Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-10-20
MiscellanenMs.
SCAMP'S PARABLE.

himself of his cassock, and stepped forth
into the foggy darkness, His parish
was not desirable one, and it looked
more than usually cheeress on that chill
November night, but the Rev. Clement
was in pretty good spirits, because he
felt that he had done his duty. Dis
liking the subject of eternal punish
ment, he had more than once shrked
preaching upon it, but this evening he
had laid down the orthodox doctrine
the doctrine which whatsoever will be
saved must needs accept,
THAT was fine sermon Of yours"
remarked a tall and very seedy-looking
old man in II battered, greasy hat, who
had apparently been waiting for him to
emerge from the vestry and who now
joined him without ceremony.
"Oh, didn't like it; but il was
scholarly and well put, and you spoke
as if you were in earnest. was won
dering whether you had really educated
yourself to believe in endless torment
that was all
ave are bound to believe in it. We
ale bound to believe in much that we
cannot understand"
eyes, to be snre--the Trinity in
Unity, Bnptismal Regeneration Eter-
nifty itself, if you come to that. Still,
thore are cases which bring the alb
surdity of this particular dogma home
to a man; my own case, for example,
"Once upon a time had an only son
who went to the devil as straight az he
could go. Personally, | have always
been n bad lot--druDken, unprincpled,
absolutely without belief in any form of
revealed religion--so that didn't de-
serve to have good son. | may men
ton that was fond Of the fellow, that
he was ungrateful, and that he prac.
tically ruined me
"Now, supposing that, after the lapse
of some years, had met with that son
Of mine under circumstances which
placed him at my mercy. Surprising
that | had fallen in with him in some
spot; that he had crawlcd, exhausted
with fatigue and hunger, to my camp
fire; supposing that had said to him :
Now you shall be made TO suffer little
of what you made me suffer : supposing
that had bound him and thrown him
upon that fire to roast slowly 10 death
What thea, Mr. Wright p
II cannot believe that any mortal
man would be such monster p
"Well, you needn't believe it, bo.
cause nothing Of the sort ever took place
was merely making use Of n parable. .
"My dear sir, interrupted the clergy
man, eagerly, you are falling into the
common error Of applying human ex.
perience TO what is superhuman.
should like TO talk this matter oyel
more fully with you, aud if you will
come aud eat your supper with me"
"Do look like that kind Of person
who could be taken homo TO supper il
respectable house No, 30, Mr.
Wright; didn't wait outside th'
church in order b discuss theolgy will
you My little allegory has founda
ton in fact which may interest you
dare say you haven't forgotten that yoI
once had an uncommoDly rascally uncle
Alfred Warren by name. whom you
people were compelled to disown -
81 had supposed that my uncle wa
dead" Mr.. Wright answered, with
somewhat uneasy glance at his ques
toner ~ sent him little none,
once, in response TO an appeal whlcl
reached me from America, but that wa
u good many years back, and I hay
heard nothing Of him since"
"Don't be alarmed | am not abou
TO reveal myself AZ your long-lost rela
tive. What ! wanted 10 say 10 you wa
this. knew Alfred Warren out in No
braska, and assure you that bo had hi
good points Perhaps you never hear
that he married widow in Nebraska
Well, he did; and tho result of hi
marriage was an only son, who grew u
to rob him aud ruin him Now, Nj
Wright, / confess that, if ! were poo
old All, | couldn't bring myself TO for
give that young prodigal. But you
religion commands you 10 exercise
good deal more mercy than you ascrib
TO its Founder, and if you knew tina
your cousin was i'll aud almost starvip
within u stones throw Of you, don
sec how you could reconcile it with You
convictions 10 pass by on tho othe
side
as this the case :" asked Mr. Wrigh
off so, I will 90 10 him at once and d
what | can for him"
1t is the case. | CHANGED upon III