Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-25

sermon, to the great distress of the young ladies
and the intense delight of the boys.
Don't you see its wrongW she repeated.
Didn't mother always tell you to be good
boy; and didn't always tell you to behaves"
I'm going to be as good as pie, now yo've
come back, SIS" said John, turning toward
the pleased Miranda, face really expressive
of a vast amount of contriGion. But alas as
be turned in the saddle horrifying screech
OF feline agony interrupted this charming
scene.
o Lord !" exclaimed John, sliding nimbly
off his horse, aud making a desperate grab
after his coattails, from q pocket in one of
which presently emerged goodsized cat, spit
ting out evident rage at her treatment, and
with eyes sparkling head down, and tail erect
rushed into the woods.
There was dead AID ominouS silence for
/ the space of twenty interminable seconds.
"Now JOHN w at last exclaimed Miranda
very slowly, and with an injured air; now
| JOHN"
And then the little witch could hold her
grave face no longer, but burst out into such
a peal of laughter that the pony was really at
q loss to know what it all meant, while the
bay mare hurried up her tagging PAGES, very
yer the cause of such sudden rnerrimGnt.
You BAD, WICKED boy /" exclaimed Mi
randa, catching a moments breath, and with
it grave face; but seeing John still standing
| by his horse, with red face, and hands closely
held to his cOattails, she broke away again
| into laugh which the woods were very glad
| indeed to echo.
81 didn't mean to've sot on her" said John
respectfully, willing to molIify his sister; 'guess
| she amt hurt much"
"I'lI catch her if you like" he added, sud-
denly, in the hope that an offer of service, of
of whatever kind would help him out.
"Tain't that, you dreadful boy. You know
very WELL" laughed Miranda, trying to assume
that severity of countenancc which she felt the
occasion and the offence demanded. "What was
the cat doing in your pocket you dreadful
fellow p
Cant feller take his cat to church with
ont you ptchin' into him p retorted John, in
I injured tones; and then feeling that defense
was worse than useless in his case, and seeing
besides, the bay mare approaching, with faith
er and mother peCring curiouslY at their child
ren, he judged it prudent to remount his horse
and ride off al such pace that he was not like
! y to be caught. But as he rode Miranda
noticed, with chucke of satisfaction, that he
! still held one hand carefully near the coat
! pocket which had contained the luckless cat
III.
The Reverend Paul Clifton rose early on
! this Sunday morning, and was the first man.
/ after the sexton, to enter the church. To say
that he felt comfortable would be to make him
out fool, which he was not 1t was novel
situation; and | dare say it costs gentleman
more serious thought to preach to a congrega
| ton Of Indiana farmers than it does Peter
Cartwright to expound his Gospel to Fifth
avenue audience When he had seen his church
/ (Or meeting house when he had made the
! acqualntances Of the sexton, end some others
| Of the leading members-when he had slept
! upon his impressOnS-and now, on this bright
Sunday morning, was arrived at the climax Of
| his troubles, the reader who can realize that
the Reverend Paul was not only an honest
! young fellow, but also n man who thought
modeStIy Of his own abilities, will not be sur
priSed that be sat in uncomfortable anxiety for
! the result
| For TO fail here was to fail utterly. am
ashamed to refer again 20 Mr. Darwin (whose
philosophy, by,tbe-way,I distinctly repudiate,
but here was what that eminent naturalist
very properly calls struggle for lie"
1t was only in these two days that the solemn
question. What is the full force and meaning
of this Office have taken upon myself began
to crowd upon him in all its wide and serious
bearings.
And what, indeed, it is to be what we call
indifferently preacher, pastor, missionary
The natural History of the Clergyman is
still to be written | DO not intend to bore the
L.,
this place any attempt at so important
work. But pending the advent of the great
ecclesiastical Agassiz, who shall prevent me
from setting down here my little preliminary
Essay on Classification ?" See; there is
l. The whisky washy young man, who would
starve in any other calling and therefore lit
orally breaches for living"
2. The fluent young man, who breaches
because that is the most impressive way of
saying nothing;
3. The ambitious young man who sees that
the prefix Reverend gives, even in our Pro
teStant America, a certain power and influence
to its possessor;
4. The wide awake young man, who knows
that for him there is no such easy way to gain
bread and butter and honor land a rich wife)
as the pulpit;
5. The studious young man, who turns cler-
gyman that be may gain leisure for his favorite
books and studies
6. The young man who has a certain intel
lectual theory of Christianity with which he
thinks it desirable to quiet the world. This
one, sometimes think, lacks only little true
piety to be indeed the model clergyman of the
age;
And lastly-not to make this list too long
there is your man who, feeling not only his
neighbor's, but his own pride, and selfshness,
| and arrnnanca and fnrCetfnlness Of God aud