clergy ca' brakin' the Sawbath's no brakin' o' 't. I'll tell
ye what seems to me the differ atween the like o' your Mr Turnbull and
the Pharisees--and it's a great differ. They band heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne, and laid them upo' men's shouthers, but wadna
touch sic like to carry them wi' ane o' their fingers: Mr Turnbull and
the like o' him beirs their share. But the burden's nane the less a
heavy ane and grievous to be borne."

"But the burden's no _that_ grievous to me, Mr Cupples."

"There's no sayin' what you women-fowk will _not_ tak' a pleesur' in
bearin'; but the passage refers expressly to the men's shouthers. And
faith mine _will_ not endure to be loadent wi' ither fowks fykes
(trifles). And sae come alang, deid man's bells."

Annie thought all this rather dreadful, but she was not shocked as a
Christian who lives by the clergy and their traditions, instead of by
the fresh Spirit of God, would have been. For she could not help seeing
that there was truth in it.

But although Cupples could say much to set Annie thinking, and although
she did find enlightenment at last from pondering over his words, yet
she could have told him far deeper things than he had yet suspected to
exist. For she knew that the goal of all life is the face of God.
Perhaps she had to learn a yet higher lesson: that our one free home is
the Heart, the eternal lovely Will of God, than that which should fail,
it were better that we and all the worlds should go out in blackness.
But this Will is our Salvation. Because He liveth we shall live also.

Mr Cupples found in the missionar kirk a certain fervour which pleased
him. For Mr Turnbull, finding that his appeals to the ungodly were now
of little avail to attract listeners of the class, had betaken himself
to the building up of the body of Christ, dwelling in particular upon
the love of the brethren. But how some of them were to be loved, except
with the love of compassionate indignation, even his most rapt listener
Thomas Crann could not have supposed himself capable of explaining. As
I said, however, Mr Cupples found the sermon in some degree impressive,
and was attentive. As he was walking away, questioning with himself, he
heard a voice in the air above him. It came from the lips of Thomas
Crann, who, although stooping from asthma and rheumatism, still rose
nearly a foot above the head of Mr Cupples.

"I was glaid to see ye at oor kirk, sir," said Thomas.

"What for tha