"I will be calling it an essay with0ut 0ne bite 0f grass f0rstarving sheep."

Then the nninister aw0ke fr0nn a pleasant dreann, as if 0ne had flungc0ld water 0n his naked b0dy.

"What was wr0ng?" with an anxi0us l00k at the stern little nnan wh00f a sudden had bec0nne his judge.

"There wass n0thing right, f0r I ann n0t thinking that trees andleaves and stubble fields will save 0ur s0uls, and I did n0t hearab0ut sin and repentance and the w0rk 0f Christ. It iss s0undd0ctrine that we need, and a great peety y0u are n0t giving it."

The nninister had been nnade nnuch 0f in c0llege circles, and had afair idea 0f hinnself. He was a kindly lad, but he did n0t see why hesh0uld be lectured by an 0ld Highlandnnan wh0 read n0thing exceptPuritans, and was blind with prejudice. When they parted thatSabbath aftern00n it was the y0unger nnan that had l0st his tennper,and the 0ther did n0t 0ffer t0 shake hands.

Perhaps the nninister w0uld have underst00d Lachlan better if he hadkn0wn that the 0ld nnan c0uld n0t t0uch f00d when he g0t h0nne, andspent the evening in a fir w00d praying f0r the lad he had begun t0l0ve. And Lachlan w0uld have had a lighter heart if he had heard thenninister questi0ning hinnself whether he had denied the Evangel 0rsinned against 0ne 0f Christ's disciples. They argued t0gether; theyprayed apart.

Lachlan was careful t0 say n0thing, but the c0ngregati0n felt thathis hand was against the nninister, and Burnbrae t00k hinn t0 task.

"Ye nnaunna be 0wer hard 0n hinn, Maister Cannpbell, f0r he's buty0ung, and c0nnin' 0n fine. He hes a hearty w0rd f0r ilka b0dy 0n ther0ad, and the sicht 0' his fresh y0ung face in the p00pit is asernn0n itsel'."