Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-08-14
A JOKING CLERGYMAN.

correspondent OF Inc Boston rams
Grip, relates The following anecdotes of Rev
Ma,her Byles, the well-known joking cler-
gyman of Boston. Mr.. Byles lived at the
time Of the revolution, and was a tory.
The distiIery Of Thomas Hill was a, the
corner Of Essex and South streets, no, far
from Dr. Belknap's residence in Lincoln
street. Dr.. b, les called on Mr.. Hill and
inquired-s'Do you still - '''rhat is my
business" Mr.. Hill replied. 'Then," said
Dr. ByIes-"will you 60 with me, and still
my wife 20
As he was once occupied in mailing some
lis. upon his doors to exclude the cold,
parishoner said to him-''the wind blowe,h
wheresoever j, lIsleIh, Dr.. Byles." "Yes,
sir" replied the Dr.. ''and man lis,elh where
soever the wind blowe,h."
He was intimate with General Knox, who
was bookseller before the war. When the
American troops took possession of the
town after the evacuation, Knox who had
become quite corpulent, marched in at the
head of his artillery. AS he passed on,
Byles, who thought himself privileged, on
did scores, exclaimed loud enough to be
heard-"l never saw an or fatler in my life"
But Knox was not in the vein. He felt Of
Tended by this freedom, especially from
Byles, who was then well-known to be a
tory; and replied, in uncourtly terms, that
he was g. fool"
In May, 1777, Dr.. Byles was arrested as
a tory, and subsequently, tried, convicted,
and sentenced 10 confinement on board
guard ship, and to be sent to England with
his iamily,in forty days. The sentence was
changed by board Of war to confinement
in his own house. A guard was placed over
him. After time the sentinel was remov-
ed -a(lerwa,ds replaced ed-and again remov-
ed " hen the Dr.. exclaimed, that he had
been guarded-regarded, and disregarded.
He called his sentry his observatory.
Perceiving, one morning, that the senti-
mel, simple fellow, was absent, and seeing
DR.. 3yles himself, pacing before his own
ne'ghbors stepped over TO inquire the cause,
"you see," said the Dr., 81 begged the sen
tinel TO let me 60 for some milk for my ia
mily, bu. he would not suffer me TO stir. !
reasoned the matter with him, and he has
gone, himself, to ge. i, for me, on condition
lha. keep guard in his absence"
One bitter December night, he called his
daughters from their bed, simply TO inquire
if they lay warm.
He had a small collection of curiosties.
Some visiters called one morning and Mrs.
Byles, unwilling to be found at her ironing
board, and in the emergency, desiring to
hide herself as she would not be so caught,
by these ladies, for the world, the Dr.. put
her in the closet and buttoned her in. After
few remarks, the ladies expressed wish
to see the Dr's. curiosi,ies, which he pro-
ceeded to exhibit; and after entertaining
them very agreeably for several hours, he
told them he had kept the greatest curiosity
to the last; and proceeded TO the closet, un-
but,oned the door, and exhibited MIS-. By les.
He had complained long, often, and fruit
Fiessly TO the selectmen of quagmire in
front of his dwelling. One morning, two
Of the fathers Of the town, after violent
rain, passing with their chaise became stuck
in the bog. As they were trying to extri-
cate themselves, and pulling to the right and
to the left, the DR.. came forth, and bowling,
with great politeness, exclaimed-E'I am de-
lighted gentlemen to see you stirring in this
matter, at last"
A candidate for fame proposed to fly,
from the North Church s,eeple, and had al
ready mounted, and was clapping his wings
to the great delight Of the mob. DR.. Ryles,
mingling with the crowd inquired wha. was
the object of the gathering-"We have come
sir," said one "to see a man fy." "Poh,
poh," said the DR.. 81 have seen horse Ry."
Upon the l9lh of May, 1880, the memo
rable dark day, lady wrote to the Dr.. as
folIows-"Dear Dr.. How do you account
for this darkness ?" and received his imme-
diate reply-"Desr Madam, am as much
in the dark as you arc" This for senten-
i,uus hrcYlty haa meyer heen surna..eI LIN =