T "Deal gently with us, ye who read, The tower, but not the spire, we build." HE introduction to our last issued volume was the thirteenth we have written for this work. We were superstitious enough to feel that it taught us a lesson in humility-reminding us of the story about an old Highland minister who on one occasion preached to Dr Blair's fashionable congregation in the High Kirk, Edinburgh. The sermon was on "The Duty of Humiliation." "And now, my freens," said the preacher, "in the Thairteenth place, I shall proceed to set before you a Thairteenth reason for Humeeliation. And it sall be a reason taken from the seeance o' anawtomy. We are informed by them as is skeeled in the seeance o' anawtomy that we have got a' the puddins o' a soo, but e'en now I ask you a', if we have got a' the puddins o' a soo, if this is no a Thairteenth reason for Humeeliation, and a reason taken from the seeance o' anawtomy." Thus were we led to realise that, when we entered on our task, we must have had little idea of the. |