The Wahpeton times., 1889-01-24
SPARKLE'S SKELETON

5Ol f1lAALE y OhEkE lUN
Dr.. Philalethes Sparkle wasa great
manin a small way. He was the vi.
car ofanimportant suburban church.
wherein a highly respectable and not
wholly unintelligent congregation
was won't to assemble for worship,
In that congregation the pastor had
no enemies, while he could boast of a
large number of thorough-going and
ardent admirers. The man was ad-
mittedly well fitted for his post. He
was kind-hearted, liberal-minded,
quick-witted, q fluent speaker, and,
in the opinion of many, a thoughtful
as we'll as eloquent preacher. But,
in truth, s'thoughtful" was just what
DR.. Sparkle was not. His great diff.
ficulty, and one that increased week.
", was about ideas. When he knew
what to say, he could say it we'll.
No man could produce more ssbril-
liant corruscation" or effective flare
up from a paltry amount ofmaterial;
but then, the fuel had to come from
somewhere, and thatwas hedoctors
difficulty. He had a reputation to
maintain, and he was fully, almost
painfully, conscious ofthe fact.
Under these circumstances, and be-
ing sorely harassed by the recurrent
drying up of the well-spring of his
ideas, DR.. Sparkle had his attention
arrested one morning by an artfully
worded circular which was found
among his letters. 1t began as fol-
lows:
STRICTLY PRIvATE.-Ad Clerum,
Moved by the spirit of sympathy, and act
promote the highest ends, the writer ad-
dresses himself to his over.wrought and sore.
ly oppressed brethren. Having had IN ex.
ceptionally wide experience of parish work in
town and country, among rich and poor,
educated and ignorant, he believes himself to
be fully conversant with the tastes and re.
quirements of each separateclass in the COM
munity. No one better than the present
writer knows what it is to have to prepare
amid multitude of other vocations-two,
three, or more sermons q week, He has suf.
tered himself. and can, therefore, feel for his
brethren who are suffering. Accordingly he
is anxious ut the lowest price that will cover
actual outlay, to impart to his brethern the
results of system of sermon production
years Of anious toll and profound study.
DR.. Sparkle smiled as he read the
bombastic document, and was about
to throw it into the waste basket,
when something stayed his hand.
IL wonder whether many clergy
men avail themselves of this sort OF
thing, my dear?" he said, tossing the
circular to his faithful wife, who gen.
orally sat with him for an hour Of a
morning. ITO deliberately get up
and read another mans sermon seems
to me absolutely SINFUL"
"But all men are not gifted like
you, Lethe, dear; and / suppose there
are some who find it very difficult to
preach q good Sermon" suggested
Mrs. Sparkle.
cit is the dishonesty OF the thing
that shocks me" explained the doc
tor. eff a man can't write a asermon,
or hasn't time, let him honestly say
SO. Let him take q printed book
and read from it; but to go into the
pulpit with a lithograph and deliver
it as his own, is a thing 1 can't con.
ceive any christian man daring to
do"
Some time after this, the vicar
found it necessary to appoint q new
curate, the old one having married q
rich wife and forthwith kicked over
the traces. Among several appli-
cants, the doctors favorite was the
Rev. Jonathan Cribber. But as it
was necessary, in appearance at least,
to consult the wishes of the congre.
cation (who were expected to find
the funds), it was arranged that, be.
fore arriving at the decision, the
young man should be invited to
preach on certain Sunday evening.
When the day arri1 ed on which Mr..
Cribber was ''to try his voice, ~
DR.. Sparkle was suffering from q bad
cold. In the morning, being single.
handed, he had no choice but to get
through the service as we'll as he
could; and, being q man who, when
put to it, was always equal to the
occasion, he acquitted himself very
.creditably. He delivered striking
and pathetic address from the words,
"the foolishness of preaching" and
the physical disability under which
he was evidently laboring, only
served to highten the effect of his elu
sions to the ''earthen vessels" tc
which celestial treasures were so oft
en- entrusted. But in the evening
obedient to his doctors orders, the
good man stayed at home.
AS the night drew on DR.. Sparkle
became very much depressed, despite
all his wife's efforts to cheer him.
IL am sure you would have beer
pleased, dear, if you could have hearc
the way the people spoke ofyou wher
coming out OF church this morning
The Grundys had some friends witt
them, and they said they had never
heard better sermon"
"And you, my dear-what did yor
think of it"'
II think it was the most beautiful
sermon you ever preached" replied