Biddy M'Hale there. She has done very well with her poultry."

"I daresay she has," said the priest, "but the people would pay no
attention to her. She is one of themselves. It would be no
amusement to them to hear her."

The young lady asked if she might have five minutes to scribble a
few notes. The priest said he would wait a few minutes, but it did
not matter much what she said.

"But couldn't some one dance or sing," said the young lady.

"Dancing and singing!" said the priest. "No!"

And the young lady hurriedly scribbled a few notes about fowls for
laying, fowls for fattening, regular feeding, warm houses, and
something about a percentage of mineral matter. She had not half
finished when the priest said:--

"Now will you stand over there near the harmonium. Whom shall I
announce?"

The young woman told him her name, and he led her to the harmonium
and left her talking, addressing most of her instruction to Biddy
M'Hale, a long, thin, pale-faced woman, with wistful eyes.

"This won't do," said the priest, interrupting the lecturer,--"I'm
not speaking to you, miss, but to my people. I don't see one of
you taking notes, not even you, Biddy M'Hale, though you have made
a fortune out of your hins. Didn't I tell you from the pulpit that