CANTERBURY.

Southland Times, Issue 590, 12 November 1866, Page 2

CANTERBURY.

CHRISTCniTRCH, ISToV. 10. The Alhambra has sailed from Hokitika, for Melbourne, with 9500 ounces of gold; the Claud Hamilton for Sydney, witt 6000 ounces.

Scene in Church. — A Sleepy Precentor. — One of our Free Churches in towa was the scene of a somewhat amusing; incident last Sunday morning. The precentor having resigned his duties, the congregation have been obliged for some weeks back to avail themselves of theservices of sundry musical amatures in leading the 1 psalmody. Last Sunday morning it chanced that a young man well known to the members of the congregation occupied the precentor's chair. Everything went on as usual till the sermon was finished, and the minister having given out a psalm resumed his seat. At this point a pause of awkward duration occurred, and when the surprised congregation looked to the place where the temporary precentor should have risen and commenced the psalm, that young gentleman, all indifferent to the attention he was attracting towards himself, was observed to be reposing in the arms of Morpheus. The congregation, evidently tickled at the spectacle of the slumbering son of . Orpheus, with much difficulty smothered a rising laugh ; and the rev. occupant of the pulpit, noticing the amused expression on the countenances of his auditors, began to grow somewhat nervous, fancying, it might be, that as the eyes of all were directed his way there might be something in his own appearance not entirely in accordance with their preconceived notions of clerical dignity. The silence of the gentleman under his bookboard, however, soon*made him aware of the real state of matters. At length one of the elders, more courageous than his brethren, resolved to bring this awkward pause to a close, and marching up the aisle to the front of the pulpit shook the slumbering precentor. The latter awoke at once to consciousness and a sense of the awkwardness of his position. The obliging elder having whispered to him the psalm and retired, he fumbled among the leaves of his book for some time in a confused manner, till finding the proper place, he got up in rather a ' shaky ' sort of condition and started the tune, much to the relief of the congregation. — Northern Warder.