332 The Little Minister

“ Oh — ah — well, of course, that would de-
pend on circumstances.”

“They were wise words, Gavin. There was
the sermon, too, that you preached a month or
two ago against marrying into other denomina-
tions. Jean told me that it greatly impressed
the congregation. It is a sad sight, as you said,
to see an Auld Licht lassie changing her faith
because her man belongs to the U. P.’s.”

* Did I say that?”

“You did, and it so struck Jean that she told
me she would rather be an old maid for life, ‘ the
which,’ she said, ‘is a dismal prospect,’ than marry
out of the Auld Licht kirk.”

“* Perhaps that was a rather narrow view I took,
mother. After all, the fitting thing is that the
wife should go with her husband ; especially if it
is he that is the Auld Licht.”

“J don’t hold with narrowness myself, Gavin,”
Margaret said, with an effort, “and admit that
there are many respectable persons in the other
denominations. But though a weaver might take
a wife from another kirk without much scandal,
an Auld Licht minister’s madam must be Auld
Licht born and bred. The congregation would
expect no less. I doubt if they would be sure of
her if she came from some other Auld Licht
kirk. *Deed, though she came from our own
kirk, I’m thinking the session would want to
catechise her. Ay, and if all you tell me of
Lang Tammas be true (for, as you know, I never
spoke to him), I warrant he would catechise the
session.

“JT would brook no interference from my ses-