Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-15
PULPIT colNclpENrs.
Curious Parallels of Phrase and idea
That Indicate PiaeIsrtsn,


II there Is anything which pleascs the
average intelligent reader In the present
day better than tho detection of niecr NJ
manifest and unhlushing plagiarism. g. il
an allegation Of plagiarism which Is not
quite manifest. and for which thr author
would undoubtedly blush IL be were proved
10 be nothing but iatkriaW In li6frnsc,i
piumes. Perhaps IL is sad that men and
women should he 80 readily pleased ai tho
eastigation OF the detected plariaFy but N
any one entertgins doubt ~ 10 the ex,
istenea OF n keen relish for literary expo
sures Of this kind hc either does not look
Mt the journals, which have particularly
keen scent for curious parallels OF phrase
and ideas. or studies them 10 little pur
pose.
For some time past there has been what
should call, Il | were addicted to slang. "A
boom in PLAGIARISM; and connected with
one Incident IN Ibis boom we have had a
run upon lie family anecdotes uf sermons,
which have been male 10 do double and
treble duty. These anecdotes are nearly
all amusing. and every parsOn could reel
of a dozen of them ~ one sitting But,
my ingenious reader, we do not call this
sort Of thing plasiarismit ~ j. no more
than an ordinary coincidence OF the pulpit
The greater ,livines ~ every communion
have been rchenr>ed nj least as often as the
Greek dramati~ts have been re edited, and
the wiseSt bishops and elders have often
recommended young preachers 20 practice
this very pinu- fraud. "a sermon of South
in curate's mouth" will scarcely raise
the eyebrows Of AN experienced or case
hardened country clergyman.
II may be permitted To add another ia
the harm. stock nf Gtn
which has not hitherto found its way into
print, and which has the merit OF being alb
solutely true. A young curate fresh from
Cambridge aud from the hands of the
bishop found himself very comfortably
settled in midland parish, under 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's
wife, 70 exercise authority over the village
boys, and occasionally to take "A hand at
lawn teunis with the rector's daughters
and their guverness.
In an unguarded momentum various
unguarded momeuts-he and one Of the
daughters fell in love with each other, and
by instinct this curate knew that II an
inkling Of the truth should reach the rec
tors ears he would never he 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 m opportunity Of promoting H.
a day came when the curate was asked
to preach in his rcctor's absence, and being
nervous, with only "A few hours to prepare
for the ordeal, lie took down volume OF
Barrow, selected text, and strung to.
gcther few sparkling beads on slender
thread Of commonplace. The sermon was
success in more senses than one. The old
people and the children went 10 sleep un.
der II. but II riyeted the attention OF the
intelligent adults, and especially of the
rcctUT's family.
There Is matter for novel IN all that
took place a. a result pf the curateis lucky
stroke Of plagiarism. but Ii must be dis
posed of in a sentence or two. No one at
the rectory complimentea him on his ser
mon, hut outside lie 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 she WAS a downright Young
person, the veil Of mystery was torn away.
He was supposed To have iilched nn old
sermon Of the rtctoF's, to have covered il
with thin disguise aud passed ii of is his
ownl The rest may be imagined Lucy
told her mother all that there was TO tell;
the mother secured that volume of Barrow
and turned il To good account Suffice il
TO say tha. the rector and his euTate 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