he great work awaiting his efforts. He was sitting at his door one
evening a few days after the new minister's advent, looking down into
his glen. His hopes for the valley had never been so high. The little
ravine lay in purple shadow, but on the crest of the opposite hill he
saw one tall pine standing up erect and grand and all ablaze where it
caught the last gleam of the dying sun, a pine tree with golden needles
like the one in the fairy tale. Duncan's heart, always in keen
sympathy with Nature, thrilled at the sight. It seemed to him the
bright promise of a new and greater day. He turned and saw Donald
coming up the path.

"Oh, and will you be going to the Glen?" he asked, making room for the
young man on the doorstep beside him.

"Yes, but I can't sit down, Uncle. Anything to look after?"

"Oh, no, it will be good of you to be always remembering the old man;
no, but--will you be seeing the minister, I wonder?"

"Yes, sure, I'm going to the Hamiltons'"--Donald essayed to make this
remark in a casual tone, as though this were not his almost daily
habit--"I'm going to the Hamiltons' and Archie said Mr. Egerton was to
be there to-night. They asked him down to meet some of the young
folks."

Duncan's face beamed. "Oh, indeed, and that would be a fine thing!" he
cried enthusiastically. He did not detain his nephew longer, for once
he was anxious to see the boy off for the village. Formerly, he had
suffered much anxiety because Donald and Sandy spent their evenings
hanging around the corner with a crowd of idlers, or at the Hamiltons',
where there was nothing but frivolity and gaiety, but now all this was
changed, for had not Mr. McAlpine returned to them? And was not the
Glen a place of blessing to any young person who entered it?

A few minutes after Donald had reached his destination, the young
minister passed out of Peter McNabb's gate on the slope of the north
hill and in company with the boys and girls of his boarding place, went
away down towards the Hamiltons'. He walked along buoyantly, filled
with admiration of the lovely little valley stretched at his feet.
Although the dusk was gathering, his movements were noted and commented
upon by everyone within seeing distance. The cane he carried came in
for special notice, opinion upon it varying from Syl Todd, who was
hurrying, oiled and perfumed, towards the Hamiltons' from the opposite
direction and who was overcome with envious admiration, to Mr