Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-23
GktAaiIu aontusI..
0onrernIng Human sponEes.


From the Christian Times Y1.ai asl
Most persons wto have their birth IN
q Christian land, who are at all ooserV-
ing in their habits, and who DO not pc
long to that polifical party knoWn1ss tbs
&c great unwashed,s& have some idea
more or less distinct, of the appearances
and qualities Of The sponge. The dis
tinouishing Characteristic Of the sponge,
IL In the capacity Of absorbing water.
1t has a great imbibing power. IN thiss
it is second only % Che habitues Of ~ city
rum saloon or ayillage tavern. The
learned tell MS thai 1t is an animal, and
if 80 it must be Ike the Irishms ms alli-
gator haste tEut was all mpath ex-.
cepe the tail, and that was mouth too.
1t is because Of the wonderful capacity
for absorption which some men are en-
dowed with by nature, or acquire By
long and successful practice, that they
have been denominated sponges. Such
persons have the faculty and skill Of
imhihimg all that is necessary for their
mainfapance either in physical, men
tai or moral point Of view, with . sang
fosd and matter Of course sort OF air
which is wonderful 10 behold. For in
stance, in the first year Of my ministry
Il am a Baptist minister, reader-a
man drove up to my gate one terrible
afternoon, threw The rains over his
horse neck, and knocked at my door.
/ opened il, and he said: aid 80
dIa this the Rev. Mr.. GladiusY
Yes, SIR e -
"Well. Bro. q nv name il Elder
Hponge,I am on my way 30 the General
Association, and / thought would stop
oyer night with you. I'm very wet, 80
please take my horse TO your stable, give
him eight or ten ears of corn, and run
my buggy under cove"
Dear reader, Twas greenert then than /
am now, andI did it. When came back
! foAnd Brother 8. comfortah y seated,
with bis muddy bo0tsson the round Of one
Of my parlor chairs, and hrs dripping UNI
brella standing on the pretty rug my
wife was at so much pains 10 make /
went into the kitchen Just in time TO
hear that lady tell our little hired girl to
20 to the store, quarter of mile away,
and get some black tea, for Brother 8.
had told her he conidn't drink any other.
We keptthat man two days, and when /
arrived at the General Association,
heard Of Brother 8. telling that we had
treated him very shabby.
An old friend Of mine, the sou of q
Baptist minister, told me once that when
be was boy he really used TO think that
be had curried the horses and blackened
the boots of every Baptist in Ohio. he
said their stock Of chickens became so
reduced by the visits of the travelling
agents of the Sponge persuasion, that
there was only left enc long-legged, wary
old rooster, who hecame so suspicious
that the instant DO caught sight Of a
brother Sponge coming over the brow OF
the hill, with wide extended wings and
yellow legs and feet gathering the dust
in clouds behind him, he took to the
woods, cackling at the top of his voice,
my turn next-my turn nextl"
/ have already allnded to the air with
which the Sponge inaicts himself upon
you He really seems to think he is do
ing you favor, and that you ought to
be overwhelmed with the sense of honor
done you by his visit. Mrs. Gladius cant
stand that. Mrs. Gladius is very nice
woman and d Very clever woman, buj
not long ago she expressed herself tc
me semewhat foreibIy in this wise:
81 don't care 30 much about that man
Ii. e., Bro. Sponge) staying here week,
or about his backing his boots on the
window sill ,sor his smoking bis nasty
pipe in the parlor, or making ma gel
soft boiled eggs aud toast for him every
morning. / could stand his detestable
sanctimonious shuttle when he prayed
but to- think of bis squeezing my hand
when he Ieft, and telling me it must az
ford me great pleasure to carry out the
ApostolicE injunction in Hebrews 1872
and that / would receive my reward
that l can't stand, and ] won't stand
there, new aatat ~ siiaas a. e7f4 -
If these Sponees. were always npon re
| ligious or denominations business il
would not be quite so bad, but generally
they are peddiing books, selling reapers
or hawking rat traps about the country
II Is astonishing what demands they will
make of one. "A once received q lettel
like this: $1,000 ,~a--rr
~ IS sPoSGEvILLE, Aug. 5.
Req. Mr.. Gtddius,
EDEAR BRoYHER:AI am Baptist il
good standing, and am engaged in the
commission business. Can you inform
| me what is the price Of beans in your
villsge2 An early answer win greatly
| ohliga-- feRsstH Fl Er rFe TzMET.
Yours in the bonds of Gospel love
~ ~ f37o" A. SPoEGE.
The following was the reply -
Mr. A. Sponge, 8W y
DEAR SIR:-Yours of - is received