She looked away from her brother's fair face
to the congregation about them. Did these people see it? did old Donald
and Elspat Smith see it? did big Maggie Cairns, at whose simplicity and
queerness all the young people used to laugh, see it? Yes, even on her
plain, common face a strange, bright look seemed to rest, as she turned
it to the minister. There were other faces too with that same gleam of
brightness on them--old weather-beaten faces, some of them careworn
women's faces,