tae me, isna that heaven upon earth? A body can get on in this warld withoot siller, but they canno get on in the warld withoot love. I'll gie Janet Henderson the first offer."

He put on his best Sabbath-day hat and issued forth into the street. Instantly at all the windows commanding a view of the street there were female noses flattened against the panes. Voices might be heard crying, "Mither! mither! mither! Come here! come here! Look! look! look! There's Saunders McGlashan wi' his beard aff, and his Sabbath-day claes on in the middle of the week! He's lookin' awfu' melancholy. I wonder wha's dead."

Quite unconscious of the sensation he was creating, he walked gravely on toward the house of Janet Henderson.

"Lord preserve me, Saunders, is that you? A sicht o' you 's guid for sair een! Come awa into the fire. What's up wi' ye the day, Saunders? Ye're awfu' weel lickit up, ye are. I never saw you lookin' sae handsome. What is 't ye 're after?" "I'm gaun aboot seeking a wife."

"Eh, Saunders, if that's what ye want, ye needna want that very lang, I'm thinkin'."

66 But ye dinna seem to understand me; it's you I want for my wife."

"Saunders McGlashan! think shame o' yoursel', makin' a fool o' a young person in that manner."

"I'm makin' nae fool o' ye, Janet. This very day I'm determined to hae a wife. You are the first that I have spoken till. I houp there's nae offense, Janet. I meant nae offense. Eh! oh! very well; if that's the way o't, it canna be helped ;" and, slowly unfolding the paper which he had taken from his waistcoat pocket, "I have several other women's names markit down here tae ca' upon."

She saw the man meant business, stopped her spinning, looked down, was long lost in thought, raised her head, and broke the silence as follows:

"Saunders (ahem!) McGlashan (ahem!), I've given your serious offer great reflection. I've spoken to my heart, and the answer's come back to my tongue. I'm sorry tae hurt your feelin's, Saunders, but what the heart speaketh the tongue repeateth. A body maun act in thae matters according to their conscience, for they maun gie an account at the last. So I think, Saunders,—I think I'll just—I'll just—” covering her face with her apron—“I'll just tak' ye. Saunders, gae 'wa' wi' ye! gae 'wa'!"

Eh!

But the maiden did not require to resist, for he made no attack, but solemnly sat in his seat and solemnly said: "I'm rale muckle obleeged to ye, Janet. It'll no be necessary to ca' on ony o' thae ither lassies noo!"

He rose, thinking it was all over, and turned toward the door; but the maiden was there first, with her back at the door, and said: "Lord preserve me! what have I done? If my neebors come tae ken that I've ta 'en you at the very first offer, they'll point the finger of scorn at me and say, ahint my back, as lang as I live, 'that woman was deein' for a man;' so ye maun come every day for the next month, and come in daylicht, so they'll a' see ye comin' an' gaun, and they'll say, 'that woman's no easy courtit, I can tell ye. The puir man's wearin' his shoon aff his feet!' For, Saunders, though I'll be your wife, Saunders, I'm determined to hae my dues o' courtship a' the same."

She lit the lamp of love in his heart at last. For the first time in his long life he felt the unmistakable, holy, heavenly glow; his heart broke into a full storm of love, and, stooping down, he took her yielding hand in his, and said: “Yes, I wull; yes, I wull! I'll come twice every day, my Jo! my Jo-Jaanet!"

Before the unhappy man knew where he was, he had kissed the maiden, who was long expecting it. But the man blushed crimson, feeling guilty of a crime which he thought no woman could forgive, for it was the first kiss he had gotten or given in fifty long years, while the woman stood with a look of supreme satisfaction, and said to him:

“Eh! Saunders McGlashan, isna that rale refreshin'?
Anonymous.

A GOWK'S ERRANT.

In the village of S, Perthshire, lived Willie Waddel, wright-joiner, coffin-maker, etc. An honest, hardworking chiel' was Willie. A neebor o' his had occasion to be owre ae mornin' at Dauvid Grant's, and fan him in a sair state about the loss o' a coo that had choked hersel' wi' a turnip thro' the nicht.

S

Dauvid had two or three acres o' lan' about twa miles frae and was thocht tae ha'e some bawbees i' the bank, and

tho' he had only himsel' and Janet, his wife, tae keep, yet the loss o' a coo was a gey serious maiter.

After he had heard o' Dauvid's lamentations, and had set aff on the road hame, he thocht tae himsel' he micht mak' a guid lauch ower puir Dauvid's misfortin'. It was the first o' April; and if he could manage to send Willie Waddel ower tae Dauvid Grant's wi' the strauchtin'-board on a gowk's errant, garran him believe Janet was deid instead o' the coo, it would be a gran' joke. It was nae sunner thocht upon than it was wrocht upon. As soon as he got to S———— he gaes awa' up tae a wee widden erection Willie had dignified wi' the name o' the warkshop.

"Weel, Willie, what are ye busy wi' the day?" quo' he, as he entered.

"No muckle," says Willie; "jist makin' a wee chair for Sandy MacGregor's youngest ane."

"Ye'll hae tae let that stan' the noo then, I doot, an' tak' in han' wi' a job that's in a greater hurry, but ane ye'll no like sae weel, I'm thinkin'."

"Od, it'll be a queer job I'll no like the noo, and wark sae slack. Let's hear what it is, man."

66

Weel, ye 'll tak' yer strauchtin'-boord and gae a wa' ower tae Dauvid Grant's. He's fau' in wi a sair loss, puir

man, och, hon', death 's aye busy."

