"She will be here anon, Father—here she comes!" and at the words a little woman wearing a gray dress, a white lace tippet, and a small white lace cap, set with pink bows, entered. She was rather pretty, and sweet and homely as honey. A maid carrying the simple supper of the family accompanied her. Dr. Macrae looked at her pleasantly, and she said:
"Well, Ian!"
That was all, until the boiled oatmeal and milk, and the toasted cakes and cheese were spread upon the table. But as soon as the minister had his plate of boiled oatmeal and his glass of milk before him, she continued:
"You are a bit late home to-night, Ian. I was wondering about it."
"There was a useless kind of session—much talking about nothing."
"Men must talk, especially when they are in session for that purpose. What were they talking about?"
"Many usual things, rather unusually, about the Bible."
"What for were they meddling with the Book? They were hearing it, or reading it, all day yesterday."
"They were discussing the buying of a new Bible for the Church. Deacon Laird proposed it. He said he had been noticing for a long time that the pulpit Bible was frizzled and worn, and the cushion much faded; both of them looking as they should not look in the Church of the Disciples."
"And what words did you give them?"