The mother's eyes were shining with tears.

The very aged gentleman blew his nose like a trumpet, and then saidgravely--

'No, my child, you don't feed babes with meat. But what came tohim?'

Then Graeme asked me to finish the tale. After I had finished thetale of Billy's final triumph and of Craig's part in it, they satlong silent, till the minister, clearing his throat hard andblowing his nose more like a trumpet than ever, exclaimed with greatemphasis--

'Thank God for such a man in such a place! I wish there were moreof us like him.'

'I should like to look at you out there, sir,' exclaimed Graeme admiringly;'you'd get them, but you wouldn't have time for election.'

'Yes, yes!' exclaimed his father hotly; 'I should love to have a chancejust to preach election to these poor lads. Would I were twentyyears younger!'