er, always carry the sword, but bore himself gently
to young people so long as they did not misbehave in church, and he had
a very tender heart toward probationers, as being callow members of
that great ecclesiastical guild in which he was one of the heads.

When one of those innocents came to take the Doctor's place, John used
to go in to visit them in the dining-room on Saturday evening, partly
to temper the severity of his wife, Dr. Davidson's housekeeper, who
dealt hardly with the lads, and partly to assist them with practical
hints regarding pulpit deportment and the delivery of their sermons.
One unfortunate was so nervous and clinging that John arranged his
remarks for him into heads--with an application to two classes--and
then, having suggested many points, stopped under the yew arch that
divided the kirkyard from the manse garden, and turned on the shaking
figure which followed.

"Ae thing mair; aifter ye 're dune wi' yir sermon, whether ye 're
sweatin' or no, for ony sake fa' back in yir seat and dicht (wipe) yir
broo," which being done by the exhausted orator, made a great
impression on the people, and was so spread abroad that a year
afterwards it won for him the parish of Pitscowrie.

CHAPTER XIV.

A MODERATE.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Davidson, minister of Drumtochty, stood
exactly five feet nine in his boots, and was therefore a man of quite
moderate height; but this is not what you had dared to state to any
loyal and self-respecting person in the parish. For "the Doctor"--what
suggestions of respect and love were in that title on a Drumtochty
tongue--was so compactly made and bore himself with such dignity, both
in walk and conversation, that Drumsheugh, although not unaccustomed to
measurement and a man of scrupulous accuracy, being put into the
witness-box, would have sworn that Dr. Davidson was "aboot sax feet aff
and on--maybe half an inch mair, standin' at his full hicht in the
pulpit." Which fond delusion seemed to declare abroad, as in a
parable, the greatness of the Doctor.

Providence had dealt bountifully with Dr. Davidson, and had bestowed on
him the largest benefit of heredity. He was not the first of his house
to hold this high place of parish minister--the only absolute monarchy
in the land--and he must not receive over-praise for not falling into
those personal awkwardnesses and petty tyrannies which are the
infallible signs of one called suddenly to the throne. His were