Connecticut western news., 1872-08-16
Clerical Anecdotes

OASAASNNA
 The following anecdotes have never been in print, at least the first three have not. The last one heard in Scotland, and cannot vouch for. The otbers came under my own personal knowledge:
 In the south of New Jersey, some years ago, there travelled over some of the hardest counties a good, faithful, hard working brother, named James Moore, or Jimmy Moore, as he was fla miliarly called. He was devoted to the itinerancy. A true, loyal Methodist, plain, pointed and sharp in all his preaching and exortatioIs.
 He had been laboring year on one of his circuits, and, before leaving for his new field, he gave his people, who dear ly loved him, his farewell sermon,
 At the close he said My dear breth- ren, this is my last address to you. am going from you, and you may never hear the voice of James Moore again"
 '<Amen p came loudly from the seat behind him.
 He looked at the man with 8 little surprise, but, thinking it was mistake, went on.
 My days on earth will soon be mum bered. I am an old man, and you may not only never hear the voice of James Moore but never see his face again. ''Amen p was shouted from the same seat more vigorously than before, There was no mistaking the design now. The preacher looked at the man he knew him to be hard, grinding man -stingy and merciless to the poor.
 He continued his address s'May the Lord bless all those of you who have done your duty, who have honored him with your substance, who have been kind to the poor, and-''
 Pausing and looking the intruder straight in the eye, and pointing to him with his finger
 'May his curse rest on those who have cheated the Lord and ground the poor under their heels. Say amen to that, brother p <
 The shot told. He was not inter rupted again.
 I once went with Rev. Mark Traitor, the celebrated New England preacher, to hear Albert Barnes deliver discourse in behalf of the American Sunday School Union. The evening was hot, the ser vices were long and tiresome, and when the sermon commenced it was time to gc home.
 MT. Barnes was annoyed at this, and in commencing his sermon said {: "My discourse is divided into three parts J He then stated them. ''For want o1 time shall omit the first for the same reason shall be compelled to omit the second"
 At this moment Traitor arose, his tall form looming up in all it's stateliness, and turning to me he said |: 'sFor the same reason shall omit the third," and walked out of the church.
 In Pennsylvania town there was an excellent but eccentric clergyman named Ross. He was about taking collection for some especial object. and had plea. ded warmly in it's behalf.
 "My brethren," he said, "I want you all to give literally tonight none ol your pennies or five-cent pieces, but lei every one give 8 quarter and, to sci you good example, I will give the first myself," dropping twenty-five cent piece in the basket.
 After the collection was taken he lifted up the baskets, look ed then over carefully, and then remf rked "I see that my quarter is the only one here, SC I shall take it back again, (which he did. and put it in his pocket with evident disgust at their meanness.
 A quaint Scotch minister was given somewhat to exaggerating in the pulpit. His clerk reminded him of it's i'll effects on the congregation. He replied that he was not aware of it, and wished the clerk, the next time he did it, to give him cough by way of a hint. Soon after he was describing Samp. sons tying the foxes tails together. He said, s'The foxes in those days were much larger than ours, and they hao tails twenty fut lsng."
 ''Ahem p came from the clerks desk
 ''That is," continued the preacher according to their measurement but by ours they were fifteen fut long," "Ahem p louder than before.
 "But, as you may think this is extrava gant, we'll just say they were ten fut. "
 "Ahem ahem p still more vigorously The parsoD leaned over the pulpit, and shaking his finger at the clerk, said ,ssYou may cough there all the night long mon ; 1'll nae talk off fut more. Would ye hae the foxes wid nae tails at a ?''- Christian Weekly.