-where cruelty, or
dishonesty, or treachery came under his eye, or where blasphemous words
were uttered in his hearing. And there were two or three of the
evildoers of the place who had been made to feel the weight of his
words, and the weight of his hand also on occasion, and who were in the
way now of slipping down the lanes, rather than meet the minister in the
light of day.

And he was "a weel learnt man," and fair in an argument, and willing to
look at all the sides of a subject. This was Weaver Sim's opinion of
the minister, and he was an oracle in a small way among his neighbours.

"He has his ain notions and opinions, as is to be expectet o' the like
o' him. But he's a weel learnt man, and on the whole fair and liberal.
And whiles he has a twinkle in his e'e that tells that he sees some
things that ither folk canna see, and that he enjoys them."

All this had been conceded during the early years of the minister's life
in Nethermuir. He had made his own place among the town's folk since
then, and so had his wife. It was a good place, and they were worthy of
it. And it is possible that, in all Scotland, poor Allison Bain could
have found no safer refuge than she was likely to find with them.

She filled her place well--was indeed invaluable in it. But when weeks
and months had passed, her master and mistress knew nothing more of her
heart or her history than on the day when she first came among them.
But they had patience with her, and watched her with constant and kindly
oversight, and they trusted her entirely at last.

"Her trust in us will come in time," said her mistress; "and in the
meanwhile I can only be thankful that she has been sent to us, both for
her sake and ours."

It was indeed "a great relief and comfort" for Mrs Hume to know that a
wise head and capable hands were between her and many of her household
cares. For what with her husband, and her six sons, and her frail
little daughter, and the making, and mending, and thinking for them all,
her days were sometimes over-full.

To the minister his wife was hands, and eyes, and sometimes head. She
had to keep her heart light and her face bright, and now and then she
had to "set it as a flint" for his sake. She had to entertain many a
wearisome visitor, and to listen to many a tale of care or trouble or
complaint, that the quiet of his study need not be broken in upon. She
stood between him and some vexations which he might have taken