The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-01-25 00:00:00

ODDMENTS.

mom Aasni.--r/oue years ago," writes Mr. 'fools ft
the Era Alma sack, "'hen I was playing in ' Dearer Thai
Life' with Irving and Billington, after the play severs/
gentlemen were in theeeneral room of the hotel where we
were staying, and aming them a Mr. Jane., who pro
fessed to have • large antmintance in the pr dession, and
who appeared to have alocal reputation wv 11.14 e of ages
' how old,' said one, ' wsuld you take Ntr. T0..1e to be?
Well,' sail he, ' aixty-fire, if he's a day.' 'lh, you know
him?' I asked. s'Oh. yee, very well indeed I' Ali ! And
how 'ill should you take me t„. be?" Well, I isto.,ul,l take
you to be forty, if you're . d.ty." Irving asked Mr. Jones
if he didn't think Mr. Tmle was nearer seventy.five than
sixty.five. 'No,' he said " sixty.five if he's • day;' and
the company present weaned to put it down that that
would be ivy age. They sad most of them been to the
theatre, and seen me. for the first time probably, playing
an old man ; and, as it was my first visit to the town, and
we were going on by the mail-train that night. I had •
incy not to go away and cave them under the imprewsion
that I was this very old gentleman. I found that Jones
waa is decent sort of fellow, and I said aside to Irving that
before I went I ohould just give him my card, and let him
know what • mistake he Ind made. By-and by, when our
nib arrived, we said good-sight to our casual acquaintance,
and, taking Mr. Jones amide, I handed him my card, where-
upon he said, 'Oh, Indeed!' and, placing the tip of the
thumb of his right hand to the tip of his nose, turned upon
his heel and walked away. 'Well,' I said to my friends
as we drove away, 'that's the most impertinent fellow I
think I ever met!' Whereupon Irving and Billington
went into fits of laughter, and presently confessed that
Viey hod warned Mr. Jones I was continually passing my.
self off as Mr. Toole, and that he wag to be quite prepared
fir my handing him • card and continuing the imposition
with him." •
A RURAL Presbyteria3 congregation agreed that, though
their pastor was a leaned, laborious, amiable, and excel-
lent mail, he was exceedingly prosy and uninteresting as
• preacher. It was resolved therefore that a deputation
should be vent respectfully to ask him to demit his charge,
Two elders were induced to go and talk with the minister
about thY matter. H. listened quietly to their hesitat •
ingly•told story, and at once acquiesced in their desii•
that he would resign. All were greatly gratified at the
prospect of such an amicable arrangement; and, feeling
some sense of gratitude to the minister for his many
years of service, they determined to present him with an
address and a purse. A public meeting of the congrega-
tion wise held, at which the pastor was invited to be present,
an address was read to him containing strong expres-
sions of appreciation and gratitude for his manifold
labours and of strong personal affection for himself, and
the purse was handed to him ass token of their continued
esteem. On rising to reply, the paeter was deeply moved
and spoke with a faltering voice. He stated that, in-
fluenced by the statements of the elders who had called
on him, he had resolved, at much expense of feeling to
himself, to resign hie charge. Pausing for a minute, as
If overcome with emotion—not a few of the tender-
hearted betraying their sympathy with him—he went
on to say that, in view of the affectionate and touching
address he had just received, and accompanied by so
generous a gift, he felt constrained to abandon his put,
paw, and would therefore remain with them, and devote
his future life to the best interests of • people who
were so warmly attached to him. Toot minister is Mal
pastor of the same parish.