INVERNESS-SHIRE. 129 



in this rather forlorn place M'Intosh, in a 

 loud stentorian voice, reading out in couplets 

 the lines of the Psalm, in the same continuous 

 strain of the key note of the tune (Colshill) they 

 were singing. It put me in mind of the old 

 Covenanters, and it was quite refreshing to hear 

 a family lifting up their song of praise to their 

 heavenly Father after their toils and before re- 

 tiring to rest. It brought to my mind the 

 Cottar's Saturday Night, which, to this day, 

 I can never read without shedding tears, for it 

 kindles such joy and delight in the heart. I 

 would refer particularly to the verses following 

 this graphic description and picture of Scottish 

 rural life 



' The cheerfu' supper done, wi' serious face, 

 They round the ingle form a circle wide ; 

 The sire turns o'er, wi' patriarchal grace, 

 The big ha' Bible, ance his father's pride. 

 His bonnet reverently is laid aside, 

 His lyart haffets wearing thin and bare ; 

 Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide, 

 He wales a portion wi' judicious care ; 

 And " Let us worship God ! " he says, with solemn air.' 



I am glad to say that there are many families 

 among the peasantry of Scotland who exercise 



