What's yer name ?" "Annie Anderson" "Whaur do ye bide ?" "At Mr Bruce's, i' the Wast Wynd." The maid went, and presently returning with the message that she was to "gang up the stair," conducted her to the study where the minister sat--a room, to Annie's amazement, filled with books from the top to the bottom of every wall.

Mr Cowie held out his hand to her, and said, "Well, my little maiden, what do you want ?" "Please, sir, wad ye len' me a sang-buik ?" "A psalm-book ?" said the minister, hesitatingly, supposing he had not heard aright, and yet doubting if this could be the correction of his auricular blunder.
"Na, sir; I hae a psalm-buik at hame.

It's a sang-buik that I want the len' o'." Now the minister was one of an old school--a very worthy kind-hearted man, with nothing of what has been called _religious experience_.

But he knew what some of his Lord's words meant, and amongst them certain words about little children.

He had a feeling likewise, of more instinctive origin, that to be kind to little children was an important branch of his office.