The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-03-18
SUBJECT FoR 4 MIssIoNARY

There Is printer worklngin Canton who Is wei
advanced In years "silver threads have becom,
numerously visible among the golden locks tina
once adorned his brow. Last Sunday evening {
friend surprised him byasKing him ifhe would g
TO church; he looked strange when the question
was asked, and pushing his slender fingers through
his gray locks like snow plows throughR drift, he
stared blanky at his friend as though Just awaK
ening from a Rip Van Winkler, and deliberately
said
"Pll go. haven't been inside of church for oyer
thirty years, and don't know what kind of an en-
tertainment they give but III go anyhow, And
they went.
As he timidly entered the auditorium of one Of
the churches step or two behind his companion
he seemed bewlldered, looked right and left al
most at once, and appeared to wish he was out oi
the place; in Gimoment a courteous usher stepped
to his side and asked where he would like a seat
he fingered his beard nervously and replied:
| Don't give usa reserved seat, please cause !
amt used to IT, would rather go in the gallery
but glancing up and seeing no gallery he said;
"Nevermind, I'll just sit right down here in the
pit"
And with his amused and slightly disturbed com
panion he wilted strangely into the first vacant
pew he observed, and satquietly picking the cush-
ion with pin, until the organ sounded the signal
and the choir arose While they sang he retained
a critical posture, and listened with blank confu-
sion, and as they sounded the last notes and re-
sumed their seats he turned to his friend and re-
marked
"That's good orchestry, but the music is too
solemn for comedy, and too tame for tragedy
| haventgo a programme about you, have you|'
Then his friend pnched his leg and whispered:
DRY up; you're not in theater'
But that only added to his confusion he could
not comprehend the situation clearly it was as
good as new to him. and he was bound to go it
blind, He did not understand the parson as he
| announced hymn butseeingall the congregation
reaching for books in racks in front of them, and
noticing that his companion did the same he lean
ed over and remarked:
"LooKee here, now share up and declare a
small dividend on that libretto | want to know
what they are singing about"
He expected to hear the choir go Immediately
into operatic Mysteries, but when the whole audi
tllNtJOlll III oulb ut oCCllCh uetOAi
ishcd and asked his seatmate il some one was get
tinga complimentary benefit and concluding
that every one present was expected to take hand
he joined in and tried to sing but as he hadn't
tried it for twenty or more years, and as he didn't
know the tune he gave up in disgust,
II was the sermon thatasonished him most com
pletely though; he uldn'tappreciate the remarks
made, and turning again to his attentive compan-
ion, remarked with yawn;
"If had known this was goingto be one ofthese
monologue businesses I'd stayed athome andr
the Clipper. ALI. Burnet can beat him all hollow !
there are lots of better amateurs in the country
than he is, wake me up when they ring down the
curtain; and he sank back in his seat and thought
of days in long years past, when he made his first
tramp as jour printer, and forgot all about where
he was until the choir again aroused him from
his moody thoughtfulnesS and as he left the sane
tuary he said to his fellow craftsman;
"Mose; that was the worst case Of misplaced con-
fdence ever set my foot in; came near applaud
ing that leading man two or three times, butt was
too sleepy"