The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-02-10
From the New York Atlas,
THREE TIMES LAUGHING IN THE
PULMIT.

Our old pastor used to say that, IN the whole
course of fifty years. preaching, he never
laughed but three times in the pulpit, during
the holy exercise of the Sabbath. ..
Get out pup! One Of these times on the fol-
lowing occasion. A little child two years old,
its mother and its grandmother, who acted as
nurse, all went to church together, one Sabbath
day, and occupied one Of those. old fashioned
square pews so common many years ago in
New Eugland. And it fell out too, that lit-
lie pup dog had conirived 10 take advantage of
his membership in the family, to smugge him
self the same pew. Whether it was that
the little pup dog was anxious to be nourished
and strengthened with the sincere milk ofthe
Word which the preacher administered. or
whether he might not have had his carnal ap-
petite excited by the sight Of mug Of nice,
good milk, which The kind old grandmother
had provided for her little grandchild, am un-
able to say. Certain, it is, however, thatdhe
little pup dog did 60 to church. And, Li.dpuht
not the mug ofmilk did cause the LITTLE low
to entertain very sinful thoughts on thak col.
emn occasion. am not certain that'I do right
TO say that he was Carnay minded pup, in-
asmuch as in that case it was not flesh which
he coveted, but milk, which would seem to
prove him rather lacteally minded. However,
have not doubt that he was sinful little
opup dog, and was afraid he never came to
any good enc: for right in the very midst ofthe
most pathetic part Of their holy preachers SER
mon, instead of fminding, as he ought, what the
minister was saying, he suffered himself to
enter into evil temptation to such degree.
that he was finally overcome thereby; and 80,
no longer having the fear Of the preacher nor
grand motherbefor his eyes, he did Clandss-
timely thrust his wicked nose into the Aforesaid
mug of milk, and with his naughty lips did he
begin to lap and drink the milk therein, and
the more he Tapped and drank, the deeper into
the mug did he thrust his wicked head, until
finally his nose got in the very bottom Of the
mug, and the milk was all gone. Now the
little sinner was so eager for the milk, that he
never stopped for moment to take notice how
very closely the inside ofthe mug did fit around
his head and ears--so close, in fact, that when
he came 10 raise up his head, tho mug came up
with it, nor could he shake it offany how. So
not knowing what to do, he set up a furious
barking, right before all the congregation.
And the bark was go sudden and unexpected,
| and SO peculiar too, coming as il did from
mug full of pups head, that it threw the old
grandmother wholly of her guard, and caused
her so far 10 forget herself that she gave utur-
ance aloud 10 the words at the beginning oil
this anecdote, TO wit: Get out pupil
The sound Of her own voice in meeting,
which she probably had never heard before IN
her life, aslonished the old lady even more
than the pup dogs barking, so that she in
stantly added aloud. "There! have spoke
right out in meetingl There and spoke again
-and keep talking all the 'imep
And now is it strange that the clergy
man, who had witnessed all these proceedings
from the sacred desk, should actually burst out
laughing TO the great scandal OF all the good
deaoons and old ladies' Of the congregation.
Let 20 my hair!-Anoiber occasion was as
follows: have said that the pews were old
fashioned square pews, so that people in diff
ferent pews often set back to back, merely
separated by low railing or division.
| Now il fell out one Sabbath, that two old
deacons in two contiguous pews bad fallen in
TO two profound mediations, and closed thel
twice two eyes, and thrown their two head
back, until their two occlpuis, with their tw'
long queues dangling therefrom had met togetl
or, and were quietly reposlng for the benefit Q
the aforssid internal meditallons, There wcr
some wicked people present who scandalous
" insinuated that The two deacons were aslee
| but look upon il as mere persecution 70
4 righle business sake. However, there was a
awfully depraved young man in third pew