Oor ain folk times

A PENNY IN THE PLATE 235
tion of lamb-like innocence, and asked, ' Wad you clim'
a tree, ma 1 ' Full of earnest feeling, the dear old lady
instantly replied, ''Deed wad I, laddie — I wad even
clim' a tree ! ' and then seeing the boys laugh, she gave
' Hen ' a smart slap on the cheek, saying : ' Hoots, ye
rascal,' but immediately perceiving the humour of the
situation, her nose assumed a merry wrinkle, and she
heartily joined in the laugh against herself.
As an instance of her keen sense of the duty and
obligation to 'give of her substance as God had pros-
pered her,' I may mention an episode which occurred
after my father's death. It exemplifies, too, the plain-
spokenness and literal matter-of-fact way the older
generation had of looking at sacred things, and speaking
of them. She had been on a visit to relations in Edin-
burgh, and had gone to worship in the Free New North
Church, where a favourite old friend of her beloved
husband's ministered (the Rev. Dr. Charles Brown).
She, with her usual keen observation, had seen a gor-
geously-attired, fashionable, dowager-looking dame drop
a penny in the plate at the door, while she herself, a
poor, humble widow, not over-blessed with gear, had,
from a sense of duty, given her shilling. She had
evidently resented the niggardly meanness of the
richly- attired dame, and had been bottling up her
indignation during the service. As she came out,
however, she gave vent to her feelings by exclaiming
to my brother George, who accompanied her :
' 'Deed no, laddie, I wadna be sae mean. I wadna
treat the Lord sae ill. If ye wear silk ye suld gie siller,
an' nae less,' and then she explained the cause of her
outburst.