First Sermon Against Women 113

ridge as usual, and she admitted he had. But
the lassie was skeered hersel’, and said it was a
mercy Mrs. Dishart wasna in the kirk.”

“«« Why was she not there?”’ I asked, anxiously.

“Oh, he winna let her out in sic weather.”

“T wish you would tell me what happened,” I
said to Elspeth.

“So I will,” she answered, “if Waster Lunny
would haud his wheesht for a minute. You see
the afternoon diet began in the ordinary way, and
a’ was richt until we came to the sermon. ‘ You
will find my text,’ he says, in his piercing voice,
‘in the eighth chapter of Ezra.’”’

“And at thae words,” said Waster Lunny,
“my heart gae a loup, for Ezra is an unca ill
book to find; ay, and so is Ruth.”

“IT kent the books o’ the Bible by heart,” said
Elspeth, scornfully, “when I was a sax-year-
auld.”

“So did I,” said Waster Lunny, “and I ken
them yet, except when I’m hurried. When Mr.
Dishart gave out Ezra he a sort o’ keeked round
the kirk to find out if he had puzzled onybody,
and so there was a kind o’ a competition among
the congregation wha would lay hand on it first.
That was what doited me. Ay, there was Ruth
when she wasna wanted, but Ezra, dagont, it
looked as if Ezra had jumped clean out o’ the
Bible.”

“You wasna the only distressed crittur,” said
his wife. ‘I was ashamed to see Eppie McLaren
looking up the order o’ the books at the beginning
o’ the Bible.”

“Tibbie Birse was even mair brazen,” said the