Middletown transcript., 1869-07-24
0dlit and 3umor,
Clerical Anecdotes.

Clerical Anecdotes.
DR.. Elliot, a noted clergyman of an old
Connecticut town, being "well-to-do," and
keeping neither locks nor bolts on his pos
sessions, was frequently visited by burglars
in a small way.
Coming home late one night, from a
visit to poor parishoner, he heard, on
passing through his kitchen, strange,
smashing noise in his cellar, soon followed
by the sound of stealthy steps coming up
the stairs. Hiding behind the door, he
saw emerge tall man. bending under
huge basket, filled with salt pork, just
taken dripping from the brine.
The doctor recognized poor neighbor,
and stepping forward, said kindly; "You
have heavy load there. Allow me to
assist you"
With cry of dismay, the culprit drop
ped the basket, and actually fell on his
knees, entreating forgiveness, on the plea
that this was his first offence, and that his
family were suffering from the want of
food
"But, my friend" said the good doc
tor, ''you certainly knew you had only to
come to me and ask for help to get it,
without damaging your soul with sin and
your coat with brine this way. | forgive
you, of course but l do think you have
taken more than your share Of pork. |
will divide this with you; and, when you
want more, or anything else, just come and
tell me frankly"
And, against the remonstrances of the
| ,,., bo him 70 i,l,o iuat
half of the stolen meat, saying; Garry it
to your wife, with my compliments. |
hope it will go down just as slick as though
you had taken it without leave"
DIR. Elliot never revealed the name of
this man, though he enjoyed telling the
story, as he did one somewhat similar,
which is well worth preserving.
One dark night he went for his horse
in the barn, which was at some distance
from the parsonage. Just as he was about
to enter, he heard some one coming out,
and Immediately concealed himself behind
a large bush in the lane, holding his Ian
tern under his cloak. Presently the wide
barn door swung open, and man appear
ed, bending beneath an immense load of
hay bound together by rope. Through
loops of this rope he had thrust his arms,
and he carried the huge mass like ped
dler's pack. The doctor suffered this
thieving Atlas to pass him; then, taking
the candle from his lantern, he crept soft
ly forward and set fire to the hay, then
again concealed himself In a moment
that moving haycock was one great, crack
ling blaze, and the thief, with wild cries,
was frantically finging it from his head
and back He succeeded in extricating
himself without help, and then ran as
though pursued by fiends across the snowy
fields,
Some months after this there came to
!, the doctors study pale, thin, melancholy
, looking man, who, after much painful hes
itation, expressed desire to make a con-
fession of sin. With serious and SYM
pathetic manner, yet with, I suspect, a sly
, twinkle in his eye, the minister set him
self to listen.
"Pve had dreadful load on my con-
, science, doctor, for consid' BILE spell and
it does seem as ef 'twould kill me. I'm
) eeny most dead now"
"Ah Is 1t possible? What can you
have done? You are respectable man
and church member" replied the doctor,
in seeming surprise,
5 I" Yes. jined the church thirty years
7 ago." replied the old farmer; then, sink
: ing his voice to an awesome. confidential
! tone, he continued f But I'm dreadful
! sinner, for all that, doctor and, bein' a
. church member, my sin, you see, was OF
e too much account to be winked at, and judg.
1 ment followed close artcr it. O,dear, o !''
"Pray, tell me your trouble, brother. u
"Well, doctor, it eonsarns you"
S "Indeed %
" Yis One time, last winter, got a
: leetle short of fodder, and 1 thought tu
g myself as how you had more'n enough fol
f your critters and SO one night the Devil
: tempted me to go over to your barn, an
a tu-O dear, or
Y "To help yourself to little of my sur
< plus hay, eh p
: "Yis, doctor, jos so! But never go
r home with that hay. The Lord wouldn
r let me du it. had load on my back
y and was carryin' it away, when all tu one
e it burst in to blaze about my ears"
g Struck by lightning 2"