Brightly shone the sun that day, and every blade of grass and remaining tuft of heather sparkled under its rays, as the party from Benvourd set off to the place of meeting. It was a good way off; but both Nora and her uncle were famous pedestrians, and fully enjoyed the walk on that quiet early Sabbath morn. The impression made on her heart by Minnie's early death had never worn completely off; the longing after higher and more satisfying joys than the world could give was still filling the girl's heart; the soil was soft, prepared, though she knew it not, by the great Creator for the ready reception of the words which, by the lips of his faithful messenger, were to prove that day to many souls the savour of life.
As the party neared the place of meeting, Nora was surprised to see so many people coming in all directions over the moors, where the heather was already turning brown. Across half-reaped fields of golden corn, down the steep hill-sides, they came, all looking eager, though with the calm hush of the Sabbath day about them.
"Uncle, where does all that multitude of people come from?" said Nora, as she looked in amazement at the crowd, as they congregated at the river-side, waiting for the ferry-boat to cross and recross with the many passengers; for the gathering-place was on the opposite side of the river from Benvourd.
Her uncle smiled. "You may well ask that, Nora. The greater number of these people have come from places miles distant, and some must have walked for hours to get here so early. God grant that not mere curiosity has brought them, but a hunger for the bread of life."
Just then the ferry-boat reached the bank of the river where they stood, and Mr. Macleod and his niece stepped into it, along with several others.
"You're getting hard Sabbath work to-day, Sandy," said Mr. Macleod, addressing his old friend the ferryman.
"Ay, ay, sir," was the ready reply, spoken in the Gaelic language; "but it's blessed work too, for if half that we hear is true, it's the Lord's own message that will be given to-day, and na doot many o' Satan's captives will be set free. The ferry work is one o' necessity and mercy, I'm thinking; and the Lord'll no' hold us guilty for doin' that kind o' work on his holy day. Not one penny o' payment will old Sandy take for this work. Yon's a grand sicht, sir."
And as he spoke he pointed to the hill-side, just above the spot where the meeting was to be held. Already it was crowded with people, and the sound of psalm-singing was wafted to the river—
"O come, let us sing to the Lord:
Come, let us every one
A joyful noise make to the Rock
Of our salvation."
Young and old, rich and poor were grouped there, the grass and the heather their carpet, and the blue arched sky their roof, while a small mountain cascade, as it leaped from rock to rock over-canopied by the rowan trees, mingled its music with that of the slight breeze and the chorus of strong voices. The scarlet cloaks and white caps of some of the older women, and the checked shepherd's plaids of the men, all formed a picture that would not soon die out of memory's eye.