Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-02-25
Pulpit Wags.

The bishop of Winchester was once
very neatly "sold' by one of his own
clergy in the diocese of Oxford, the
Rev. Frank Burgess. Mr.. Burgess was
an ardent fox-hunter. The bishop,
although a thorough horseman, detest-
ed sporting parsons. But Frank Bur-
CESS was not an easy man to deal with.
lie was independent and testy. Wilber-
force tried two or three plans Indirect
ly TO let the fox-hunting parson know
that ne disapproved of the pastime, but,
finding that these had no effect, the
bishop determined to speak for himself.
and, meeting Burgess one morning in
Oxford, he gently led up to the obnox-
ious topic. "You had capital day yes
terday, Mr.. Burgess, for fox-hunting
In your neighborhoOd. "Yes, my
lord" said Burgess, ''most excellent,
and a capital field and a splendid run"
II suppose you do not hunt now" said
the bishop, interrogatiyeiy. "Not much
my lord,n replied Burgess, and then,
recollecting the bishops objection, and
thinking that this reply might be con-
strued as casuistical, the vicar added
Not so much as | should like, my
lord.'' NO, dare say not" said the
bishop; ''but-but" looking with that
peculiar glance of his, a glance half
sarcastic and half ironical--'do you
think, Mr.. Burgess, that your presence
In the hunting field adds to your in
fuence among your parishioners:' - 81
do not know whether it adds 10 my in
fluence, my lord" replied Burgess ;
s'but do not know that it detracts from
it, The bishop thought 1t necessary
10 be frank now in his turn, and put
ting on Z severe tone, he read the vicar
2 sharp lecture upon the unprofessional
character of fox hunter in black
coat. Burgess listened as respectfully
as he could; but when the lecture was
over he bowed and asked permission 10
make one observation. This was to
point out to the bishop that in the news
papers of a day or two before his maine
had appeared as one Of those present at
state ball. -'Ah, yes, said the bishop,
promptly, "but if you had been there
YOU would have seen that | was never
i'm the same room with the dancers, Mr..
Burgess-never in tie same room. y
"And that, my lord" said Burgess,
with equal promptness, sis my case.
have such bad cattle Ih:t though Tide
TO hounds pretty often, l am never III
the same field with the hunt-neyer,
nv lord ~ And the bishop once pro-
voked an equally neat, if less parsonal
retort from 4 foX-hunting parson, who
rode so regularly to hounds that VIII
bsrforce lost his temper with him
.sYou 90 galloping all over the country
and your parish is going TO the dogs
THAT, my lord" replied the incorrigl-
BILE priest, rs why hunt. When my
parishioners are going, as your lord
ship says, TO the dogs with a sligh
emphasis on dog, it is, submit, my
lord, my positive duty TO go also, if only
TO look after them" But Wilberforce
rs rule, was as ready with his reparte'
rs man IN his position must be. H'
once spoke to a keeper upon a neighbor'
ing estate, where he sometimes spent
quiet day shooting, about rot going t'
church. The man pleaded guilty Il
the bishops impeachment, but added
that he read his bible on Sunday after
moons, land, my lord" said the keeper
Il do not find there that the apostles
went shooting" You are quite right
my man, quite right" replied th'
bishop; but it was because there wa:
10 game in the Holy Land. They wen
fishing instead.'