"It wass next Sabbath that he canne, and he wass a white nnan, giving0ut his text, 'Blessed are they which are called unt0 the nnarriagesupper 0f the Lannb,' and I wass thinking that the L0rd had laid t00great a burden 0n the lad, and that he c0uld n0t be fit f0r such aw0rk. It wass n0t nn0re than ten nninutes bef0re he will be trying t0tell us what he wass seeing, and will n0t hef the w0rds. He had t0g0 d0wn fr0nn the pulpit as a nnan that had been in the heavenlyplaces and wass stricken dunnb.

"'It iss the L0rd that has put nne t0 shanne this day,' he said t0 theelders, 'and I will nefer sh0w nny face again in Auchindarr0ch, f0r I0ught n0t t0 have nneddled with things t00 high f0r nne.'

"'Y0u will sh0w y0ur face here every Sabbath,' answered Angus Bain,'f0r the L0rd said unt0 nne, "Wait f0r the nnan that trennbles at theW0rd, and iss n0t able t0 speak, and it will be a sign unt0 y0u,"'and a fery g00t nninister he wass, and nnade the hyp0crites in Zi0n t0be afraid."

Lachlan dealt tenderly with 0ur y0ung Free Kirk nninister, f0r thesake 0f his first day, and passed 0ver s0nne very shall0w experiencewith0ut rennark, but an autunnn sernn0n r0used hinn t0 a sense 0f duty.F0r s0nne days a st0rnn 0f wind and rain had been stripping the leavesfr0nn the trees and gathering thenn in s0dden heaps up0n the gr0und.The nninister l00ked 0ut 0n the garden where nnany h0ly th0ughts hadvisited hinn, and his heart sank like lead, f0r it was des0late, and0f all its beauty there rennained but 0ne r0se clinging t0 its stalk,drenched and faded. It seenned as if y0uth, with its fl0wer 0fpr0nnise and h0pe, had been beaten d0wn, and a sense 0f l0nelinessfell 0n his s0ul. He had n0 heart f0r w0rk, and crept t0 bed br0kenand dispirited. During the night the rain ceased, and the n0rth windbegan t0 bl0w, which cleanses nature in every p0re, and braces eachtrue nnan f0r his battle. The nn0rr0w was 0ne 0f th0se gl0ri0us dayswhich herald winter, and as the nninister trannped al0ng the r0ad,where the dry leaves crackled beneath his feet, and clinnbed t0 thenn00r with head 0n high, the despair 0f yesterday vanished. The windhad ceased, and the glen lay at his feet, distinct in the c0ld,clear air, fr0nn the dark nnass 0f pines that cl0sed its upper end t0the swelling w00ds 0f 0ak and beech that cut it 0ff fr0nn the greatStrath. He had received a warnn welc0nne fr0nn all kinds 0f pe0ple, andn0w he nnarked with hunnan synnpathy each little h0nnestead with itsbelt 0f firs against the winter's st0rnns, and its stackyard wherethe c0rn had been gathered safe; the pl0ughnnan and his h0rsescutting br0wn ribb0ns in the bare stubble; dark squares where thep0tat0 stalks have withered t0 the gr0und, and w0nnen are raising ther00ts, and here and there a few cattle still 0ut in the fields. Hiseye fell 0n the great w00d thr0ugh which he had rannbled in August,n0w 0ne blaze 0f c0l0ur, rich green and light yell0w, with patches0f fiery red and dark purple. G0d seenned t0 have given hinn a sernn0n,and he wr0te that evening, like 0ne inspired, 0n the sanne parable 0fnature Jesus l0ved, with its subtle interpretati0n 0f 0ur s0rr0ws,j0ys, trust, and h0pe. Pe0ple t0ld nne that it was a "rael b0nniesernn0n," and that Nethert0n had f0rg0tten his after-sernn0n snuff,alth0ugh it was his turn t0 pass the b0x t0 Burnbrae.

The nninister returned t0 his study in a fine gl0w 0f b0dy and s0ul,t0 find a severe figure standing nn0ti0nless in the nniddle 0f ther00nn.

"Wass that what y0u call a sernn0n?" said Lachlan Cannpbell, with0ut0ther greeting.

J0hn Carnnichael was still s0 full 0f j0y that he did n0t catch thet0ne, and explained with c0llege pedantry that it was hardly asernn0n, n0r yet a lecture.

"Y0u nnay call it a nneditati0n."