does."

"What's the matter with young Pickles?" enquired Ewen.

The eyes of the company, following the pointing finger, fell upon young
Pickles standing at the window of the little vestry to the church, and
looking in. He was apparently convulsed with laughter, with his hand
hard upon his mouth and nose as a kind of silencer.

"Do you know what's the matter with him, Pat?" continued Ewen.

Pat McCann, the faithful friend and shadow of young Pickles, after
studying the attitude and motions of his friend, gave answer:

"It's the preacher, I guess. He's kiddin' the kids inside. He's some
kidder, too," he said, moving to take his place beside his friend.

"What's he doing anyway?" said Ewen. "I'm going to see."

Gradually a little company gathered behind young Pickles and Pat McCann.
The window commanded a view of the room, yet in such a way that the
group were unobserved by the speaker.

"Say, you ought to seen him do the camel a minute ago," whispered
Pickles.

In the little vestry room were packed some twenty children of all ages
and sizes, with a number of grownups who had joined the class in charge
of some of its younger members. There was, for instance, Mrs. Innes,
with the two youngest of her numerous progeny pillowed against her