f Coll, four sturdy farm-maidens, ruddy with
health and robed in white, gave various English and Gaelic airs in
admirable style. A divinity student sang a _coster song_ (think of this
in an island of craggy shores, gulls, wild-swans, and curlews!), and on
being encored, he gave a "Cradle Lullaby," and by gently swaying a chair
backwards and forwards on the platform, he strove to illustrate the
movements of childhood's earliest receptacle.

A military gentleman--an ex-major--in proposing a vote of thanks, one
evening, to the singers, said he had sung a song but once in his life,
the occasion being his admission to the Royal Engineers, thirty years
before. It was a standing law in that body that every novice should sing
a song or drink a mixture consisting of whisky, ink, and cayenne pepper.
He chose the former alternative, and at the end of the first verse the
Royal Engineers had all left the room in a demoralised condition!

M.P.'s.

At one of the meetings in Argyleshire, I had the joy of speaking under
the chairmanship of the glib and able Mr. Ainsworth, M.P. for that
county. Among the votes of thanks was one for the chairman: it made a
profound impression upon me, as much by its form as by its substance: "I
hope, Mr. Ainsworth, that you will take better care of your health in
future (hear, hear). No, no, you are not taking care of your health at
all (laughter). We all expect you to be Prime Minister, and that is the
reason we would like you not to roam about so much and undermine your
constitution (cheers). You are always travelling. You are like the
Wandering Jew. No! you are like a little bird on a bough. To-day, we see
you on a tree near the door; to-morrow, we see you on a tree a hundred
miles away" (great cheering). Mr. Ainsworth kindly promised that, in
view of his destiny, he would cease to range around the country so
indiscriminately.

Unfortunately, I have never met Mr. Galloway Weir, but I have heard much
of the zeal of himself and his agents. The following story hinges on the
fact that _Weir_ and _wire_ have the same pronunciation in Lewis. An old
illiterate crofter came to record his vote by word of mouth, and told
the polling sheriff: "I will vote for the right man, yes, yes, it's the
right man I will be voting for this time." "That may be," said the
sheriff, "but unless you will tell me his name, you can't vote." "Well,
if you must know," said the old man, handing the sheriff a
stocking-wire, "_I w