, 1876-02-12


for tue moment, tho unabaahcd attention and
wiso looks OF his noarosa Aso food for side lIAiu
Of amustnt rohecsionA.
"Wl,at did you think of nr sermon p nsKei
q Clergyman Of an intimate friend. "Dil you
notice anything curious about it when rns
about halfway through yesterday afternoon 7"
lIa ilad lost all ldoa Of his third point In an
o1tomporanoeus addrass, aud was i'oundoriug
trying to got on solid ground again.
"Well" answered tho friend. II Thought
something MAS wrong, but, rs was cure you
could not losc yourself, concluded must have
fallen nsloep for q rnoment, md thus hayo Lost
tho thread OF tho DISCOURSE"
Tho subject Of spro{asslona1 Bnnacrs" came
UP At clerical dnnor.compAuy aomo tun age,
gnd tho question wont round to each as followe:
"Wero you oyer go placed in public in tho ret-
foImsnco Of q service a. to loso all sense Of tho
aolemnity Of ths occasion and be compelled 10
laugh III epito Of your more serious aclfa"
Tho following arc somo Of sle ana"erB. na re-
vealng the hidden but uniorgotton experiences
Of 1nlnis4orial Academia CaEo number ono WIS
as follows:
~ wAs holding prayer-neeting in Western
Town in tho carly days of my ministry, and. az
there wAu no one to raise tho tune, ltrlod myself
10 do 1t. The hymn begAn--
Yflth Lyssop purge u: sorvunt, Lord,
And 90 l e!enn BhAu bc.
NV first attempt was tsiiuro when / tried
tnno number two found 1t was d lon8 nlntre:
tuun number three was another long metre. md
/
still fer few moments looking at tho rage.
Thereupon an nd WOMAN stood up by tho door
aud spoko out into thrill, piping yoica: You
don't rcen1 to got on very we'll with lyssop, sup
DO but BURT out with thu All-conquc1ine laugh
or die if suppressed it,"
Hero ahB caHo uuuber Two: .
II MAS conducting the funeral OF q parishioner,
aud, euppoaing thht tue choir was pzectnt. gare
out the hymn. No response CAME. IA there
was no one TO raise tho tune, boldly ceshyed to
do it. But. to ny horror found it #as too
slloEt for tho Worda; no ona could follow mo in
:. my lonEthening process, so bad It all my own
verso number two. I thought for = lopg time,
and then, fcong Hura that I was right this time,
pitched the tune, but It was 20 high could NOT
pretend to follow It, mud left 1t Tor tuo or shreo
volunteer ladies to carry On as best they could.
But to mr. dismay, found that eyon this would
not do; 1t WIS . lonS-metre tuna to 4 common
metro hymn, and It cnno to an iEnomlniot1a cloee
at tho end Of the bocond line. Tho words worc
eolemn, the occasion wes solemn, felt for tho
brave aud prevail oscr tho difficulty, stood \
momont aud then struck up neafn. This tn!e
was down In tic very depths III slay effort not to
pitch it too high, and again was Oh : long
metro. which could not lnhke short enough for
the hymn. Do Nhat would could not tuck 1t
LII, and tlo hymn
Hear what tho voieo from heaven declaroa:
Is forever ruined for me. No wonder tuat tso,!ly
mover wanted to have LIZ. - at tic fuucEuI or
My Of tho!r friandu."
GaAe No. waa That Of very solemn clergy
man and hia aaatBtaut. who Nsre disturbed IN
tlleir chRncol by = miserable ioakinR Hlrcet cat,
which, had come IN by como unknown way aud waB
rubbing up atnst their legs, ueoHing piteouHiy.
Tho Hector beckoned to tdo assistant TO put tile
cat out, Which ha did, but IN fnw 1no,nouta sha
was back again. Upon this the very soemn
Hector piAced tho poor creature unGer ono OF tho
hchyy bux-atoolB 10 tho chhnoel aud, placing his
fnr& {kzrrS xAI ,I &
hymn beginnius-
charge 10 keep have.
Tho fourth case mentioned was that OF \
Western missionary who Whs holding d service
for tho frss tina In 4 frontier town. A lnrEo
oouRrSssslon had gathered ~ tho primitive
courtroom. md the young hinesaut was juat
about to announce hIs tozt, when tall mAu,
who had boon playing tho meioloon for tho ex-
tamporized choir, pitched back hib chair on iss
Alta logs on the clerks Btand. immediately III
Lands In his pockets. foil backward mud wont
completely oyer. Al he was directly in front Of
tho preacher, his long logs. N going ovor,
knocked down the cushion. which had boon
loose. notes In every ditoct!on The congroga-
ton broke out iu one roar OF laughter, mingled
Hith whias|es xnd oat-calls, aua cs!Dh OF "Qo Il,
M.lamw = "Ileigh-ho. tnuablc-bug!!'"' "Tumbler'
plSeon" "6et them up aguin u "Doubln-
scoso!H and nthor such terms nayor before heard
in house Ut worship. The housu got into ono
Of those cohvusiye spasma u Laughter wh,eh
aro ronl.ttent in their nature, ard cune On again
ut successive Intervals. Every few moments tho
thought Of tho performances would come back
again, and there would be nav outbnlu+.
All this titns tho d.beoncerteI yuang minister
stood With l,H back to The audience, looking out
ot q window, and, like the dying dolphin. turning
all shades Of coler, sud going through Ill aasort-
lncns OF .a1t,srieucos- provoked,
amused, and d.sgusteu, each III turn. Flnh.!y,
ho sad. Nov no have all hai onr laugh out,
lot ua elnK i1ymn hn1 then 80 Oh with tho
Sermon and tho crowd, ilks tired child, sleepy
and ready for lullaby, Waa 1t llBs qulnt once
more.
A venerable Professor who ~as present ut this
"nEpsriencs meatinE" rosatod hih oldaal of
humos A. fuiows "Tts Iley. Dr.- waa Invited
10 preach bhfotc the young il. the conlrAi maes.
inB-huuBe ot tue town. Two Of tho Young lallcs'
boarding schools aud tAo boys Of tho academy
were present. 1t was ~ audience ready for
anything 10 AunHe them.
lutterlnE Was hahra IN tho Window, aud in walked
!ntge Black Aeu. With that peculiar heu-liko
walk, in which tho ssretclcd-out head aud nBck
keep tune to the movement of tbs feat rsle
advanced to tAV side uf tho minister, End,
unm!ndiul Of tue audience. txorad ayor tho opon
puIplt-platfosm down on to The pews bolow. TN.
aba.Aet BY TINT Sox OF faces, sho noemed to 10
looliug about for somo ptaoa III which to lay ri
cgK. Tbs preacher looks.l a. Eer, tho bOys AMI
gits dying to salxe the opportunity, aud in4ke u
kcena 10 church, cast ulelr OyaH UPON lAf long,
lugly. Tho entira chnroh waa still WHOM tho
lsoy. Dr.. - sai4 to mo, ~ ! was ailting In tho
front pew, 'l'Tof. p--,wlil you romoyo thst
b,rli'
"n be had askea mn 10 storm a hattaEy. l
would have bseu ~ willing "a waS then to risk
the failure OF catching thas hen. But, with a
solemn faco and stately stop. a. II ~As about
'b!ri,' aud lu Al ,ussaut Of sils,Ice, tla hlo oi
which never sxperianced befors. caught tAe
hon and tissppasl ea into tho xestry-room. 1iut
to taE day | AK mYbelf tho lusstioa Of the
other stds Ct The ta.Hs; .snPposs yoa h.a t.lea
Tho last experience mentioned was thst Of a