The Late Archibishop Tait

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 29 September 1891, Page 3

The Late Archibishop Tait

"A.K.H.8.," in Longman's, tells an entertaining anecdote of the late Avchibishop Tait :— Tait was helped by his vein of Scottish humour. He listened to an amusing story with real enjoyment ; and he told one admirably well. The sorrowful face with the sad smile, added to the effect. Some remember one which l>an Stanley repeated at a Bishop's dinner at Lambeth on the authority of a Scottish friend. It elioitated from the Archibishop no more than "A very good story," but it is literally true On one of his latest visits

to a certain country house in a Scottish country, he went alone to the Post Office to send a telegram to his brother. He wrote it out" The Archibishop of Canterbury to Sheriff Tait, and handed it in. The sceptical old postmaster read it aloud in contemptuous tones: " The .Archibishop of Canterbury ;" and added, " Wha may ye be that takes this cognomen ?" The Archbishop, taken aback, remained silent for a moment. The morning was cold, and he had a woolen comforter wrapped round his neck ; but on second view, the postmaster thought he looked more respectable than on a first, and added, " Maybe ye're the gentleman himsel'?" Taifc replied modestly, " For want of a better, I am." On which the good old Scot hastened to apologise for his suspicion of imposture, adding, " I might have seen you were rather consequential about the legs." Then he added words of cheer, which Tait said truly were vitally Scotch, " I have a son in London, a lad in a shop ; and he gaed to hear ye preach one day and was verra well satisfied."