THE MINISTER AND HIS BREECHES.

Te Aroha News, 15 February 1890, Page 2

THE MINISTER AND HIS BREECHES.

The Rev David Macrae, in a lecture at Edinburgh, recently, told a most entertaining story which kept the audience convulsed with laughter. It had as its hero a Free Church minister whose recent adventures in Norway were narrated. The clergyman, while touring in Norway, on one occasion unconsciously sat down on an anthill while waiting at a railway station. On entering his carriage he thought himself alone, but soon found that he had brought companions with him on his inexpressibles (great laughter). In despair of getting red of them be at length took off his nether garment and shook it out of the window, when, to his horror,- it caught on a telegraph wire (renewed laughter). In a moment his garment was receding in the distance. He had nothing suitable in his knapsack—not even an Aberdee plaid—so when the train slopped at the first station be gathered himself together (laughter), dashed out of the train, and, to the astonishment of the bystanders, rushed into the waitingroom, where his knocking speedily brought the station-master on the scene. Unfoitunately he knew no English, while the minister knew no Norwegian, so the latter had to open the door a little to let tiie stationmaster learn his condition (laughter). Realising that something had gone wrong, and that English was wanted, the stationmaster sent for the only person in the village who could apeak English, and who turned out to be a lady (great laughter). She was at length made aware of what had occurred, and the unhappy Free Church minister was kept quietand secluded until his inexpressibles were found and he was able to proceed on his journey.