St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-24
LOOKED LIKE "A CLERGYMAN.
A Funny Conversation Overheard
in a Horse Car.

A Funny Conversation Overheard
in a Horse Car.
Washington Post
1t is very wrong to play jokes on the
clergy, and only very sinful people ever
do it. There is newspaper man. well
known on the row, who wears the
smuggest face. the ministerial air and
the most clerical spectacles of any man
in the business. During recent con-
vention, which drew several hundred
clergymen to Washington, Mack thal
amt his name) got into a street car fult
of ministers, stumbled halfway up the
aisle and caught the eye of fellow
newspaper man.
"Why, Brother Thompson, how do
you do?" he exclaimed, grasping his
hand and shaking it effusively. Mack
sat across the aisle and started run
ming conversation which could be heard
all over the car.
LET me see, Brother Thompson,
haven't seen you since the trlennlal con-
claye at Chautauqua in 1875. How is
vour Bnffala charge getting along? How
is Mrs. Thompson? Did you get your
salary raised? No! That is too bad,
really too bad. | did. | worked my
congregation nicely. l had friend in
Cleveland who is on the staff of Secu-
lar newspaper, and he was unScrupu-
lous enough to work up boom for me
there until received an offer eff $1,000.
Of course, my congregation wasn't
going to be outbid-ha, ha-and they
saw that $1,000 and went them $1,000
better. This was in May, one year ago."
The whole car was attention by this
time, and Mack was the focus of thirty
pairs of curious eyes.
"AlOrg i'm June | sat for my portrait,
| got 40 per cent gross on those. you
know. What do you get? Nothing? Oh!
dear, Brother Thompson, you really
neglect your opportunities. Let me see.
Received from the church fair proceeds
alone last year THE amount was lost i'll
awhisper]. But these portraits were
very bad. They made me look quite
thin and careworn. 7 sent four dozen
of them around to the dear ladies, and
it, would have done your heart good to
see how they worked and raised $500 to
send me to Europe.
II hear you are thinking of taking a
new charge. Is it so? Want to have a
chance to work over your old sermons?
Been eight years in one place? Well, l
don't blame you. l can't very well.
You see l have made a good many in
vestments in my city, and it would ne
cessitate too many sacrifices to break
the old ties. Still, there are other ways.
/ succeeded in negotiating an exchange
of $50 sermons for an admirable series
by DR.. Scott, of San Francisco. The
good man was much pleased"
There. there; oh, dear, dear. have
lust called to mind that family which
has been in my church for ten years has
lust moved to San Francisco and is go
ing to Join DR.. Scott's church. They
NAV remember those sermons. Oh,
dear, it may make trouble for DR..
Scott"
Mack chuckled and poked "Brother
Thompson in the ribs with his UNI
brella. 1t was a rainy day.
"Where is your umbrella, Brother
Thompson? Is that it? That is not the
sort of umbrella you ought to have
Look at mine. The finest of silk and
elegant silver handle. l don't know
whether you ever noticed, but /; always
have nice umbrellas. You see mine is
a fashionable church, and there are al
ways good many strangers at divine
service. / have an arrangement with
the sexton to pick out on rainy Sundays
the best umbrellas left in the vestibule
and put it away for me. The regular
ewholders always take theirs IN the