An encounter of wits between a laird and an elder:—­A certain laird in Fife, well known for his parsimonious habits, and who, although his substance largely increased, did not increase his liberality in his weekly contribution to the church collection, which never exceeded the sum of one penny, one day by mistake dropped into the plate at the door half-a-crown; but discovering his error before he was seated in his pew, he hurried back, and was about to replace the coin by his customary penny, when the elder in attendance cried out, “Stop, laird; ye may put in what ye like, but ye maun tak naething oot!” The laird, finding his explanations went for nothing, at last said, “Aweel, I suppose I’ll get credit for it in heaven.”  “Na, na, laird,” said the elder, sarcastically; “ye’ll only get credit for the penny.”

The following is not a bad specimen of sly piper wit:—­

The Rev. Mr. Johnstone of Monquhitter, a very grandiloquent pulpit orator in his day, accosting a travelling piper, well known in the district, with the question, “Well, John, how does the wind pay?” received from John, with a low bow, the answer, “Your Reverence has the advantage of me.”

Apropos to stories connected with ministers and pipers, there cannot be a better specimen than the famous one preserved by Sir Walter Scott, in his notes to Waverley, which I am tempted to reproduce, as possibly some of my readers may have forgotten it.  The gudewife of the inn at Greenlaw had received four clerical guests into her house, a father and three sons.  The father took an early opportunity of calling the attention of the landlady to the subject of his visit, and, introducing himself, commenced in rather a pompous manner—­“Now, confess, Luckie Buchan, you never remember having such a party in your house before.  Here am I, a placed minister, with my three sons, who are themselves all placed ministers.”  The landlady, accustomed to a good deal of deference and attention from the county families, not quite liking the high tone assumed by the minister on the occasion, and being well aware that all the four were reckoned very poor and uninteresting preachers, answered rather drily, “’Deed, minister, I canna just say that I ever had sic a party before in the hoose, except it were in the ’45, when I had a piper and his three sons—­a’ pipers.  But” (she added quietly, as if aside), “deil a spring could they play amang them.”

I have received from Rev. William Blair, A.M., U.P. minister at Dunblane, many kind communications.  I have made a selection, which I now group together, and they have this character in common, that they are all anecdotes of ministers:—­