Sharp County record., 1885-02-19
A PREACHERS MISHAP.
WHY Prominent Minister Did Not Preacf
Sunday Evening.

Rev. DR.. Blank has been LOT seFeral
years the pastor of one of the most
popular churches in the city. He is dig
nifed almost to excess, and the great
care which he gives to his personal ap'
pearance is very noticeable. Sunday
after an eloquent sermon, he stepped
into his study to look over his evening
discourse. A quarter of an hour spent
in this task was sufficient to clear the
church of all persons except himself
and the aged janitor.
The clergyman buttoned his Overcoat
around his well proportioned body and
carefully placed the manuscript OF his
sermon in the skirt pocket of his over
coat. started for his Sunday dinner,
going out by a private door opening in
a side street. As he swung the door
open, a gust of wind and rain made
him shiver, and he hastily raised his
umbrella. This operation took him but
a moment, but it was long enough to
allow stiff spring to swing the door
violently shut, catching the skirts OF
the minister's coat in its ruthless grasp
DR.. Blank turned around as far as his
situation would permit and attempted
to open the door. Aspiring lock, which
could not be opened from the outside
without key, held the door, and he
had no key. He tried to pull the I'M
prisoned coat through, but the sermon
in his pocket was on the inside. he
leaned forward aud tore the lining OF
the coat, but in vain. He pounded the
door with his heels, but the janitor
would not have heard a cannOnade.
He tried to attract the attention OF pass
ers by, by calling~Out ''hello. but his
position was hidden from the street in
front. and no one. came down the side
street.
Five. ten minutes passed and the con-
dition of things was not changed Inc
minister was still outside and the skirts
of his coat and the sermon was inside.
At length a simple solution of his diff
cuItv occurred to him, and he wondered
that he had not thought of it before.
He slipped off the sleeves of his overcoat,
intending to leave the coat while he
should gain entrance by another door
and release his o. b.rcoat, but to his hor-
ror he found that his undercoat was
fast, too. His face was covered with
great drops of perspiratiOn as he real
zed the gravity of his situation. No
human ear was there to receive the
words that came from his lips, but he
asserts that he used no stronger Ian
guage than "dear me. D."
About block away on the side street
is a church which would be called a
rival if such a thing were possible be-
tween religious societies, and there does
not exist the most cordial relations be-
tween these ty} societies.
#A #AeaiAti eisAItis+ 4Re s u. the door closed .:! On
latter church itas reading the closing
hymn and the congregation was just
passing out as DR.. Blank had resolved
to abandon both his coats and reach a
place of shelter, and with glance up
and down the street as far as he could
see from his position in the doorway he
pulled his arms through the sleeves and
made frantic rush for the sidewalk
His hair stood erect on his head as he
saw, about twenty feet away, the con-
gregation of the next church coming
up the street. The people at once rec
ognized DR.. Blank, and their amaze
ment took their breath away as they
saw the dignifed minister in his shirt
sleeves run wildly up the street and turn
into the front entrance of the church.
A clergyman on the street in rain
storm without a coat is liable to Oc-
casion remarks, and the church-goers
stopped to discuss the matter. They
were sure it was DR.. Blank, and they
thought he must be insane. Finally the
coats were noticed lying in heap by
the door, and the true explanation Of
the eccentric behavior of the minister
was apparent.
A moment later the door opened and
the coats were ierked into the church
and the door slammed shut. An hour
later the minister looked furtiyely out
of the door and stole away.-Detr0@
Free Press.