themselves, as if they would bar an outsider from the sacred privacy of their grief; true to their Scotch nature, they did not wear their hearts upon their sleeves “for daws to peck at.” But Father Time is a great consoler, and Jamie and I resumed our companionship as of old. My weekly visit to him was eagerly looked forward to by both of us. When I was feeling in the “dumps” Jamie’s quaint drolleries would act like a charm, and restore my wonted cheerfulness. Often when he was out in his wheel-chair he would hear all sorts of humorous things, which he never failed to retail to me in his own inimitable way, not infrequently illustrating the same with a few deft strokes of his pencil. The simple villagers little thought that they were being analyzed, and all their weaknesses and peculiarities cartooned, mentally if not actually, by one of themselves. “I had a visit frae auld Joseph Shand the day,” he said to me on one occasion. “Naething will suit the puir bodie but I maun paint his picture. I tellt him that I was gey busy juist noo, but I would see what I could do later on. What do you think he said, sir?--‘If I were to come round the nicht, efter I’ve gotten ma supper, you could put on the first coat o’ paint, and syne it would be dry for the second coat the morn’s nicht.’ Poor auld Joseph, he thinks that a portrait is paintit like a barn door. He has been oot o’ sorts lately, so I speired what was the maitter wi’ him. ‘Weel, man,’ he said, ‘I saw the doctor on Monday when he was owerby, an’ he said it was a stomach tribble. Ye see there’s twa kinds o’t; there’s disgeestion an’ indisgeestion, an’ the deil a bit o’ me minds whilk o’ them’s the maitter wi’ me.’” Another day I found him simply bubbling over with merriment over an encounter he had had with the Free Kirk minister. The minister, in the course of conversation with him, had made some slighting remarks anent the Episcopal Church, as being full of empty forms. “Man,” said Jamie, pretending not to understand what he meant, “ye’re wrang there; oor kirk has nae empty forms. The ither Sunday nicht we had the maist o’ the young folks frae the Free Kirk there, as weel as oor ain; we’ve nae empty forms noo.” As I have already said, Jamie was an auld-farrant laddie, bright intellectually and spiritually; brimful of humor, and yet yearning with all the force of his intense nature to see right into the heart of things; content to endure great weakness of body, in the full belief that one day he would leave all his infirmities behind him, and stand without a single flaw in the presence of his Master. It is many years now since he shook off the trammels of earth, but, when I meet him again I shall know him, and shall be glad. IX. Boycotted