The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-08-23
ANECDOTES.

| The MAJORS HAT-Many persons have
some antiquated article of clothing or fur
niture endeared to them by association, and
which, though of no real value, they jealous
ly cherish.
My aged friend Major Wood was partial
to white hat" which he had worn for
several years. The major was somewhat
passionate and hasty in his proceedings, and
suffered the usual fate of persons who are
quick to anger, in being often provoked by
jokers.
AS he lived in the country, and was fond
of "good things" he kept quite large stock
of poultry.
An owl in his neighborhood also appreci-
ated the fine condition of his chickens, and
frequently feasted on the plumpest Of the
flock
The old gent vowed vengeance on said
owl, and procuring musket, charged it with
an unusual quantity of powder, followed by
large handful Of slugs, and then setting it
behind the door, patiently awaited the COM
ing of the enemy.
| Not long after this belligerent attitude
was assumed, the major, while smoking his
last pipe before going to bed, was reused by
|
before he could leave his chair, one of his
boys, who had been out for short time, ran
in, exclaiming with great earnestness-
/" Here he is, dad-here's the owl on the
we'll pole-let me shoot him. do
Go long, you young blockhead, I'll
fix the varmint myself, that will" said the
major, disdainfully as he took his formida-
BILE gun in hand and brought it to bear upon
the white object, which was plainly enough
to be seen. A stunning roar was heard, and
a bright flash momentarily dispelled the
darkness, but the apparent owl sat firm as a
knot on the side of tree.
Did you ever see the like of that ?" said
the major, self-inquiringly.
The musket was soon reloaded, and again
discharged, but the owl was immovable.
A suspicion that something was wrong
flashed upon the ma or, so he set down his
gun, and going to the well drew down the
pole by the bucket rope; 10! his tavorite
hat, rent, as he expressed, all to little glib
blets,' by the double handful of slugs that
had torn through it.
The hopeful youth who had contrived the
trap, and thus far looked on with great
composure, now made hasty retreat and
passed the remainder of the night in the
hay-mow.
| DIR. GUTHRIE's EARLY MINIsTRY.-Dr. Ar
mold, of Rugby, said, "There are moments
that are worth more than years. We can
not help it; there is no proportion between
spaces of time in Importance nor in value.
A stray, unthought-of five minutes may con-
tain the event of a life. And this all-impor-
tant moment, this moment disproportionate
to all other moments, who can tell when it
will be upon us?"
We are seldom conscious of the vital i'm
portance of these critical moments, which
make or unmake US. Yet all human biog-
raphies and all national histories are full of
them. A striking instance occurs to US in
the life OF the late Rev. DIR. Guthrie. For
more than two years after his theological
studies were finished he was unable to OBJ
tain call to any church. Discouraged, he
went to the continent and studied medicine
for time. Then he came home and en-
tered his fathers banking house. His BIZ
ographer says that at this time she had not
the knack of making friends either in or
out of the pulpit" After one of his trial
discourses, one of his critics called him "a
bullerin blockhead the word " bullerin
being probably q coarse synonym for bel
lowing" for he always gave full play to his
great voice in preaching. Something, what
ever it was, kept him from reaching the
popular ear and heart. At last, Lord Pan
mure presented him the living of the little
church of Arbirlot. Things went on smooth
ly enough among the quiet farmers, but he
made little impression either by laundering
the laws or piping peace. So it went on
until one day he observed that an anecdote
which he ventured to tell in his racy way,
woke up his sleepy hearers, and kept them
awake to the close of his sermon. From
that moment he changed his style of preach
ing, giving full play to his wonderful genius
for splendid illustration. After ten years in
the country, he removed to Edinburgh, where
for thirty years more he preached the gospel
with popularity that never waned and to
crowds that never failed to throng his
church. The turning point in his ministry
was that brief pulpit experiment upon his
country audience.
IRISH WIr.-Those who frequented the
theatres in the old country some forty years
ago, must know to what Inconvenience ac-
tors were put by deficiencies of stage pro.
perties, which is evidenced by the follow
ing amusing anecdote:
| When the renowned Mrs. Siddons was
playing in Dublin, in the well known TRACE
| dy Of" Macbeth" she as Lady Macbeth,
came to that part where drum sounds and
she exclaims, "a drum drum Macbeth
doth come." There was some difficulty or
neglect in obtaining the necessary instru-
ment, and to her amazement, trumpet
sounded. She Immediately saw how absurd
it would be to say "drum while the well
known sound Of the other met the ears of
the vast audience, and she said, "a trum-
pet trumpet" and stopped short amid
breathless silence, not knowing how to
rhyme it, when a voice from the gallery
cried out Macbeth doth stump it," at
which the house brokesout in one peal of
laughter and applause, and the tragedienne
advanced to the footlights and bowed her
Acknowledgements for the relief She after
ward tried to find out who it was, but failed
to do so, and never forgot what she consid-
cred the most genuine piece of wit she had
ever met with in all her experience.
Three Irishmen, who had dug ditch for
four dollars, we're quite at loss to know
how to divide the pay aqually." But one
of the number had been to school, and
reached division in arithmetic, SO it was
left to him. He did it at once, saying: It's
aisy enough Sure, there's two for you two,
and two for me, too" The two received
their portion with a greatly increased re-
| spect for the advantages which learning gives