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Mataura Ensign, Volume 15, Issue 1295, 9 June 1893, Page 2

Baiud Stories. — The miserable death of young Baird afc New Orleans the other day, has revived many stories of that relative of hia who, many years ago, to the surprise of all who knew him, endowed the Church of Scotland with half a million sterling. The day after the gift was made known, Mr. Baird was met in the streets of Q-laegow by another great ironmaster, Mr. Merry, M. P. for the Falkirk Bargbs, and the conversation which followed between them showed that they both knew more about pig-iron than Sciipture. " Why, Baiid " exc'aimed Mr. Merry "They tell me you've given half a million to the Kirk. I did'nfc know you were a religious man, I'll bet you five pounds you can't repeat the Lord's Prayer." The story goes that Mr. Baird accepted the bat, and immediately began to recite the metrical version of. the twenty third Psalm, upon finishing which Mr, Merry said, (i Well I did'ut think you could have done it," and handed over the money. Once, upon buying an estate which included a castle, which contained a large room fitted up as a library, it was represented to Mr Baird that the shelves ought to be filled with books. He accordingly gave an order to Messrs Blackwood, the eminent publishers, whose representative said, if I Biippose Mr Baird you will have your books bound in morocco." " Morocco ! " exclaimed the benefactor of the Church ; '•' No they mu^t all b^ , bound in Edinburgh ! " Mr Merry ran his friend very close in matters of this kind, and knew much more about the Racing Calendar than the Pentateuch. Once when being heckled dm> ing an election, a man suddenly shouted from fli9 gallery, " What is Mr Merry's opinion of the Decalogue 1 ' The candidate, turning to his agent, whom he always kept haudy as such times, asked, fl What on earth does the fellow mean by Decalogue f The agent explained that tbe man probably meant something about Suuday trains and Sunday travelling, upon which the candidate replied to his questioner as follows:—" I beg to inform my friend in the gallery that as far as I am concerned I would abolish th Decalogue altogether."