The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-12-09
The Advent Preacher and the Balloon.

There occasionally occurs an incident
in this world that viii make a person
laugh though the laughing may border
on the sacrihgious. For instance, there
/ Is not a Christian but VIII smile at the
Ignorance of the Advent preacher up in
Jackson County who, when he saw the
balloon of King, the balloonist, going
through the air, thought 1t was the Sec
ond coming of Christ, and got down on
bis knees and shouted to King, who was
throwing out a sand bag, while his COM
/ panlon was opening a bottle of export
| beer, 80, Jesus, do not pass me by.
And yet, 1t is wrong to laugh at the
poor man, who took an advertising agent
for n Chicago clothing store for the
Savior, who he supposed was making his
second farewell tour The minister had
been preaching the second coming Of
Christ until he looked for Him every
minute He would have been rs apt to
think, living as be did in the back woods,
that a fellow riding a bicycle, with his
hair and legs parted In themiddle, along
the country road, was the object of his
search. We should pity the poor man
for his ignorance, we who believe that
when Christ does come he viii come in
the old fashioned way, and not in
palace car. or straddle of the basket of a
balloon But we can't help wondering
what the Adventist must have thought,
when he appealed to his Savior, as he
supposed, and the balloOnist SHE'D sand
bag ct him and the other fellow IN the
basket threw out beer bottle and asked
Where in - are we?' The Adventist
must have thought that the Savior of
mankind was travelling in mighty queer
company, or that he had taken the other
fellow along as a frightful example
And what could the Adventist have
| thought when he saw message thrown
out of the balloon, and went with trem-
bling limbs and beating heart to pick 1t
up, believing that 1t was a command
from on high to sinners, and found that
1t was nothing but a hand bill for a Chi
cago hand-me-down clothing store. he
must have come to the conclusion that
the Son of Man had got pretty low down
to take Job of bill posting tor a rever-
slble ulster and paper collar bazaar. 1t
must have been food for reflection for
the Advent preacher, as he picked up
the empty beer bottle, SHE'D at him
from the chariot that he supposed
carried to earth the redeemer of man.
He must have wondered if some Mil
Yankee brewer had not gone to heaven
and opened a brewery. OF course We
who are intelligent, and who would
know balloon if we saw it, would not
have had any such thoughts, but we
must remember that this poor Advent
preacher thought that the day had come
that had been promised so long, and
that Christ was going to make landing
in strong Republican county. We may
laugh at the Adventist's disappointment
that the balloon did not tie up to a
stump and take him on board, but it
was a serious matter to him. He had
been waiting for the wagon, full of hope,
and when it came, and he saw the
helmet on Kings head and thought it
was crown of glory, his heart beat with
Joy, and he plead In piteous accents
not to be passed by, and the confounded
gas bag went on and landed in cram
berry marsh, and the poor, foolish,
weak, short-sighted man had to get in
his work mighty lively to dodge the
sand bags, beer bottles, and rolls of
clothing store posters. The Adventist
would have been justified in renouncing
his religion. 1t is sad, indeed.-Peck'S
Sun.