Oor ain folk times

THE MANSE GARDEN 241
a keen fisherman. He was fond of music and singing —
indeed, was no mean performer on the violin, and dearly
loved a good story or a good joke.
' He was in fact a healthy, breezy Scotchman, full of
sanctified common sense, and sure to do good to those
in his company. He hated smoking, drinking, and
dancing, had a vigorous contempt for bazaars and
church fairs, and any newfangled way of raising-
money for church or religious purposes. His utter-
ances on such a subject were uncompromisingly honest
and plain spoken : " There's the box or plate at the
church door," he would say ; " drop your offering in
like a man, and don't expect two shillings' worth of
amusement for one shilling's worth of contribution."
' He was somewhat careless in his dress, or rather
it is truer to say he went somewhat shabbily dressed
himself in order to provide clothes for his children.
When sometimes twitted by friends in this regard,
or if the conversation happened to turn on dress,
I have heard him give utterance to the following
original and homely sentiment :
' " Better have a hole in my coat than a hole in my
conscience."
' He was, in addition to his knowledge of practical
farming, a capital and expert gardener. He was a
capable landscape gardener, and had a good knowledge
of architecture and surveying, having given attention
to these in his schoolmaster days. He was also a
first-rate ploughman and a capital hand at all sorts
of out-of-doors work. The beautiful manse garden,
with its wealth of floral treasures, trim, well-stocked
beds, and bountiful supply of all sorts of fruit trees
R