Donal Grant

s a lovely morning. His prospect was the curious old main street of the town. The sun that had shone into it was now shining from the other side, but not a shadow of living creature f

his pipe! "Why does he not work here rather than in the archway?" thought Donal. But, dearly as he loved flowers and light and the free air of the garden, the old cobbler loved the faces of his kind better. His prayer for forty years had been to be made like his master; and if that prayer was not answer

"above the smoke and stir of this dim spot," a region where life is good even with its sorrow. The man who sees his disappointment beneath him, is more blessed than he who rejoices in fruition. Then prayer awoke, and in the light of that morning of peace he drew nigh the living one, and knew him as the source of his being. Weary with blessedness he leaned against the

he thought, "-a Godlik

glory to God by doing his will: the sweetest and most acceptable music is that which rises from work a doing; its incense ascends as from the river in its flowing

ess cratur, An'rew Comin, at his w

l be an ill day for him whan he has to appear afore the je

e former; "it'll be a sa

was approaching them with the request on his lips to know which of the Lord's commandments they supposed the

him to breakfast-the simplest of meals-porridge, with a cup of tea after

. "Ye'll fin' them a better job nor ye expeckit.

ut them on, and felt

ecooliar aboot gaein' to the kirk! Some days he'll gang three times, an' some days he winna gang ance!-He kens himsel' what

I want to gang wi' oor

e dinna care to gang

ae ken ane anither better, an' maybe come a bit nearer ane anither, an' sa

to me. O' my ain sel' I wad be doobtfu' o' sic a rizzon

n' my God. But whan there's ane to talk it ower wi', ane 'at has some care for God as weel's for himsel', there's some guid sure to come oot o' '

n' I thank ye: they'r

nin'; whan ye gang to the kirk it's

ower muckle o' the word!" said his wife, anxio

e tak abune what ye put in practice the better; an' gien the thing said hae naething to du wi' practice, the less ye heed it the better.-Gien ye hae dune yer brakfast, sir, we'll gang-no 'at it's freely kirk-time yet, but

colour, having indued an ancient tail-coat of blue with gilt buttons, they set out together; and for their conversation, i

of good, they are in general exposed. Beyond the stream lay a level plain stretching towards the sea, divided into numberless fields, and dotted with farmhouses and hamlets. On the side where the friends were walking, the ground was more broken, rising in places into small hills, many of them wooded. Half a mile away was one of a conical shape, on whose top towered a castle. Old and gray and sulle

questioned Donal. "It maun b

her. The last lord, no upo' the main brainch, they tell me, spelled his name wi' the diphthong, an' wasna willin' to gie't up a'thegither-sae tuik the twa o' them. You 's whaur yoong Eppy 's at service.-An' that min's me, sir, ye haena tellt me yet what kin' o' a plac

hough I hae learned mair frae my ain needs than frae a' my buiks; sae i wad raither till the huma

maister ane by him

-gien I saw

aboot the castel o' a tutor for the yoonges

mes home," answered Donal

he middle o' the we

ng about the people at

d 'afore han'. Ilka place has its ain shape, an' maist things has to hae s

hen Andrew spoke again,

e said, "'at maybe deith micht be

things come intil a body's heid 'at he's no able

hinkin' aboot it. He was aye at gettin' them to mak use o' the can'le o' the Lord. It's my belief the main obstacles to the growth o' the kingdom are first the oonbelief o' believers, an' syne the w'y 'at they lay doon the law. 'Afore they hae learnt the rudimen's o' the trowth themsel's, they be

olic days, rose out of it like one that had taken to growing and so got the better of his ills. They walked into the musty, dingy, brown-atmosphered house. The cobbler led the way to a humble place behi

se," remarked the cobbl

not so wide as the cobbler's: to him the discourse ha

ut new things, others none but old; whereas we

say, Anerew," said his wife; "but for mysel

er husband; "that would be to say a heap for o

aboot the mirracles no bei

's trowth '

the same I beg o'

ry watter an' roarin' win'; here was danger an' fear: the man had to trust or gang doon. Gien the hoose be on fire we maun trust; gien the watter gang ower oor heids we maun trust; gien the horse rin awa', we maun trust. Him 'at canna trust in siclike conditions, I wadna gie a plack for ony ither kin' o' faith he may hae. God 's nae a mere

say onything like

I thoucht it cam

said Donal. "But what ye say is as t

and quiet. Donal had foun