THE MBEET MBIJ-. 17

for that reason the Scripture ca's them, as I read the
passage, the accursed thing. Mary, ye girzie," he in-
terrupted himself to cry with some asperity, " what for
hae ye no put out the twa candlesticks ? " ' >

" Why should we need them ab high noon ? " she
asked.
But my uncle was not to be turned from his idea.
"We'll bruik* them while we may," he said; and so
two massive candlesticks of wrought silver were added
to the table equipage, already so unsuited to that rough
sea-side farm.
"She cam' ashore Pebruar' 10, about ten at nicht,"
he went on to me. " There was nae wind, and a sair
run o' sea ; and she was in the sook o' the Boost, as I
jaloose. We had seen her a' day, Korie and me, beat-
ing to the wind. She wasnae a handy craft, I'm think-
ing, that Christ- Anna ; for she would neither steer nor
stey wi' them. A sair day they had of it ; their hands
was never afE the sheets, and it perishin' cauld — ower
cauld to snaw ; and aye they would get a bit nip o'
wind, and awa' again, to pit the emp'y hope into them.
Eh, man I but they had a sair day for the last o't ! He
would have had a prood, prood heart that won ashore
upon the back o' that."

" And were all lost ? " I cried. " God help them ! "

" Wheesht ! " he said sternly. "Nane shall pray for
the deid on my.hearth-stane."
* Enjoy.
18 THE MEEET MEST.
