od man, and there are not many men can be pipers."

"Aye, Mr. Sutherland," broke in the Reverend Alexander Munro, "what you
say is true, but it is true not only of piping. It is true surely of
anything great enough to express the deepest emotions of the soul. A
man is never at his best in anything till he is expressing his noblest
self."

"For instance in preaching, eh!" said Dr. Kane.

"Aye, in preaching or in political oratory," replied the minister.

At this, however, the old piper shook his head doubtfully.

"You do not agree with Mr. Munro in that?" said the M.P.P.

"No," replied Sutherland, "speaking iss one thing, piping iss another."

"And that is no lie, and a mighty good thing too it is," said Dr. Kane
flippantly.

"It iss no lie," replied the old piper with dignity. "And if you knew
much about either of them you would say it deeferently."

"Why, what is the difference, Mr. Sutherland?" said Dr. Kane, anxious to
appease the old man. "They both are means of expressing the emotions of
the soul, you say."

"The deeference! The deeferenee iss it? The deeference iss here, that
the pipes will neffer lie."

There was a shout of laughter.

"One for you, Kane!" cried the Reverend Harper Freeman. "And," he
continued when the laughing had ceased, "we will have to take our share
too, Mr. Munro."

But the hour for beginning the programme had arrived and the secretary
climbed to the platform to announce the events for the day.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he cried, in a high, clear, penetrating voice,
"the speech of welcome will be delivered toward the close of the day by
the president of the Middlesex Caledonian Society, the Honourable J. J.
Patterson, M.P.P. My duty is the very simple one of announcing the order
of events on the programme and of expressing on behalf of the Middlesex
Caledonian Society the earnest hope that you all may enjoy the day, and
that each event on the programme will prove more interesting than the
last. The programme is long and varied and I must ask your assistance
to put it through on schedule time. First there are the athletic
competitions. I shall endeavour to assist Dr. Kane and the judges in
running these through without unnecessary and annoying delays. Then will
follow piping, dancing, and feasting in their proper order, after which
will come the presentation of prizes and speeches from our distinguished
visitors. On the platform over yonder there are places for the speakers,
t