The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-24
THAT P0PISH
PARSON FELLOW.
Author Of The Raiders, etc.
,s&. for The Times.)
BY s. R. Crockett

Copyright. 1896. for The I'mes)
"Na." said Muckle Rob as he led the
~av from the quoiting-green, where he
had stopped the game. ma. dinna
, hand wi the Papishes-nor yet WI the
,Engl,shers. And ] wadna ADVISE o'v
ane O. We TO say that ! DO. But ina.
nae reason for you 10 disturb the ian
DIT service WI your sweerih d" "'o
jingling O. your qdoits'
The miner folk OF Lochiinny were not
sn,.IalIy inclined 10 religion at any time.
As Muckle Rob would have said. no men
IA scotland had clearer sense OF what
WAS the right and chivalrous thing 10 40
Hut the new English priest with ms
daily services and early communion. MS
inccnse pot and acoIyte, his Fridays Tor
confession and his out-spoken contempt
FOR their own quiet steady-going fresoy-
terrain ministers. was certainly more tnan
a little hard TO bear. There hao inueen
been for a long time "A "Catholic Chaypei
covering back among outhouses III
o,,ict corner OF the village. But as
Nuckle Rob said, 'Frae oot-an'-oot Pap
,shes, We kennel what 10 expec. % "c
looked for nae BETTER"
II was therefore considered as. AT the
worst, a sort OF half-deserved Jest that
the i,ochfinny quoting club should nave
started four of its youngest ana noisies.
Kinks on a vacant piece OF ground Jus'
outside the new enclosure OF the Enghsh-
ers. Eustace Challoner. priest or inc
mission church of Saint Eihelrcda the
Less. celebrated Evensong at the hour
when the game was apt 10 be prlsHes',
And the gravity of the choir-boys and
even OF the acolyte twho Tor many fea,
sons had a bad time OF il outside, I'LL
tho parson made him his gardener and
bell-ringer) was liable TO be upset by
tho tests of Wull Spfoat the champion
of the village While the solemnity OF
the observances was not improved by the
.Janguage' of the "shankers' who were
sinking the shaft of n new pit the set
tied miners looked down a little upon
these shankcrs as Wild asses, who are
here to-day and away TO another job TO-
morrow But they make big money
and expected the license OF a cavalry
colonel as 10 language.
The Reverend Eustace had indeed pro-
tested frs, mildly and then vehemently.
over the wire fence. But Tam Galletly
and Pate Miller. young and ill-set looms
hoth of them. had stood at the rink-end.
and. as the village put II, had set up a
manner o. lip an backtalk to the man
an the white sark." The village did not
indeed entirely approve. 1t considered
that there was nae need for the Ike o
that" But no active measures or pre-
venjtion were taken. tin MuckLe ROD
came home. IL was currently reported
that Rob could lick any two men In the
village with one hand tied behind his
back. II is not clear that this particular
wager OF battle was ever brought TO an
issue: but the fact that with his two
hands normally free. Rob could handle
a large proportion Of the male popua-
ton OF the village 10 their damage. was
sufficient 10 give the weight OF full
bench of judges to his slightest utter
anccs.
Muckie Rob had been away on visit
10 a place "in the Lowdons" where there
was a good job and had just returned
at the end OF his contract with full pock-
cts and an air of prosperity which in any
other person would have been considered
exceedingly offensive.
When any of the inhabitants went upon
n iaunt II always took "A day TO accustom
them To Lochfinny upon their return, so
Rob took the time out in tour of in