The Wahpeton times., 1889-01-24
to hear how everything went of last

to hear how everything went of last
night"
Large congregation, beautiful an
them, offertory above the average"
"And Mr.. Cribber?"
GA most excellent young man, as l
believe, sir. Fine voice, made q good
i,npression-that is on those who
hadn't heard you in the morning"
The vicar smiled, and looked we'll
pleased at what he deemed to be q
neat compliment intended for him
self.
"Well, my friend, you must remem-
ber he is but a young man and with
out much experience. We ought not
to be too critical. We all had to
make a beginning once"
cit isn't that, sir. ltwas the coinci-
dence that struck the people,"
"The what?" exclaimed DR.. Sparkle,
q vague sense of uneasiness creeping
over him.
"The coincidence, sir. He gave us
The foolishness of preaching over
again. I mean his text was thesame
as that which you SO ably expounded
in the morning"
"Rather awkward" laughed the
vicar. II fear it would have cmbar-
rassed the poor young fellow had he
known about it; but, after all, the
thing might easily happen. The
words are in the evening lesson,
though I took them for my text in
the morning. You see, the arrange
ment for Mr.. Cribber to preach was
somewhat hurriedly made"
"But it isn't only the text-it is
the sermon itself the people are talk
ing about, sir. 1 didn't pay much
attention myself but Mrs. Grundy
will have it that, though the words
were different, the substance, the
backbone, the skeleton was just the
same"
"The skeleton!' exclaimed the
vicar, in q horror stricken voice.
"Well that's the word my wife
used," said the church warden,
apologetically. II didn't quite fol-
low her myself; for, though 1 We heard
ofpeople having skeletons in a cup
board, I never knew Of one in n pull
pit" Mr.. Grundy laughed at his
own smartness, but a dark cloud
settled upon the broad brow of DR..
Sparkle.
Poor DR.. Sparkle was in terrible
fix. There was Grundy waiting to be
gulled, and it was incumbent on him
to say something. He gave a little
sigh, and spoke in issoftest accents:
''Well, you see, Mr.. Grundy, not
having heard this wonderful sermon,
l cannot discuss the matter in detail;
nor would l wish to think anything
to the disparagemento ofa young man
who has been very highly recon-
mended to me. Several partial solu-
tions occur to me, none of them re-
flecting unduly on Mr.. Cribber. Pos
sibly, we may have looked into the
same commentary"
Mr.. Grundy gave a knowing nod.
POSSIBLY Mr.. Cribber may have
read some article of mine in one or
other of the religious periodicals
treating of this subject. ] say posi-
bly,, though do not at this moment
recall having written anything about
it,"
Mr.. Grundy gave another yet more
knowing nod.
"And there is yet another hypoth-
esis connected with the obscure
topic of unconsciousness cerebration
and "reminiscences. / tell you candidly
l have preached on that text before
at the abbey once, and elsewhere
perhaps. Mr.. Cribber may have
heard me. My thoughts may have
passed into an impressionable mind.
There have been most remarkable in
stances of this phenomenon"
Mr.. Grundy was evidently Impress
Il Think" he said, "I can under
stand how it happened now, and the
explanation you have given is very
interesting. But, perhaps. under
the circumstances, you might find
some more suitable gentleman for
the curacy."
81 almost think you are right,
Grundy," assented the vicar, eagerly.
"Mr. Cribber seems scarcely up to
the mark for such a congregation as
ours. There we're several other ap-
plicants who were most highly recon-
mended-Mr. Playfair, for instance"
DR.. Sparkle spoke in his most dulcet
tone, but as soon as Mr.. Grundy left
the room he sat down and wrote as
follows to the Rev. Jonathan:
DEAR SIR: From what l:hear of the sermon
delived by you last night, regret that am
obliged to conclude that you are altogether
unsuited to my curacy. Mypeople have been
accustomed to original, or mt oil events in
not suppose you would yourselfmaintain the
applicability of either Of these words to the
discourse with which you favored them. 1
return the testimonials you sent me, and beg
to remain, yours faithfully, P. SPARKLE.
Having sent this ill-tempered pro-
! duction to the post, the unfortunate
man was forthwith ashamed of him
self, and would gladly have recalled
it. He blamed himself for I'LL that
had happened, and became q victim
to horrible remorse and abject fear.
His wife had her own suspicious, but
kept them to herself.
That very afternoon the Rev. JON
athan Cribber, in hot Indignation,
sought out the clerical agent who
had made up for his own lack of
brains and energy, and bearded him
to his den.
81 can only say,"' replied the suave