t is
perhaps needless to say that before Francesca had been in Edinburgh
a fortnight she asked Mr. Macdonald if it were true that the Scots
continued coining the farthing for years and years, merely to have a
piece of money serviceable for church offerings!

As to social differences in the congregations we are somewhat at sea.
We tried to arrive at a conclusion by the hats and bonnets, than
which there is usually no more infallible test. On our first Sunday
we attended the Free Kirk in the morning, and the Established in the
evening. The bonnets of the Free Kirk were so much the more elegant that
we said to one another, "This is evidently the church of society, though
the adjective 'Free' should by rights attract the masses." On the
second Sunday we reversed the order of things, and found the Established
bonnets much finer than the Free bonnets, which was a source of
mystification to us, until we discovered that it was a question of
morning or evening service, not of the form of Presbyterianism. We
think, on the whole, that, taking town and country congregations
together, millinery has not flourished under Presbyterianism,--it seems
to thrive better in the Romish atmosphere of France; but the Disruption
at least, has had nothing to answer for in the matter, as it appears
simply to have parted the bonnets of Scotland in twain, as Moses divided
the Red Sea, and left good and evil on both sides.

I can never forget our first military service at St. Giles'. We left
Breadalbane Terrace before nine in the morning and walked along the
beautiful curve of street that sweeps around the base of the Castle
Rock,--walked on through the poverty and squalor of the High Street,
keeping in view the beautiful lantern tower as a guiding-star, till we
heard

'The murmur of the city crowd;
And, from his steeple, jingling loud,
St. Giles's mingling din.'

We joined the throng outside the venerable church, and awaited the
approach of the soldiers from the Castle parade-ground; for it is
from there they march in detachments to the church of their choice. A
religion they must have, and if, when called up and questioned about it,
they have forgotten to provide themselves, or have no preference as to
form of worship, they are assigned to one by the person in authority.
When the regiments are assembled on the parade-ground of a Sunday
morning, the first command is, 'Church of Scotland, right about face,
quick march!'--the bodies of