ts. She found fault with the Celts not only for the date of their
Easter, but for their habit of not communicating at that festival. It is
very curious to note in their answer the very same reason which has
prevailed in later days among all the changes of faith and ceremonial,
and is still put forth in Highland parishes as an excuse for the small
number of communicants. The Celtic priests and bishops defended their
flocks by producing the words of St. Paul, in which that Apostle says
that those who eat and drink unworthily eat and drink condemnation to
themselves. So, according to Theodoric, the Celtic party in the Church
answered Margaret, and so would their descendants, the "Men" of the
Highlands, answer at this day. The integrity of the tradition is very
remarkable. On the other hand, they offended the devout Queen by their
neglect of Sunday, a reproach which cannot be addressed to their
descendants.

[Illustration: WEST DOORWAY, DUNFERMLINE ABBEY]

These theological discussions between the fair and learned Queen and the
Highland ecclesiastics and anchorites, carried on by means of her chief
convert the warrior King, whom love for her had taught to respect and
share in her devotion, must have afforded many picturesque and striking
scenes, though unfortunately there was no modern observer there to be
interested and amused, but only Theodoric standing by, himself very hot
upon the atrocity of a miscalculated Easter, and perhaps helping his
royal mistress here and there with an argument. Naturally his story is
especially full upon the religious side of Margaret's life--her much
prayer, her humility and reverence during the services of the Church, an
intent and silent listener to all teachings, only a little disposed to
rebel now and then when her confessor passed too lightly over her
faults. As for her charities, they were boundless. It was not for
nothing that the blood of St. Ursula, and that which was to give life to
still another saint, Elizabeth of Hungary, was in her veins. It is
needless to say that nobody in those days had discovered the evil of
indiscriminate almsgiving, which was, on the contrary, considered one of
the first of Christian virtues. Margaret was the providence of all the
poor around her. Her biographer tells us naively, with no sense that the
result was not one to be proud of, that the fame of her bounty and
kindness brought the poor in crowds to every place where she was. When
she went out they