Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-06-01
An Ingenious Erinr,

"a little round, :at, oily man of God
was one chiefly marked among the fry;
lie had rognish twinkle in his eve
And shone asgittering with ungodly dew,
liza light damsel Glanced to trppen by ;
Which when observed he shrunk into his new
And straight would rccollcct his pie,y anew"
One day at a remote confessional of the
church he declared an unholy and forbidden pas
sion 10 a young and beautiful married lady,
whom he had long followed with his eyes"
and begged permission to visit her at her resi-
dence. Struck with surprise at this new reve-
laton of his character, she evaded reply, being
secretly minded to inform her husband, when
she returned home, which she did, word for
word. He told his wife to contrive to let the
trlar come, alone and in secret, the next even
ing, which chanced TO be that of Saturday, and
the night before the Sunday of Saint Lazarus,
on which occasion the frar was 10 preach. The
appointment was made the friar came true to
the late hour which had been designated was
received at the door and shown into the ladys
bedroom by servant, who informed him that
she had desired him TO retire to rest, and to say
that "she would be- with him straight" The
triar prepared to comply with the direction, and
was about stepping into bed. when the door o.
Pcned suddenly, and the lady entered in great
apparent trepidation, exclaiming "My husband
is knocking at the door For heavens sake slip
into that chest" showing him double apart-
nent, "and lie there until see what may be
somewhere or other, as well as am able. Hea.
ven knows | fear more for yonr holy person
than do for my own lite :" The unfortunate
wretch, seeing himself reduced 10 such pass.
dld as the lady desired; while the husband, pre-.
senty coming in, retired to rest with his wife,
who had first locked the friar in the chest. The
poor prisoner uttered sundry involuntary noises
~ the course ofthe night, and was in the direst
terror at the inquiries which they awakened on
the part Of the husband
Daylight at length came, and the church bell
began to ring for prayers, which greatly annoy-
cd the captive, who was to preach at the cathe-
dral. The husband having risen, ordered two
servents 10 carry the chest To the church and
place 1t in the middle, saying they were order
ed to do so 10y the preacher and that unlock.
ing the chest without raising the lid, they should
leave 1t there; all which the fellows did neat
". Every body stared, and wondered what all
th's could mean; some said one thing and some
another. AT last the bell huving ceased to ring
and no one appearing in the pulpit, or any part
OF the church, young man rose and said -
"Heally, the good friar makes us wait too long
pray let us see what he has ordered to be brot'
IN this chest. Having said this much. he be.
tore all the congregation lifted up the lid, and
looking in, bchelj the frIar in his shirt, pale,
almost frightened TO death, and certainly appear.
ing more dead than alive, and as ifbured in the
chest. Finding himself discovered, however,
he collected his mind as well as he could and
stood upright, to the great astonshment of all
present; and having taken his text from the
Sunday OF Lazarus, he thus addressed his con-
gregation, "My dear brethern am not at all
as,onished atyour surprise in seeing me brought
before you IN this chest, or rather at my order
ing myself to be brought thus ye know that
tins is the way in which our holy church com
momorates the wonderful miracle our Lord per-
formed on the person ui Lazarus, in raj ising him
from the dead who had been buried four days
| was deslrous in your favor 10 present myself
to you as 1t were in the form OF this man, in or
der that seeing me in the chest. which is no o.
ther than an emblem of the scpulchre wherein
he had heen buried, you might be moved more
etiectually 10 the consideration of what perisha.
BILE things are and that seeing me stripped of
all worldly decorations, thus in my shirt, YOU
may be convinced Of the vanity of the things Of
this world, the which, if only duly considered,
may tend greatly 10 the amending of your lives
Will you believe that since yesterday night !
have been thousand times dead, and revived
as Lazarus was; and considering my dreadful
remember (os it were with the memo.
ny OF similar penance in your hearts, that We
must all die, and trust to Him who can bestow
life eternal but first ye must die to sin, to ava
rice to rapine, to lust. and all those sinful deeds
to which our nature prompt u.s." In snch Ian.
guage, and in such manner, did the friar con-
tnue his sermon. The husband astonshed at
the extraordinary presence Of mind which he
displayed. laughed heartily ut his success and
in consideration of the adroilness of the culpri,
did not attempt any further revenge "but,"
II Is added, "he took very good care to shut his
door in future against all such double faced hy-
Pocrtes."