Amongst ourselves, no doubt, one circumstance tended greatly to call forth, and, as we may say, to _develop_, the peculiar Scotch humour of which we speak--and that was the familiarity of intercourse which took place between persons in different positions of life.

This extended even to an occasional interchange of words between the minister and the members of his flock during time of service.

I have two anecdotes in illustration of this fact, which I have reason to believe are quite authentic.

In the church of Banchory on Deeside, to which I have referred, a former minister always preached without book, and being of an absent disposition, he sometimes forgot the head of discourse on which he was engaged, and got involved in confusion.

On one occasion, being desirous of recalling to his memory the division of his subject, he called out to one of his elders, a farmer on the estate of Ley, "Bush (the name of his farm), Bush, ye're sleeping." "Na, sir, I'm no sleeping--I'm listening." "Weel, then, what had I begun to say ?" "Oh, ye were saying so and so." This was enough, and supplied the minister with the thread of his discourse; and he went on.