out for Billy as he went stumbling past, he pulled him down
to a seat beside him, saying, 'Sit doon, lad, sit doon. We'll mak a man
o' ye yet.' Then he rose and, using many r's, said, 'Maister Chairman,
a' doot we'll juist hae to gie it up.'

'Give it up?' called out Nixon. 'Give up the League?'

'Na! na! lad, but juist the wee drap whusky. It's nae that guid onyway,
and it's a terrible price. Man, gin ye gang tae Henderson's in Buchanan
Street, in Gleska, ye ken, ye'll get mair for three-an'-saxpence than
ye wull at Slavin's for five dollars. An' it'll no' pit ye mad like yon
stuff, but it gangs doon smooth an' saft-like. But' (regretfully) 'ye'll
no' can get it here; an' a'm thinkin' a'll juist sign yon teetotal
thing.' And up he strode to the table and put his name down in the book
Craig had ready. Then to Billy he said, 'Come' awa, lad! pit yer name
doon, an' we'll stan' by ye.'

Poor Billy looked around helplessly, his nerve all gone, and sat still.
There was a swift rustle of garments, and Mrs. Mavor was beside him,
and, in a voice that only Billy and I could hear, said, 'You'll sign
with, me, Billy?'

Billy gazed at her with a hopeless look in his eyes, and shook his
little, head. She leaned slightly toward him, smiling brightly, and,
touching his arm gently, said--

'Come, Billy, there's no fear,' and in a lower voice, 'God will help
you.'

As Billy went up, following Mrs. Mavor close, a hush fell on the men
until he had put his name to the pledge; then they came up, man by
man, and signed. But Craig sat with his head down till I touched his
shoulder. He took my hand and held it fast, saying over and over, under
his breath, 'Thank God, thank God!'

And so the League was made.

CHAPTER VI

BLACK ROCK RELIGION

When I grow weary with the conventions of religion, and sick in my soul
from feeding upon husks, that the churches too often offer me, in
the shape of elaborate service and eloquent discourses, so that in my
sickness I doubt and doubt, then I go back to the communion in Black
Rock and the days preceding it, and the fever and the weariness leave
me, and I grow humble and strong. The simplicity and rugged grandeur of
the faith, the humble gratitude of the rough men I see about the table,
and the calm radiance of one saintly face, rest and recall me.

Not its most enthusiastic apologist would call Black Rock a religious
community, but it possessed in a marked degree that eminent Christian
v