hat privilege, his reputation for
wealth had yet something to do with it. Probably they thought that if
the gospel proved mighty in this new disciple, more of his money might
be accessible by and by for good purposes: amongst the rest, for
sending missionaries to the heathen, teaching them to divorce their
wives and wear trowsers. And now he had been asked to pray, and had
prayed with much propriety and considerable unction. To be sure Tibbie
Dyster did sniff a good deal during the performance; but then that was
a way she had of relieving her feelings, next best to that of speaking
her mind.

When the meeting was over, Robert Bruce, Thomas Crann, and James
Johnstone, who was one of the deacons, walked away together. Very
little conversation took place between them, for no subject but a
religious one was admissible; and the religious feelings of those who
had any were pretty nearly exhausted. Bruce's, however, were not in the
least exhausted. On the contrary, he was so pleased to find that he
could pray as well as any of them, and the excitement of doing so
before judges had been so new and pleasant to him, that he thought he
should like to try it again. He thought, too, of the grand Bible lying
up there on the room-table.

"Come in, sirs," he said, as they approached his door, "and tak' a
pairt in our faimily worship; and sae the day'll gang oot wi' prayer,
as it cam in wi' prayer. And the Lord'll maybe hae mercy upo' 's, and
no destroy the place, shops an' a', for the sins o' the
inhaibitants--them 'at sees, for them 'at 's blin'."

Neither of his companions felt much inclined to accede to his request:
they both yielded notwithstanding. He conducted them up-stairs,
unlocked the musty room, pulled up the blinds, and admitted enough of
lingering light for the concluding devotions of the day. He then
proceeded to gather his family together, calling them one by one.

"Mother!" he cried, from the top of the stair, meaning his wife.

"Tea, father," answered Mrs Bruce.

"Come to worship.--Robert!"

"Ay, father."

"Come to worship.--Johnnie!"

And so he went through the family roll-call, as if it were a part of
some strange liturgy. When all had entered and seated themselves, the
head of the house went slowly to the side-table, took from it
reverentially the late minister's study Bible, sat down by the window,
laid the book on his knees, and solemnly opened it.

Now a five-pound note is not thick enough to make a