IN THE HIGHLANDS 195 



charmed with the solemn sound and feeling that he had 

 never heard the like before. A little farther on I could 

 have brought the stranger back to earth pretty quickly, 

 for on the side of the road he would find very ordinary 

 tables covered with gingerbread and kebbucks of cheese 

 and goodies, etc., to suit hungry mortals, and well- 

 frequented at the week-day services. It is even reported 

 that for a penny certain outside laiaves allowed us urchins 

 to have a shy with a stick at a kind of Aunt Sally on 

 which gingerbread was set up for the knocker-olf to 

 pocket, while a miss left the penny a prize in the knave's 

 possession. Who knows if this gambling was known 

 to the saints in the Leabaidh ? 



" I frequently observed great politeness from the 

 young men to the girls, and often I saw a lassie, semi- 

 fainting owing to the heat, much gratified by her beau 

 presenting her with his shoe full of water from the well 

 above the burying-ground ! The people got strong 

 advice from the preachers, the Kev. Kennedy, of 

 Killearnan, being a great favourite. One who was 

 present at a Communion where he was helping told 

 me that, after the fencing of the tables to prevent the 

 young and timid from communicating, when all were 

 seated he suddenly shouted, * I see Satan seated on 

 some of your backs,' whereupon several screamed and 

 more than one fainted and had to be removed. None 

 of your milk and water preachers ! The sensational 

 is alone of use." 



Even I can remember not so many years ago being 

 present at an Aultbea Communion where a Free Church 



