Friend Mac Donald

g-room.-Scots of the Old School.-Departure of the Whisky and Arrival of the Bible.-The Nigh

s when the Scotch host broke the glasses off at the ste

ld times, when it was thought a slight to your host

rotégé, who was a candidate for a vacant post, by adding at the foot of his p

table diminishing, although no one had left the room. He set himself to solve the mystery, and soon discovered that they had rolled under the table, one after the other. A brig

lessly drunk, he sl

e victims of this Scot's hospitality, wh

t?" asked

oice at his ear; "I am the

hen lay patiently waiting till the s

s of the house withdrew to their rooms and locked themselves in, to escape from the drunken hu

Venus half-nay, one tenth-of the time that they consecrate to B

is full of, comes up as the whisky goes down; so that when the said whisky has flo

evening is pas

erved, and an hour or so passed in conversation and music. At eleven, the gentlemen return to the dining-room or go to the library. Whisky and cigars are brought, and the fête begins. Several times, when the maste

e al

shoul

n, are you not? Come and pass

othing to d

excuses to avoid this p

" I mildly suggested once or twice, "o

g to bear more serious reaso

almost every day, and I am a

endering me ridiculous in the eyes of tho

ps those Fre

oddy; and by just taking a sip every quarter of an hour, make it l

row long and solemn to match: it is the Bible rising to the surface. Soon it floats-as I explained just now-and conversation starts again on theology. Each has his own manner of interpreting the Scriptures, and burns to explain it t

ests are well emptied of theology, everyone takes his nightcap-the signal for breaking up. The nightcap is generally the little whisky left in the decanter; to d

ei

r eyes for the night. Thank goodness, your host, in his solicitude, has foreseen the difficulty. At seven o'clock, a horrible din makes you start up in bed and tremble from head to foot. It is a servant sounding the gong-a sort of tam-tam of Chinese invention-which fills the house with a noise fit to make you reproduce all the contortio

as bright as the lark. Nothing on their faces betray the libations of

have often exclaimed to myself. "W