Oor ain folk times

A PAIR OF HARES 231
of which had drawn all the building materials and
given ' their labours of love ' in erecting a home for their
faithful minister.
Well, the good roof was overhead, but alas ! the cup-
board was bare, bare. My poor father's stipend had
been exhausted to the last available shilling, and for
some weeks to come there was no prospect of the next
quarter's instalment being paid. As I have often heard
the dear old lady say, ' There was naething eatable in
the hoose ava, laddie, except meal ; but there wasna
very muckle even o' that, for the girnel was nearly
toom. Yer father had been sair forfouchen trampin'
through the sna', preachin' three times a week in three
different pairts, and three sermons ilka Sawbath day ;
deed ay, laddie, he did work hard, I'm sure na\ Weel,
I did not know where oor neist meal was to come from.
Yer honest father wad not aloo' me to run up bills, and
where to get a good dinner for you a' I did not know.
Weel, Jeems, I jist took my trouble to the Lord ; deed
ay, laddie. I've never kent that to fail yet. I jist
retired to my closet and gaed doon on my knees, and
opened my hert to my blessed Master, an' I cried for
food for yer father and my puir hungry children.
Weel, I assure ye, I hadna lang to wait for an
answer. As I was prayin' a knock cam' to the
door, an' I kent as weel as if I had seen it that the
Lord had provided for a' oor wants. I gaed doon
stairs an' opened the door — an' there, laddie ! — what do
you think 1 — there was the gamekeeper's lathie frae
' The Burn ' wi' a pair of the most beeyeutiful white
winter hares ye ever set eyes on ! He handed them in
withoot a word, and oh, laddie, I jist returned thanks