84 STUDIES OF NATURE 



narrow and sandy lane. Here horses and 

 vehicles ford the river ; but foot passengers 

 turn aside and cross by a little wooden bridge. 

 At this point we come upon a sedate and yet 

 happy company of peasants and fisher-folk 

 from the village. Their demeanour is in accord 

 with the landscape. We pause and talk with 

 them. They have been to some little week- 

 night meeting for devotion held at the manse, 

 and the young man who is their pastor is 

 setting them forward on their way home. It 

 is pleasant to listen to their talk gossip with- 

 out garrulousness or levity, the quiet and sim- 

 ple interchange of news about what interests 

 them in the cottage and on the sea. Most of 

 them are elderly women, but there are also 

 some men and boys. Among them is poor 

 Janet M'Bride. She is lame; but they walk 

 slowly enough even for her. Janet is a ' lone 

 woman ' she has neither chick nor child, and 

 lives in a queer little cabin of wood in which 



