The times., 1897-12-05

| any devil, or deviiskin-your fathers and
| your mothers God, You are but a great
BARN, sandy. DO ye mind where We first
learned the Lords Prayer and the Twenty
| third psalm at your mothers knee?r
At nay words the great mountain OF
man threw his head back and dropped his
| sword.
Aye, mind' he said sullenIy.
! Nv mere was it2'' said 1.
1T was in the turIeG chamber that looks
| to the woods, IL ye want to KEN
| what did your mother when ye hadended
! the iesson?'
WHAT'S that to you, Alintin MaccIellan;
| he timnde red fierceIy; n tell you, torment
| me MOTTO
| He snarled this out at me suddenly like
! the roar ofla beast In a cage, thrustng forth
| his head at me anu showing his teeth in
the midst OF his red beard.
IVY hat; did your mot her when ye had
| learned you youn psaIIn?''
'-Sne pat her nanus upon my head.'
And then W hat did she?"
She pEa yed. "
do yenind the words of that prayer2"
Il nina thern.r
''Then say them"
I Il willnotin he shouted loud and fierce,
clattering nus gun!on the floor and leaping
To his feeb9 His sword was in his hand, and
he pointed it threateningly at me.
You win not say your mother pray
er," l saHi; then l VIII say it for YOU
No, you shall not, Quintin Mac CIellan, 3"
he growled. stIf it comes to that | VIII
say IT myself. What ken you about my
mothers prayer
Il have a mother of mine own, and not
once OF twice she hath said a prayer for
mel"
The point of the sword dropped. He
stood silent
Her hands were on your head 1 sug-
gested; you had finished your prayers. 1t
was in the turret chamber that looks to the
north
II ken-I KENT he cried, turning his
head this way and that like beast tied
and tormented.
But in his eyes there grew a far-away
look. The convulSive fingers loosened on
the sword -hiIt The blade fell unheeCFed TO
the ground and lay beside the musket.
20 Lord he gasped hardly above his
breath, from all dangers of this night
keep this laddie. From powers OF evil
guard him with thy good angels. The
Lord Christ be his yoke bearer. Deliver
him from sin and from himself. When l
am under green kirkyard sward, be thou
his father and his mother. o God, Fa ther in
heaven, bless the lad!'
1t was his mother S prayer.
And as the words came softer Alexander
Gordon fell on his knees, and moaned aloud
in the dim, smoky garret.
Then judging that my Work was DONE
T, too, kneeled, and for the space of an
hour or thereby the wind of the summer
blew through the chamber, and the shad-
ows crawied up the walls, and Alexander
Gordon moved not nor spoke.
Then l arose, took him by the hand aAd
bade him follow me. We went down both
OF Us together. And in the chamber below,
We found Mary, who had sat listening with
her head on her hand.
Here is your father" / said; ''take
him to his chamber, and when he is ready
bring him into the great room"
so very obediently he went with her
as little child might.
Presently she brought him in again, clean
washed and with the black look gone from
his brow.
1 bade her set him by the window. She
looked at me to see If she should leave
US alone. But desired her to STAY
Then very gently l set the right way
before him.
Alexander" said I, ''ye have done that
which has worked great scandal. Ye
shall confess that publicly. Ye shall clear
yourself of that by a solemn oath taken
in the presence of all men,"
That l cannot" said he, speaking for
the fIs1 time The Presbytery has -.
fused me the privilege"
There is door open for you," said.
in place where the Presbvtery ,nd &
enemies have no power. 1t may not be
long mine. But for one day it shall be
yours, and, after the service on Sabbath
in the Kirk of Baimaghie, ye shall stand
up and clear yourself by oath of your
SIM
I will do it, he said, and put his
hand in mine.
So I left him sitting there with his
daughter, and, with the knowledge that
my soul had power over his, I took INV
way homeward, knowing that he would
not fail me.