close, then spoke as follows:--

"Freens, I'm but yoong, as ye see, an' never afore daured open my
moo i' sic fashion, but it comes to me to speyk, an' wi' yer leave
speyk I wull. I canna help thinkin' the gudeman 's i' some
trible--siclike, maybe, as King Dawvid whan he made the psalm I hae
been readin' i' yer hearin'. Ye observt hoo it began like a stormy
mornin', but ye h'ard hoo it changed or a' was dune. The sun comes
oot bonny i' the en', an' ye hear the birds beginnin' to sing,
tellin' Natur' to gie ower her greitin'. An' what brings the guid
man til's senses, div ye think? What but jist the thoucht o' him
'at made him, him 'at cares aboot him, him 'at maun come to ill
himsel' 'afore he lat onything he made come to ill. Sir, lat's gang
doon upo' oor knees, an' commit the keepin' o' oor sowls to him as
til a faithfu' creator, wha winna miss his pairt 'atween him an'
hiz."

They went down on their knees, and Donal said,

"O Lord, oor ain father an' saviour, the day ye hae sent 's has
arrived bonny an' gran', an' we bless ye for sen'in' 't; but eh, oor
father, we need mair the licht that shines i' the darker place. We
need the dawn o' a spiritual day inside 's, or the bonny day ootside
winna gang for muckle. Lord, oor micht, speyk a word o' peacefu'
recall to ony dog o' thine 'at may be worryin' at the hert o' ony
sheep o' thine 'at's run awa; but dinna ca' him back sae as to lea'
the puir sheep 'ahint him; fess back dog an' lamb thegither, O Lord.
Haud 's a' frae ill, an' guide 's a' to guid, an' oor mornin' prayer
's ower. Amen."