“Hoots！Nonsense，Mither！“saidhersonhastily，knowingwellhowthoroughlycapableshewasofnotonlygoingtoameetingofUnionworkersbutalsoofspeakinghermindifinherjudgmenttheywereguiltyoftransgressingtheSabbathlaw。“ThemeetingwillbejustasreligiousasMr。Matheson’sanyway。“
“A’mnosaesure，“saidhismothergrimly。
WhetherreligiousinthesenseunderstoodbyMrs。McNish，themeetingwasnotwantinginethicalinterestorhumanpassion。Itwasagatheringoftheworkersinthevariousindustriesinthetown，TradeUnionistsmostofthem，butwithaconsiderablenumberwhohadneverowedallegiancetoanyUnionandanumberofdisgruntledex-Unionists。Theselatterwereveryvociferousandforthemostpartglibtalkers，withpassionsthatundertheslightestpressurespurtedfoamingtothesurface。Returnedsoldierstherewerewhohadtakenontheiroldjobsbutwhohadnotyetsettleddownintothecolourlessroutineofmillandfactoryworkunderthedisciplineofthosewhooftenknewlittleoftheessentialsofdisciplineasthesemenknewthem。AgroupofFrench-Canadianfactoryhands，takenonnonetoowillinglyinthestressofwarwork，constitutedanelementoffriction，forthesoldiersdespisedandhatedthem。WiththesethereminglednewimmigrantsfromtheshipyardsandfactoriesoftheOldLand，allmembersorex-membersofTradeUnions，Socialistsintraininganddoctrine，familiarwiththeterminologyandjargonofthoseSocialisticdebatingschools，theLocalUnionsofEnglandandScotland，alert，keen，readyofwitandreadyoftongue，rejoicinginwordy，passionatedebate，readyforanything，fearingnothing。
TheoccasionofthemeetingwasthepresenceofagreatInternationalOfficialoftheAmericanFederationofLabour，anditspurposetostrengthenInternationalUnionismagainsttheunderminingofguerillabandsofnon-UnionistsandveryespeciallyagainsttheneworganizationsemanatingfromthefarWest，theOneBigUnion。
AtthedoorofthehallstoodMr。Wigglesworth，important，fussyandunctuouslyimpressive，welcoming，directing，introducingand，incidentallybutquiteineffectively，seekingtoinspirewithrespectforhisaugustpersonanondescriptcrowdofsmallboysvainlyseekingentrance。WithaneffusivenessamountingtoreverencehewelcomedMcNishanddirectedhiminamysteriouswhispertowardaseatontheplatform，which，however，McNishdeclined，choosingaseatatthesideabouthalfwayuptheaisle。