218 Field Meetings. 



Heaven gives to the herbs of the field, and Heaven's adversary to 

 the seed of the rock. There are many of them Irish, the pastor 

 of Whithorn tells me — the parents too poor to keep a priest, one 

 coming over from Wigtown sometimes for what ministration may 

 be imperative. This the ending of St. Ninian's prayer and fast 

 in his dark sandstone cave, filled with the hollow roar of the 

 Solway — now that fifteen hundred years of Gospel times have 

 come and gone. This the end: but of what is it to be the begin- 

 ning ? Of what new Kingdom of Heaven are these children the 

 nascent citizens ? To Avhat Christ are these to be allowed to 

 come for benediction, unforbidden?" 



We have here a philosophy coloured by the sadness that 

 varied sorrow cast over the writer's own later years. It is a 

 picture which, if truly drawn twenty-six years ago, would call for 

 revision in some particulars in view of the actual conditions of 

 to-day as seen in Whithorn. But the true corrective is the large 

 outlook on the Britain of to-day, with its advanced civilisation 

 and multiplied philanthropies, and the visibly constant action of 

 forces making for righteousness — although we often feel too 

 slowly — and drawing their inspiration from the same source as 

 Ninian did. 



To AIONREITH. 



To return to the \-isitors of Saturday : ha\ing made the round 

 of the Priory ruins — and expressed their thanks to the Rev. Mr 

 Henrv at the hands of the Rev. Mr Dinwiddie, of Ruthwell, and 

 Mr Arnott, the secretary — they drove off to Monreith, Sir Herbert 

 Maxwell leading in his own motor, and Mr Brook of Hoddom 

 Castle following with his. It is a drive of between seven and 

 eight miles, by a road commanding an extensive prospect sea- 

 wards. On one side the view was bounded by the Ross Island 

 with its lighthouse at the mouth of the Dee ; on the other by the 

 Mull of Galloway, with its answering beacon perched high up on 

 a rocky headland far out to sea. In the middle distance the Isle 

 of Man could be clearly seen in its full length; and at points of 

 vantage glimpses of the Mourne Mountains in Ireland could be 

 caught over the Rhins peninsula. Rumour had it that some 

 torpedo boats of the Channel Fleet were likely to enter Luce Bay- 

 in the end of the week, but the visitors were not fated to see them. 



