The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-08

SO tired on these trips that / would have
to bring him home on my back. He
became most enthusiastic. Why, he
even fixed up a place in the garden
where he kept a sort of wormery. By
filling in a spot with richer earth than
that in the garden he attracted the
worms to this place, and they gathered
in quantities. He always, as a conse-
quence, had a good supply on hand. In
the hot summer months he would care
fully water the spot. The roses and
verbenas in his mothers fower-bed
would wither and dry up but that
worms nest was always damp and
never neglected. 1t was treated nightly
to two or three pals of water. His
worms became the latest in the village
and he made them clean and strong by
putting them in moss. There is moth
ing so good as moss in which to scour
worms and in which to keep them fresh
when taken long distances. When the
boy grew UP, however, you could not
get him to touch a worm, and he was
an expert iy-caster long before his
father.
"But l was about to tell you of my
experience with him in the Adiron-
dacks. I was going to Riverville to a
meeting of the Presbytery, and from
that point there was a good road into
the North Woods, and as 1 had been
very busy in my W church previously,
l thought after the meeting I would
take a day OF two in the woods on a
trout stream. Well, it was vacation in
the college, and the young freshman
thought he would go along, too, and I
had no objection. Now, It was a large
church in which the P~resbytery was to
meet, and my turn to preach. 1t was
a special occasion to the people, as the
Presbytery did not meet often there;
besides, they had no pastor and were
hearing candidates. Now I had re-
ceived hints that they wanted to hear
m preach before the time for the Pres
bytery came around. So l prepared a
special sermon for the occasion and
wanted to make an excellent impress
sion. The church was bigger than my
own, and was considered a remarkably
good field. There were more than two
ministers in the P~resbytery who wished
it was their turn to preach, and my al
ternate had written me saying he was
ready If / could not get there. But I
vas ready.
"Well, Wa reached the town just at
night, and l was to preach in the even
ing. Feeling a little tired l lay downin
order to get a rest for the evening, and
the young man went out to look about
the town. / afterward learned that he
met a former acquaintance, and that
they had agreed to go to a party. I'm
fortunately, the boy had only his fishing
boots with him. Stealing into my room
while ! was asleep, he took mine and
slipped out. When I awoke I had just
time enough to get to the church, but
to my utter despair the boots were mis-
sing. l was frantic, but there was no
time to lose, and my only alternative
was to put on my fishing boots-great
heavy-soled leather affairs, whose tops
were so stiff that 1 could hardly get
my trousers over them. I snatched up
my sermon and started for the church.
1t was packed with a fashionably dres-
sed audience, who looked with expec-
fancy as l followed the brothers who
were to lead in the devotional exer-
cises up the aisles. The members of
the Presbytery sat in the front seats.
But imagine my horror when
those boots came down clump,
clump on the floor. 1t was tor
ture to me to hear them. The flooring
had sprung in the aisle and emitted a
hollow sound when stepped upon heav-
lily. OF course, the entire audience was
silent; all that could be heard was the
sound of those boots. When I reached
the pulpit my face was red, and drops of
perspiration stood like bubbles on my
forehead. While they were singing the
hymns and a brother made a prayer, 1
recovered myself partially, and, when
turn came got up apparently as
cool as a cucumber amid the summer
mornings dews. I gave out the text in
a clear voice, and got off my first SEN
tence in good shape. Then I warmed
to the subject, and, feeling that I
held the attention of every one present,
even to the choir above, grew quite elo-
quent for me, for my forte is not elo-
quent preaching, but rather in visiting
and keeping a congregation together.
My sermon leaves were arranged in the
form of a book, and I turned them over
n after the other.
every thing was all right until I
turned the twenty-second page. It was
just at the completion of along period.
l think 1 must have turned
white, for instead of the black, inky
words, what did I see but atangled wad
of artificial trout-flies. In packing my
valise my son had in his careless way
of throwing things about, placed these
flies in my sermon for safe-keeping UNI
til he had found his iy-book.
1 gave the page a little shake so I
could see the words, but in my awk-
wardness l upset the book, and the flies
tumbled out IN the cushion of the pull
pit desk and half a dozen fell over the
front on the table below. To make it
worse, one big Yellow Professor
caught on the cushion and
hung out in full view of
the congregation. Well, OF course a
smile went over the audience. The
ladies wondered what the little bits of
high-colorcd silk and feather wear, but
the men knew, and smothered their
laughs in their handkerchiefs. I knew
then l was done for. and that might as
well 60 On as if nothing had happened;
but l couldn't do much. There hung
that big yellow Professor" out in
front. I dared not pick it up, as 1
knew if I did every one would laugh.
Every time l saw it it discomftted me,
and l was a complete wreck when 1
reached the end. The benediction was
a comfort I slid out of the back door,
and fastened to the house where 1 was
stopping. / could have broken my best
bamboo rod over that son of mine then.
To make me feel worse the sexton came
around in about half an hour with those
miserable flies, saying that he thought
81 might want 'em."
The dominic stopped his narrative to
relight his pipe-a pause that n of the
boys made use of to ask a question.
'.Did you receive a call to that church,"
"No," replied the minister, land I
don't think I should have accepted it if
I had. No. 1 heard that an old elder
had said after the service hat he didn't
object to a preacher that went fishing
nee in a while, but when it came to
fetching baitinto the pulpit it was going
too far. The ladies said they didn't