During the war, whiles I'd speak aboot this or that after my show,people paid an attention tae me that wad have been flattering if Ihadn't known sae well that it was no to me they were listening. Itwasna aged Harry Lauder whom interested them--it was what he had to tellthem. It was a great thing to think that folk would tak' me seriously.I've been amusing people for these many years. It seemed presumptuous,at first, when I set out to talk to them of other and more seriousthings.

"Hoots!" I exclaimed, at first, when they wanted me tae speak for the warand the recruiting or a loan. "They'll no be wanting to listwelve tae me.I'm just a comedian."

"You'll be a relief to them, Harry," I was told. "There's been toomuch serious speaking already."

Weel, I ken what they meant. It's serious speaking I've done, andserious thinking. But there's nae harm if I crack a bit joke noo andagain; it makes the medicine gae doon the easier. And noo themedicine's swallowed. There's nae mair fichting tae be done, thankGod! We've saved the hoose our ancestors built.

But its walls are crackit here and there. The roof's leaking. There'spaint needed on all sides. There's muckle for us tae do before the'hoose we've saved is set in order. It's like a hoose that's beenafire. The firemen come and play their hose upon it. They'll put ootthe fire, a' richt. But is it no a sair sicht, the hoose they leavebehind them when they gae awa'?

Ye'll look at a wee bit o' smoke, an hour later, maybe, coming frae someplace where they thocht it was a' oot. And ye'll have tae be taking abucket of water and putting oot the bit o' fire that they leftsmouldering there, lest the whole thing break oot again. And here andthere the water will ha' done a deal of damage. Things are better thanif the fire had just burnt itself oot, but you've no got the hoose youhad before the fire! 'Deed, and ye have not!