wonted oratory, when the Right Honourable stood up squarely to his task, and volunteered an answer. He "sympathized very cordially with the last speaker." Nothing would more delight him "than to see every Working Man the absolute Owner of his own Home." But it was "all a question of Money." If they would show him "where the Money was to come from, it might be an easy matter to get a change in the Laws."

"Dod-davert! man," roared Dave of the Beacon, blazing with anger, "div ye no see that we're peyin' the Money already? Oor bane an' muscle, oor hard earnings for thretty years on end,-ye ca't RENT, we ca't PRICE; sae, we only claim what we've bocht an' peyed for. Ony blockheid micht gang tae Parlia

But at this point, Moudie Jamie gave Dave a tremendous jerk from behind, suddenly flopping him down on the seat with a smash, and the close of the sentence was lost amid shouts of good - humoured laughter.

Before the laughter had died away, the leaders began calling "Dominie! Dominie!" The shout was echoed by nearly all in the Room; whereon Dominie Liffie launched off into a speech. He had to submit "the views of Castlebraes on the Education of the Young by the Nation," and to " ask the Candidate a question or two thereon."

In what was manifestly considered to be no common oration, the Dominie elaborated these carefully propounded Postulates:

I. "That every Child, born into this World, ought to have an equally free and untrammelled oppor

tunity with every other Child-the opportunity at least of attaining all, or any kind of knowledge and instruction, of which God Almighty had Himself made that Child capable, or which God had put into the power of any Man to teach, or to convey, to that Child,

2. "That there should be, equally free and open to all, these Three Grades of Education,-the Parish School, the County College, and the National University; and that there should be attached to each of these, in due proportion to the population, and in wise adaptation to the practical needs of each Locality, a Workshop, a Library, and a Gymnasium."

He fully set forth that, "in the first of these-The Workshop-the use of tools and the art of cookery would be taught to all comers; the elementary principles, and the rudimentary practice, of all trades and occupations in the Land; the essential laws of Health, and of the Food that conduces thereto and sustains it;-things, short of which, no Human Being can be said to have been instructed how to live at all, even on the humblest plane!"

In the second-The Library-would be gathered together, and freely placed at the disposal of all the Inhabitants, "the Standard Books in every Department of Literature; and also a Museum, containing Curios, Pictures, Antiquities, and every interesting object that could be obtained, illustrative of (1) the Creation, (2) the Animal World, (3) the other Countries of the Earth, and (4) their own Country and County;-things, short of which, no Human Being can take an intelligent and an elevating

interest in the life of his Home or of his Country, the life of his Race or of the Universe."

In the third-The Gymnasium-" would be provided rational and varied opportunities for Recreation and Amusement; athletic exercises for the young and vigorous; music and healthsome refreshments and quieter games for the middle-aged and the sedate; besides a Public Hall, where famous Teachers might entertain and instruct, or where the Dramas of National History might be played to enforce the glorious victories of Liberty and Truth, or Episodes of pure Human Love portrayed to cleanse the passions and keep the heart unpolluted."

3. His final postulate was this-" That free access to the Parish School, the County College, and the National University, with all the privileges appertaining to each, should be the indisputable and inalienable birthright of every Boy or Girl, to whom the Creator had given brain enough to enter thereon, or to profit thereby."

In one word, declared the Dominie, in his finest oratorical style, his contention was this-"That the Best, that is, potentially the Best, whether humblest born, or highest,—should have full opportunity and perfect freedom to develop into the actually Best, to rise to the top wherever able to do so, to take possession if possible of the whole Realm of Knowledge, and to turn it to highest account for the welfare of Man and the glory of God! That was Education;-nothing less and nothing else could lay claim to that honoured name;-and the Electors of Castlebraes would gladly hear the Candidate's views thereon."

The Right Honourable Reginald Bluffbounce, protesting that "this was the 'largest order' he had ever heard of, or received," guessed that it "would necessitate as great an Annual Outlay as a Standing Army or an Efficient Navy"; but declared that in any case he was "entirely friendly to it as a beautiful Theory, and would only be too happy to vote for it, whensoever any responsible Statesman proposed it, and showed any possibility of providing the necessary ways and means.”

At this knock-down blow, the Factor snichered, keeping up a very contemptuous series of snirts of laughter; while Easter Linns threw himself back into the Chair, and shouted,

"That's yin for the Dominie wi' his dreams!". and Lord Dougall beamed with eloquent, but very cynical, delight.

Thereon, it became perfectly manifest that their tactic was to turn the whole Meeting into a farce, by reducing everything to absurdity and ridicule. But the blood was already flushing Jean Darumple's brow, determined to defeat their game; so she sprang to her feet, and cried,

"I bespeak the Chair to gie me a chance o' twathree words on the subjeck o' Schuling. I'm nowther Voter nor Candidate, but I'm the Mither o' seeven Sons an' five Dauchters; an' mibbe I hae as big a stake i' the weelfare o' this Kintra, as ony Landlord, or Richt Honourable, or Factor, in a' the crew.

'Besides, in Politics, I've been a red-het Raidical for mair nor thretty years; an' gif I turn agin them noo, an' seek the gude o' the Nation, irrespec

tive o' a' Pairty Cries, it is just because they hae noo proved themsel's to be as great self-seekers an' frauds, as thae Tories wham they soucht to displace. What's a' this tirravee aboot Reform here, an' Retrenchment there? I'm fair scunnert at their sugarcoated promises! Nae shuner dae they get hip i' the saddle, than doon comes the crack o' the auld whip, the auld spur yerks intill oor flanks, an' we pant an' steam under the wecht o' a new Government, that is, a Government wi' a new name; but deevil a bit mair comfort comes tae us in draggin' oor heavy load! (Cheers.)

"Tak', for sample, the quastion o' Eddication, sae eloquently submitted by Dominie Liffie, an' simply lauched at by oor guides, philosophers, an' freens there on the Platform. They've been speechifyin', an' bouncin', an' blunderin' aboot Eddication for twa-three generations past; an' a fine job they've made o't, wi' thoosan's an' hunders o' thoosan's o' punds at their disposal; an' wi' the best brainmaterial tae work on, that God Almichty creates under the blue Heevens, the Laddies an' the Lassocks o' auld Scotia. Yet, at this blessed 'oor, they'll turn oot Lassies, far on i' their Teens, amaist ripe tae mairry an' keep hoose o' their ain, that can pass what they ca' an Exam., that can parse particles, an' analeeze propositions, that can yatter a wheen French phrases, or play-act half a dizzen pretty poems, or lal-lal-lal twa-three silly German an' Italian sangs; but that ken nae mair, God peety them, aboot the laws o' their ain health, or aboot halesome cookery, an' economic hoose-keepin', than does oor wee Jocksey, that herds the nowte oot o' the