In "anniversary" sermons, which he always announced the Sunday before, he seldom refrained from contrasting the number on the roll of church membership, then and now, with the particular increase in the year just closed.

If the increase was satisfactory, he made little comment beyond the duty of thanksgiving--figures spoke for themselves.

If it was otherwise Dr Drummond's displeasure was not a thing he would conceal.

He would wing it eloquently on the shaft of his grief that the harvest had been so light; but he would more than hint the possibility that the labourers had been few.

Most important among his statistics was the number of young communicants.