He _could_ have prayed in English, and then his grandson might have joined in his petitions, but the thought of such a thing would never have presented itself to him. Nay, although, understanding both languages, he used that which was unintelligible to the lad, he yet regarded himself as the party who had the right to resent the consequent schism. Such a conversation as now followed was no new thing after prayers. “I could fery well wish, Malcolm, my son,” said the old man, “tat you would be learnin’ to speak your own lancuach. It is all fery well for ta Sassenach (_Saxon, i.e., non-Celtic_) podies to read ta Piple in English, for it will be pleasing ta Maker not to make tem cawpable of ta Gaelic, no more tan monkeys; but for all tat it’s not ta vord of God. Ta Gaelic is ta lancuach of ta carden of Aiden, and no doubt but it pe ta lancuach in which ta Shepherd calls his sheep on ta everlastin’ hills. You see, Malcolm, it must be so, for how can a mortal man speak to his God in _anything put_ Gaelic? When Mr Craham--no, not Mr Craham, ta coot man; it was ta new Minister--he speak an’ say to her: ‘Mr MacPhail, you ought to make your prayers in Enclish,’ I was fery wrathful, and I answered and said: ‘Mr Downey, do you tare to suppose tat God doesn’t prefer ta Gaelic to ta Sassenach tongue!’--‘Mr MacPhail,’ says he, ‘it’ll pe for your poy I mean it. How’s ta lad to learn ta way of salvation if you speak to your God in his presence in a strange tongue?’ So I was opedient to his vord, and ta next efening I tid kneel town in Sassenach and I tid make begin. But, ochone! she wouldn’t go; her tongue would be cleafing to ta roof of her mouth; ta claymore would be sticking rusty in ta scappard; for her heart she was ashamed to speak to ta Hielan’man’s Maker in ta Sassenach tongue. You must pe learning ta Gaelic, or you’ll not pe peing worthy to pe her nain son, Malcolm.” “But daddy, wha’s to learn me?” asked his grandson, gayly. “Learn you, Malcolm! Ta Gaelic is ta lancuach of Nature, and wants no learning. _I_ nefer did pe learning it, yat I nefer haf to say to myself, ‘What is it she would be saying?’ when I speak ta Gaelic; put she always has to set ta tead men--that is ta vords--on their feet, and put tem in pattle-array, when she would pe speaking ta dull mechanic English. When she opens her mouth to it, ta Gaelic comes like a spring of pure water, Malcolm. Ta plenty of it _must_ run out. Try it now, Malcolm. Shust oppen your mouth in ta Gaelic shape, and see if ta Gaelic will not pe falling from it.” Seized with a merry fit, Malcolm did open his mouth in the Gaelic shape, and sent from it a strange gabble, imitative of the most frequently recurring sounds of his grandfather’s speech. “Hoo will that du, daddy?” he asked, after jabbering gibberish for the space of a minute.