"What! cries Willie, "is Janet dead? maiter? What did she dee of?"

"She choked herself."

"Losh, that's extraordinar'! Dauvid will she was a clever-handed woman was Janet.

What was the

miss her sair;

I'll awa ower

this meenit," and, throwing down his hammer, he hurried tae the hoose, and bade his mither mak' his parritch and get oot his Sunday claes as soon as possible, as he was wanted in a hurry at Dauvid Grant's. Away he gaes, wi' his boord ower his shouther, and wi' nae mair idea he was gaun a gouk's errant than the man i' the mune. When he got tae the hoose he set the boord doon at the door, and steppin' in got Dauvid takin' a reek o' the pipe.

"Who's a wi' ye the day?" quo' Willie.

"Jist middlin; but tak' a sate an' rest ye."

"I'm real vexed tae hear o' yer loss. Ye'll miss her sair, I hae nae doot."

"It's a bit hard job for me, but I maun try an' bear it. Ye ken we're tell't tae bear oor trials wi' patience."

“I'm vera glad ye tak' that view o't, for I was feart ye micht brak doon a'thegither."

66

Hoot, Willie, there 's nae fear o' that. I maun look about an' see an' get anither, for I canna well want ane." "'Deed, that's true enough, but ye'll no' be in a hurry for awhile."

“Od, I dinna ken; the sunner the better, I think. I dinna see ony use o' puttin' aff time; in fact, I hae my e'en on ane already, but I am feared she's a wee ower auld."

66

"I would na thocht they were sae easy gotten," says Willie. Man, when ye hae twa or three bawbees i' yer pouch, ye can get pick an' waie o' them. Sae, I'll tak' time an' see I get a guid ane when I'm at it.”

"Weel, Dauvid, I think ye micht let the ane ye hae decently awa' afore ye think o' fillin' her place."

"I dinna see hoo that wad mak' muckle difference; hooever, I was jist intendin' tae howk a hole in the yaird this afternin, an' pit her in 't. Ye see I canna sell her noo, folks are sae strict."

"Dauvid Grant! dae ye no' think burnin' shame o' yerself tae speak tae me in that manner, and ye an elder o' the kirk? But I'll no' let the maiter rest like that; I'll awa' tae the minister an' gie him an account o' yer conduct, ye auld shameless heathen.” And wi' that he oot at the door. The minister saw him comin', and said:

"Well, William, what's the matter?"

"There is something wrang.

I wish ye wid come awa' over tae Dauvid Grant's, for I think he's gaen oot o' his judgment."

"What is wrong with David?”

"Weel, ye see, his wife, Janet, is deid; she choked hersel' thro' the nicht, an' I was sent for tae gae ower wi' the strauchtin'-boord. Well, when I gaed in, judge o' my surprise when he began tellin' me he had the thochts o' gettin' anither wife as soon as possible—in fact, he has his e'en on ane a'ready; and when I telt him he micht aye get the ane he had awa' first, od, if the man didna tell me he would pit her in a hole in the yaird if he couldna sell her. But he's demented; his grief has turned his brain, I think."

"David's wife dead! I'm surprised that I had not heard of it. I'll get my hat and go along with you," said the minisWhen they got back they found Dauvid steppin' thro' the floor, perplexed at Willie's proceedings.

ter.

"I'm grieved to hear of your sad affliction," the minister began; “and I am surprised you did not send for me.'

"I canna understandin' what ye're makin' sic a work aboot. It's me that 'll hae tae bear the loss, an' I was na thinkin' o' havin' ony bother aboot it," said Dauvid.

"After what has fallen from your own lips, I see there is no use trying to reason with you. I am sorry to think such a man as you are—a member of my church-I will call a meeting and have you expelled," said the minister.

"Ye can ca' a meetin' o' the Presbytery gin ye like, for onything I care."

"I shall stay here no longer to be insulted!" cried the minister, when he was stopped by Willie.

Od, sir, ye canna richty leave the hoose until we come tae some kind o' an understandin'. Ye see, I has broucht ower my strauchtin'-boord, an' I'll awa' an' get some o' the neebors, an' get her laid oot in a respectable an' Christianlike manner.'

"Strauchtin'-boord for a coo! Lay her oot in a Christian-like manner! What on earth does the man mean!" said

Dauvid.

"What dae I mean! Yer wife lyin' deid here, an' you hae the impudence tae speer what I mean!" said Willie.

My wife dead! Hae ye ta'en leave o' yer senses, man?" "I'm afraid there's some mistake here. Is your wife dead, David?" said the minister.

“Gouid be thankit, no, sir; at least she wasna twa hours syne."

"And where is she?"

"Oh! she gaed awa' ower tae her brother's. Ye see, Nellie's lady's deid and left her sax hunner pounds, so Janet gaed awa' ower tae hear o' the news. But wha' sent ye here wi' the boord?" quo' Dauvid.

"Od, Peter Low cam' up tae the shop this mornin', an' telt me tae come awa' wi' the boord, as ye had met wi' a sair loss."

"Did he say Janet was deid?"

"Noo, he didna' jist say that when I mind, but of course I thoucht it could be nae ither body."

"I see it a' noo!" cried Dauvid, fa'in into a chair roarin' an' lauchin'. "Low was ower here this mornin', an' I was tellin' him aboot the death o' a coo, an' the rogue has gaen and made a gowk o' puir Willie ower the