MEMORIALS O' LANG SYNE, OR SKETCHES OF THE PAST.

Southland Times, Issue 889, 27 January 1868, Page 3

MEMORIALS O' LANG SYNE, OR SKETCHES OF THE PAST.

' Br JonjT G. Fmith. 4 THE MINISTER'S MAN. [The Minister's man is an official now almost extinct in-most of (he parishes of Scotland; but ' yet there are very few who da not retain some recollection of tliciiv ecrefrtricity and quaint humor; instances of which are . recorded by Dean Ramsay, in his " Scottish Life and Chnracter." I well remember Thomas Taifr, the minister's man of St Eonan'?, wlio sat for his portrait in the following sketch. Tarn was a wiseacre after his own fashion. He could not preach, but he could draw an inference, and repeat the practical conclusions of almost all the sermons which were- delivered 01? read in the pulplfe of the parish Church. He "bad an old hat which served nearly all the purposrs of "Rob Tiorison's bonnet. It was a covering for his bald poid, and its position thereon wa3 an index of the weather. In fact, it served (ill the purposes of a parochial barometer; when slouched over his brow, bad weather was -sure to follow; when raised; wifh its bririv (for it had a, brim), to the North Pole,, fine sunny weather might he looked for.. The children knew it at once. " T^m Tait's; hat's up the'day, we'll have a glorious mid-day play.", Never, was a weather glass more anxiously consulted by a farmer in harvest time than was the position of Tarn's hat by the boys at St. Ronan's School. The. ■occurrencel--men-tioned in the fifth verse, viz : — - "When the win' blew his thirdly on Jenny Craw's back." •-• •;-"•'-• actually took place wheti the Ee*\ P. Pate, better known by his soubriquet of Paper P. ate, was incumbent of the Parish } f