Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-03
PULPIT COINclpeNTS.
Curious Parallels of Phrase and Idea
That Indicate Plagiarism.


That Indicate Plagiarism.
If there is anything which pleases the
average intelligent leader in the presert /
day better than the detection OF piece Of
manifest and unbIushing plagiarism, it IS
an allegation of plagiarism which is not
quite manifest, and for which the author
would undoubtedly blush if be were proved
to be nothing but a jackdaw in borrowed
plumes. Perhaps it. Is sad that men and
women should be so readily pleased at the
castigation of the detected plagiary, but if
any one entertains doubt as to the ex-
istence of a keen relish for literary expo
sures OF this kind he either does not LOOK
at the journals, which have a particularly
keen scent for curious parallels of phrase
Snd ideas, or studies them to little pur-
pose.
For some time past there has been what
/ should call, if l were addicted to slang, "A
boom in plagiarism: and connected with
one incident in this boom we. have, had a
run upon the family anecdotes of sermons
which have been made to do double AND
treble duty. These anecdotes are nearly
all amusing, and every parson could rec
OFF a dozen of them at one sitting But
my ingenious reader, we do not call this
sort OF thing plaCiarism-it is no more
than an ordinary coincidence of the pulpit
The greater divines of every communion
have been rehearsed at least as often as the
Greek dramatists have been re-edited, anC
the wiSest bishops and elders have often
recommended young preachers to practics
this very pious fraud. "A sermon Of South
in a curate's mouth will scarcely raise
the eyebrows of an experienced or case
hardened country clergyman.
II NAV he narrnitra6 tO add another n
the large stock of sermon stories, one
which has not hitherto found its way into
print, and which has the merit of being alb
solUtely true. \ young cUrate fresh from
Cambridge and from the hands of the
bishop found himself very comfortably
settled in a midland parish, under a rector
whose chief fault was an excess of naughty
self imitation. For some time he was not
allowed to preach, being expected to fetch
and carry in the parish for the rector :
wife, to exercise authority over the village
boys, and occasionally to take a hand at
lawn tennis with the rector's daughters
and their governess.
IN an unguarded moment-in various
unguarded moments-he and one of the
daughters fell in love with each other. and
by instinct this curate knew that If an
inkling of the truth should reach the rec
tors ears he would never be able to enter
the house again. But luckily the mother
saw through the transparent couple re-
solved that the match would do" and
waited for an opportunity Of promoting it.
a day came when the curate was asked
to preach in his rector's absence, and being
nervous, with only few hours to prepare
for the ordeal, he took down a volume of
Barrow, selected a text, and strung to-
hs-
thread of commonplace. The sermon was
a success. in more senses than one. Theold
people and the children went TO. sleep IN.
der it, but it riveted the attention Of the
Intelligent adults, and especially OF the
rector's family.
There is matter for a novel in all that
took place as a result of the curateis lucky
stroke of plagiarism; but 1t must be dis
posed of in asentence or two. No one at
the rectory complimented him on his ser.
mon, but outside he received great deal
more praise than he cared for, because il
was evidently sarcastic and insincere. Next
morning he met his Lucy on the village
green, and, as she was downright Young
person, the veil of mystery was torn away.
He was supposed TO have flched an old
sermon of the 'rector's, to have covered il
with thin disguise and passed it off as hi.
own! The rest may be imagined. Lucy
told her mother all that there was to tell
the mother secured that volume of Barrow
and turned ii to good account. Suffice il
to say that the rector and his curate under
stood each other better from that time for
ward, and that Miss Lucy, after fairly
long engagement, was eventually married
to the man of her choice.-London Illus
trated News.
The soft glow Of the tea 70 is &c
ouired bV ladies who use Pozzoui's Gem