ndmuir.

After what the Provost described "as a few preliminary remarks"--they
lasted half an hour--he called on Mr. Wilson to address the meeting.
Wilson descanted on the benefits that would accrue to Barbie if it got
the railway, and on the needcessity for a "long pull, and a strong pull,
and a pull all together"--a phrase which he repeated many times in the
course of his address. He sat down at last amid thunders of applause.

"There's no needcessity for me to make a loang speech," said the
Provost.

"Hear, hear!" said Gourlay, and the meeting was unkind enough to laugh.

"Order, order!" cried Wilson perkily.

"As I was saying when I was grossly interrupted," fumed the Provost,
"there's no needcessity for me to make a loang speech. I had thoat we
were a-all agreed on the desirabeelity of the rileway coming in our
direction. I had thoat, after the able--I must say the very able--speech
of Mr. Wilson, that there wasn't a man in this room so shtupid as to
utter a word of dishapproval. I had thoat we might prosheed at woance to
elect a deputation. I had thoat we would get the name of everybody here
for the great petition we mean to send the Pow-ers. I had thoat it was
all, so to shpeak, a foregone conclusion. But it seems I was mistaken,
ladies and gentlemen--or rather, I oat to say gentlemen, for I believe
there are no ladies present. Yass, it seems I was mistaken. It may be
there are some who would like to keep Barbie going on in the oald way
which they found so much to their advantage. It may be there are some
who regret a change that will put an end to their chances of
tyraneezin'. It may be there are some who know themselves so shtupid
that they fear the new condeetions of trade the railway's bound to
bring."--Here Wilson rose and whispered in his ear, and the people
watched them, wondering what hint J. W. was passing to the Provost. The
Provost leaned with pompous gravity toward his monitor, hand at ear to
catch the treasured words. He nodded and resumed.--"Now, gentlemen, as
Mr. Wilson said, this is a case that needs a loang pull, and a stroang
pull, and a pull all together. We must be unanimous. It will _noat_ do
to show ourselves divided among ourselves. Therefore I think we oat to
have expressions of opinion from some of our leading townsmen. That will
show how far we are unanimous. I had thoat there could be only one
opinion, and that we might prosheed at once with the petition. But it
seems I was wroang.