“I am nearly of your mind,” said I, smiling at the quaintness of his notion, “but you must recollect that necessity has no law.” “True,” said he, “most true. Well, sir, there we were, waiting in anxious expectation for the stopping of the little tinkling bell, and the arrival of the clergyman, for no one thought of sitting down till he appeared. At length he advanced, with a grave face, and placid countenance, bowing slightly to all as he passed, but with his eyes fixed right before him till he reached the little altar, over the rails of which hung the surplice. This was reverently placed on his shoulders by a man almost as old and grey-headed as himself, and evidently dressed in some of the minister’s old raiment. The effect of this robing in the sight of the congregation was very impressive. You saw as it were with your eyes the putting off of the man and the putting on of the minister. The world was lost for a time, and shrouded by the clean white robe of the messenger of GOD. I have often thought that vestries, in and out of which the minister of a large town church pops as in a play, destroy the effect which was certainly produced on my mind by this robing of Robert Walker in the sight of the people. The service began with a psalm, selected and given out by Walker himself. His voice was rather thin from age, but clear and distinct, for he had lost none of his teeth, and his reading of the lines was like the sound of an instrument of music. He read each verse separately, and separately they were sung. The lines which he chose were the following from the Old Version of the Psalms, which he always used not only as being more near the original and more devotional in their spirit than the new, but as consisting mainly of words of one syllable, and expressly adapted to the plain-song of congregational singing. When shall I forget the musical cadences with which he gave out the following simple lines from the 34th psalm? ‘Come neare to me my children deare, And to my words give eare: I shall ye teach the perfect way How ye the LORD shall feare. ‘Who is the man that would live long, And lead a blessed life? See thou refraine thy tongue and lips From all deceit and strife. ‘Turn back thy face from doing ill, And do the godly deed: Inquire for peace and quietnesse, And follow it with speed. ‘For why? the eyes of GOD above Upon the just are bent: His eares likewise do heare the plaint Of the poor innocent.’