At the time of the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 the congregations were apt to side with their minister, if he were an able and efficient pastor to whom they were attached. Thus in Skye, as I have above mentioned, so powerful was the influence of John Mackinnon among his people that he kept them with him in the pale of the Establishment. But in most Highland parishes the Free Church early took ground, and in a large number it has been so predominant that the congregation of the Parish Church sometimes consists of little more than the clergyman and his family. In such cases the position of the adherents of the ‘Auld Kirk’ may sometimes be rather trying. More especially is it felt by the ‘minister’s man,’ who is sometimes placed in sad straits in his endeavour to put the best face on the situation and conceal the feebleness of his flock. Without knowing his official position, or to which of the churches he belonged, I once met one of these worthies in the west of Ross-shire, and, with a friend who accompanied me, had some talk with him about the parish. [Sidenote: A MINISTER’S MAN] ‘How does the Established Church get on here?’ we asked. ‘O fine, fine, sirs.’ ‘Has the minister been here a long time?’ ‘Ow ay, it’ll be a long time noo, I’m sure.’ ‘And has he a large congregation?’ ‘Ow ay, it’s a fery goot congregation, whatefer.’ ‘Is it as big as the Free Kirk?’ ‘Weel, I’ll no say that it will be just as big as the Free Kirk.’ ‘How many do you think there may be in church on Sunday?’ ‘Weel, ye see, there’ll be sometimes more and sometimes fewer.’ ‘But have you no idea how many they may be?’ ‘Weel, sir, I dinna think I wass ever counting them.’ ‘You go to the parish church yourself, I think?’ [Sidenote: PARISH VISITING] ‘O, to be sure, I do: where wad ye think I wad be goin’ else?’ It was quite clear that our interlocutor must be a staunch adherent of the Auld Kirk, and probably had some scantiness of the congregation to conceal; but we had no idea then of what we learnt soon afterwards, that he was no less a personage than the ‘minister’s man,’ and that, saving the family from the manse and an occasional stranger, he was himself the whole congregation.