A beadle, who was a good deal of a wit in his way, gave a sly hit in his pretended defence of his minister on the question.

As they were proceeding from church, the minister observed the beadle had been laughing as if he had triumphed over some of the parishioners with whom he had been in conversation.

On asking the cause of this, he received for answer, "Dod, sir, they were saying ye had preached an auld sermon to-day, but I tackled them, for I tauld them it was no an auld sermon, for the minister had preached it no sax months syne." I remember the minister of Banchory, Mr.Gregory, availed himself of the feelings of his people on this subject for the purpose of accomplishing a particular object.

During the building of the new church the service had to be performed in a schoolroom, which did not nearly hold the congregation.

The object was to get part of the parish to attend in the morning, and part in the afternoon.