Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-24

speak. This is a serious matter. and we sbouId
like to have your authority for statement Sc
injurious to the reputation of the minister and
! the cause Of religion" '-- = = :
My authority was Mr.. Burton, who waa
present" =
Did he tell you that Mr. Manlius was In.
| toxieated p,
&c He said there was a drunken minister there
and Mr.. Msnlius, 1 have ascertained, was the
only clergyman present. .1...' ..- .,.
Was that 20 > asked the deacon Of an in
| dividual who was at Mr.. Resides .r
"Mr. Manlius was the only clergyman there, -
was replied.
"Then, said Perkins, '' Ifthere was drunk.
en- minister there, 1T must have been Mr.. Man.
| lius. can draw no other inference. -
Can Mr. Burton be found I'' was now asked
An individual Immediately volunteered to 90
| IN search for him, In half an hour he was pro-
duced. As he entered the grave assembly, he
looked around with great cOmPosure upon the
array Of solemn faces and eyes intentiy fxed
upon him. He did not appear in the least
abashed. .n.#s
90 You were at Mr. Reeside's last week, at a
dinner-party, L bclieve!' said the presiding
deacon
az was"
g Did you see Mr.. Manlius intoxicated on that
occasion ?''
Mr.. Manlius, Good Heavens no, L can
testify, upon oath, that he was as solemn as a
Judge. Who says that made So scandalous an
allegation"
cited
say So" cried Perkins, In loud voice.
:. You sny 30 and pray upon what authori-
Upon the authority of your own words
But you did tell me So"
Perkins was much excited.
"When?''
''on the day after the dinner party. Don't
you remember what you said to me ~
"Oh yes-perfecty.
That you had . drunken minister at din
ner?"
"No 1 never said that
But you did, l can be qualified to it,
:" L said we had tipsy parson -
I" And, pray, what is the difference? %
AT the words tpsy parson,' the minister
burst into loud laugh, and so did two or three
others who had been at Mr.. Resides The
grave deacon In the chair looked around with
froWnlnS wonder at such indecOrum and felt
that especially ill-timed was the Ievity of the
minister
" 1 do not understand this," he said with
great gravity.
g L can explain it." remarked an individual.
rising, " as happened to be at Mr.. Resides
and know oil about the tipsy parsOn.' The
nuity, furnished a desert, which she called
'tipsy parsOn, made, L believe, by soaking
sponge cake in brandy and pouring a oustard
over 1T. 1t is therefore true, as our friend
Burton has said, that there was tipsy par
SON at the table; but as for the drunking min
ister of Mr.. Perkins, know nothing"
Never before, in grave and solemn assem-
bly, Of deacOns, was there such a sudden and
universal burst of laughter, such a holding of
sides and vibration of bodies, as fallowed this
unexpected speech In the midst Of the,confu-
sion and noise, Perkins quietly retired. lie
has been known, ever since, in the village,
much to his chagrin and standardization, he still
warm temperance man, as the tipsy par
SON." 4"
There goes the 'tipsy parson, he hears
said, as he passes along the street, a dozen
times a week, and he is now seriously inclined
to leave the village in order to escape the ridi-
eule his Over-zelous effort to blast the minis
ters reputation has called into existence AS
for the Rev. Mr.. Manlius, Re often tells the
story, and laughs over it as heartily rs any
one.