Old Mortality.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 38, 13 July 1885, Page 2

Old Mortality.

I |TKe jrioat . remarkable of tHig|ifi*atw/ friity was ,Ge.prdie the j ancient gra 'of /he(*rey Friar's !ch^&-yiiSi : -'*' v ;H®ywks i; 'titt Xuncomjmpnly , drunken-looking, - withered, ilittleold man, with sore eyes; ; Jt • was' saidof him, *hy 'the ' I ffettj)le of Edinburgh;' that he had; m ; the^pp.v\i^e of his : professional, dutiesy i turncid over v the churchyard* ■ seven :time^. ,He died at: an advanced age I many s years ago. Like Blairs sexton, I h,ej:had aigpeatttarnfor-iwit, -but,- \y&* i fortunately, his conversation smelt i wofully/bf the shop,; r tjhkt v 'shjjpll' L wafe riot the most pleaHing"* possible^ A friend one day. itnadt?, up him as ;he was digging 'a, graye,^ and found 1 him contemplating a^sltnlly irh'ich he J»ac| just ;unear|>hefj, and was holding m. hi* hand; s Knowing jihafc^eordie was e qui^Wweil'aoiquMn I ted--\vith the facesjot' the"dead as the living ;popu> lation'oftlie parish of Grey Friare, the intruder' aSked him, "who that had been V "Ah ! mau," quoth Geordie, Ul this was the great preacher,*Dr— — -, one of the ministers, of Edinhnrgh. 1( Ifo ,w,*is wsftl, kenn'd to be a f , queer minister m li is day. He could drink glass for glass wi' a large dinner party, ■ till they wtre a' aneatli the table but j| hiinsel!; j ;and, he would theuugp rinto • .inofher room,^call for the seryanta of) the I:ousp, and give them 4 discourse, ; ns well as if he had never tasted a; Ah, he's beeh;lang fletd* aiidii gane nooM \Od, I\l>elieve; I've tuu»n| him sax tiiues m my handn wnce I; pat lvihy;fir&t an^iith the^jirth ! Deil ;■ caru how mony mair times T may ha« hniir to turn ower yet. '..'