Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-07-21
A MINISTER'S JOKE.
Scene in a Railroad Car, I'm Whtch
a Chicago Minister AstOn1shes
Friend,
[Fro1n Harper's Weekly.l

|
was spending the night in a hotel al
Freeport, III. After breakfast l went into
| the sitting room, when I met pleasant,
chatty, good-humored traveller who, like
myself was waiting for the morning tram
from Galena We conversed freely and
pleasantly on different topics. until, see
ing two young ladies meet and kiss each
other in the station, just about the tlme
the train was approaching "Come, SAID
ne taking up his satchel, ''since we are on
SO sweet subject, let us have practical
application. [ will make a proposition to
you. [ will agree to kiss the most beautl-
ful lady in the cars from Galena, you
being the judge, if you will kiss the next
prettiest. I being the judge.
This proposition staggered me a little,
and I could hardly tell whether he was in
earnest or in fun; but as he would be as
deeply in it as [ could be, I agreed, pro-
viding he would do the first kissing, though
my heart failed somewhat when / saw his
jet black eyes fairly dance with daring.
eyes" said he, 'Ill try it first You
take the back car, and go in from the front
end, where you can see the faces of the
ladies and stand by the one you think the
handsomest, and then 1 will come in from
behind and kiss her.
[ had hardly stepped inside the cars
when I beheld at the first glance one Of
the loveliest looking women my eyes had
ever seen. A beautiful blonde with auburn
hair, and a bright sunny face full of love
and affection, and as radiant as the morn
ing. Any further search was totally un-
necessary I Immediately took my stand
in the aisle at her side. She was looking
out of the window earnestly, as if expecting
Gonna ora TTba hoolT door IF tbn pay
opened, and in stepped my hotel friend. |
pointed my finger at her, little dreaming
that he would carry out his pledge, and
you may imagine my horror and amaze
ment when he stepped up quickly behind
her, and STOPPING over her, kissed her with
a relish that made my ''mouth water.
I expected, of course, shrek of terror and
row generally, followed by q knock down,
but astonishment succeeded astonishment
when [ saw her return the kiss with at least
compound interest.
Quick as flash he turned around and
said:
''Now, my dear sir, it is your turn,
pointing at a hideously ugly, wrinkled old
woman who was sitting in the seat behind.
''Oh, you must excuse me you must y
/ exclaimed. 81 am sold this time. /
give up. Do tell me who you have been
kissing"
s'Well," said he, ''since you are man of
SO much taste and quick perception, I'll let
you off,
And we all burst into a hearty peal of
laughter as he said, 'srhis is my wife. l
have been waiting for her. I knew it was
safe proposition.
He then told the story to his wife, who
looked ten-fold sweeter as she heard it.
Before we reached Chicago we had ex-
changed cards, and discovered that my
genial companion was an Episcopalian
preacher of Chicago, whose name I had
frequently heard.
Whenever L go to Chicago, L always go
to hear him, and heartier, more natural
preacher is hard to find. He was young
man then; he is now one of the ablest
divines in the West