,' Geordie gave a sigh of satisfaction. 'Ay,
that's somethin' like,' and when she finished the first verse he gave me
a dig in the ribs with his elbow that took my breath away, saying in a
whisper, 'Man, hear till yon, wull ye?' And again I found the spell
upon me. It was not the voice after all, but the great soul behind that
thrilled and compelled. She was seeing, feeling, living what she sang,
and her voice showed us her heart. The cosy fireside, with its bonnie,
blithe blink, where no care could abide, but only peace and love, was
vividly present to her, and as she sang we saw it too. When she came to
the last verse--

'When I draw in my stool
On my cosy hearth-stane,
My heart loups sae licht
I scarce ken't for my ain,'

there was a feeling of tears in the flowing song, and we knew the words
had brought her a picture of the fireside that would always seem empty.
I felt the tears in my eyes, and, wondering at myself, I cast a stealthy
glance at the men about me; and I saw that they, too, were looking
through their hearts' windows upon firesides and ingle-neuks that
gleamed from far.

And then she sang 'The Auld Hoose,' and Geordie, giving me another
poke, said, 'That's ma ain sang,' and when I asked him what he meant,
he whispered fiercely, 'Wheesht, man!' and I did, for his face looked
dangerous.

In a pause between the verses I heard Geordie saying to himself, 'Ay, I
maun gie it up, I doot.'

'What?' I ventured.

'Naething ava.' And then he added impatiently, 'Man, but ye're an
inqueesitive buddie,' after which I subsided into silence.

Immediately upon the meeting being called to order, Mr. Craig made his
speech, and it was a fine bit of work. Beginning with a clear statement
of the object in view, he set in contrast the two kinds of leagues
proposed. One, a league of men who would take whisky in moderation; the
other, a league of men who were pledged to drink none themselves, and to
prevent in every honourable way others from drinking. There was no long
argument, but he spoke at white heat; and as he appealed to the men
to think, each not of himself alone, but of the others as well, the
yearning, born of his long months of desire and of toil, vibrated in
his voice and reached to the heart. Many men looked uncomfortable and
uncertain, and even the manager looked none too cheerful.

At this critical moment the crowd got a shock. Billy Breen shuffled
out to