The Rev. Sir Henry Moncrieff, Bart., was for some years minister of the parish of Blackford, prior to his translation to St. Cuthbert’s in Edinburgh. During his incumbency at Blackford (about 1774), he had, as Doctor Rodgers tells, one Sabbath opened divine service by giving out a portion of the 71st Psalm, at the seventh verse. The conductor of the psalmody followed the practice then in vogue, and enunciated the opening line—
“To many I a wonder am.”
Immediately the congregation seemed to be overpowered by an inclination to indulge in laughter, which, indeed, some were unable to restrain. The precentor faltered, but proceeded to read the line again. This tended only to increase the excitement; and while some quickly withdrew from the church, others concealed their faces under the pews, or buried them in their handkerchiefs. Sir Henry rose up, and, looking down at the precentor, called to him, “So you are a wonder, John; turn your wig.” The oddity of the precentor’s appearance with his wig misplaced, viewed in connection with his proclamation, had produced the mistimed merriment.
A precentor of humour, when Lord Eglinton’s family were crowded out of sitting room in the kirk, exclaimed, “Stand back, Jock, and let the Eglinton family in;” then continued to read—
“Nor stand in sinners’ way.”
Dr. Chalmers attempted to abolish the practice of reading the line, and used to tell a story of an old woman in his congregation who stoutly maintained that the change was anti-scriptural. On being asked by the great preacher what was the scripture of which she regarded the change as a contravention, the good old dame at once replied by citing the text, “Line upon line,” which, as she fancied, settled the matter.
It has been a common ambition among musical young men in country places to have “a day in the desk,” and many sorrowful experiences might be related in connection therewith—experiences which would go to show that the late James Smith’s account of “Barebones’ First Day in the Desk” was not a severely overdrawn picture. Barebones’ account is in “common metre,” and the crisis of the occasion is thus graphically described:—
“Forth like a martyr then I went,
Quench’d were Hope’s smould’ring embers;
And walk’d into a lofty church,