Humour

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 46, 10 February 1894, Page 11

Humour

HE WAS IN NO HURRY

“ Twenty-five years at St. Andrews,” by the Rev. A. K. H. Boyd, one of the recent additions to the Athenaeum Library, contains some capital stories. One of these relates to a gentleman who visited Invercargill a few years ago —Dr. MacGregor, ■of Sfc. Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. It is not new, but will bear repeating. Speaking of his ability as an orator, the author remarks that on one occasion Dr MacGregor caused great enthusiasm by very simple means. In the course of one of his addresses he said ;—“ There was a day on which one of my ancestors was sentenced to he hanged. (Loud applause.) I have no doubt it was for stealing. ■ (Thunderous cheering.) But as he was a distinguished thief, he was allowed to select the tree on which he was t® be executed, and with great presence of mind he picked a gooseberry bush. It was at once objected that it was not big enough. But he said, with dignity —‘Let it grow. Tm hi no hurry.’ ” (Roars of laughter.) Then the doctor went on to moralise, hut the best of the joke was that soon after a mutual friend wrote to Dr. Boyd to the following effect —“What is this about Dr. MacGregor’s grandfather having been hanged ? ” As the author very truly remarks on this —“ To have an ancestor hanged about five or six centuries ago is respectable, even dignified, but it must mot be too near.”