So David opened his criticism--"Thocht o't, sir?
deed I thocht nocht o't ava.

It was a vara imperfect discourse in ma opinion; ye did weel eneuch till ye took them through, but where did ye leave them?
just daunerin' o' the sea-shore without a place to gang till.

Had it no been for Pharaoh they had been better on the other side, where they were comfortably encampit, than daunerin' where ye left them.

It's painful to hear a sermon stoppit afore it's richt ended, just as it is to hear ane streekit out lang after it's dune.

That's ma opinion o' the sermon ye gied us to-day." "Very freely given, David, very freely given; drive on a little faster, for I think ye're daunerin' noo yersell." To another who had gone through a long course of parish official life a gentleman one day remarked--"John, ye hae been sae lang about the minister's hand that I dare say ye could preach a sermon yersell now." To which John modestly replied, "O na, sir, I couldna preach a sermon, but maybe I could draw an inference." "Well, John," said the gentleman, humouring the quiet vanity of the beadle, "what inference could ye draw frae this text, 'A wild ass snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure ?'" (Jer.ii.