him? He's no a sheep, nor in some ways as guid's a sheep, A
grant ye that, but such as he is was it no ma duty to pull him oot o'
the mire o' Sawbath desecration and general ungodliness?"

"Aw, Mither, Mither! Ye're incorrigible! Ye ought to come to the meeting
this afternoon and give them all a lug out."

"A wull that then," said his mother heartily. "They need it, A doot."

"Hoots! Nonsense, Mither!" said her son hastily, knowing well how
thoroughly capable she was of not only going to a meeting of Union
workers but also of speaking her mind if in her judgment they were
guilty of transgressing the Sabbath law. "The meeting will be just as
religious as Mr. Matheson's anyway."

"A'm no sae sure," said his mother grimly.

Whether religious in the sense understood by Mrs. McNish, the meeting
was not wanting in ethical interest or human passion. It was a gathering
of the workers in the various industries in the town, Trade Unionists
most of them, but with a considerable number who had never owed
allegiance to any Union and a number of disgruntled ex-Unionists. These
latter were very vociferous and for the most part glib talkers, with
passions that under the slightest pressure spurted foaming to the
surface. Returned soldiers there were who had taken on their old jobs
but who had not yet settled down into the colourless routine of mill and
factory work under the discipline of those who often knew little of
the essentials of discipline as these men knew them. A group of
French-Canadian factory hands, taken on none too willingly in the
stress of war work, constituted an element of friction, for the soldiers
despised and hated them. With these there mingled new immigrants from
the shipyards and factories of the Old Land, all members or ex-members
of Trade Unions, Socialists in training and doctrine, familiar with the
terminology and jargon of those Socialistic debating schools, the Local
Unions of England and Scotland, alert, keen, ready of wit and ready
of tongue, rejoicing in wordy, passionate debate, ready for anything,
fearing nothing.

The occasion of the meeting was the presence of a great International
Official of the American Federation of Labour, and its purpose to
strengthen International Unionism against the undermining of guerilla
bands of non-Unionists and very especially against the new organizations
emanating from the far West, the One Big Union.

At the door of the hall stood Mr. Wigglesworth, important,