Oor ain folk times

30 A MIGHTY OATECHEEZEB
course of conversation the visit of the tall, inquisitive
stranger was alluded to, and all the circumstances
detailed. ' Oh ! ' said my father, ' that wad jist
be " lang Tarn Guthrie " — the famous preacher ; ye
ken he's bidin' at Inchgrundle.' ' Od sake ! ' said the
old wife ; 'so that wis the famous Doctor Guthrie,
was it 1 ' ' No other,' said my father. ' An' what
think ye o' the great Doctor now that ye hiv seen
him, Jannie 1 '
'Dod, sir,' said the old body, with a gleam of
humour in her eye, 'he's no a bad sort o' a chiel,
but he's a most michty catecheezer. As fac's am
leevin', he wad speir the vera guts oot o' a wheel-
barrow.' The worthy doctor enjoyed this rough
criticism on his questionable character as heartily as
my father, who of course took an early opportunity
of telling him what Jannie had thought of him.
Dr. Guthrie very frequently preached open-air
sermons to the Glen folk and any visitors who
might chance to be in the neighbourhood ; and his
fame as an orator was always certain to ensure a
large congregation even in that sequestered parish.
One of these deeply interesting gatherings forms the
subject of a fine picture by Maclise, I think it was,
and which must be familiar to many who read this
book, by the engravings which were very popular and
widespread in my younger days.
I do not know if the worthy Doctor, in any of
his preachings on the hillside, had such an experience
as one of his clerical brethren in the Highlands had on
a similar occasion. I think the story has been told
by the dear old Dean. The worthy minister had