Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-09-05
A MINISTER'S YARN.

| Ito, ueei, answered as reSlSHtuiy
as could. When my wife says Robert
instead of Bob l always resign myself to
the inevitable. l didn't know what the in
evitable was, but knew that it was COM
| ing.
The minister is coming to dinner to-
night, so be sure to be home early and
don't make any engagement for this even
! ing
Is he back?' said, and l groaned,
not a deep, shuddering groan like those
| you read about in detective stories but a
restrained groan, what might be called a
disEombled groan. The minister had been
away on "a vacation to the West Indies,
and as my wife did not like the imported
shepherd who had taken his place during
| his absence l had been exempt from
"church service" Now he was back and
was coming to dinner 1t was double
| blow. No, triple blow, for l had had a
| half engagement with jackson for that
evening which l would have to give up
AS sorrowfully and with an angry heart 1
| pulled on my oycrcoat q thought struck
| me-
shall bring home some one to balance
| the table," l asked in my most winning
! tone.
why, yes" said my wife, ''if you can
| get Mr. Wilson or Harry Brown"
My mind was made up. / was fully re-
solved to balance the table, but not with
| either of the gentlemen whom my wife
| had named. No, l would ask George Hop
| kins. Now 1 don't like George Hopkins
| very well myself. He's good hearted boy
| enough, but he makes the most out of
| place remarks, has an overpowering love
for slang, and his grammar sometimes
would bring a blush to the face of deck
hand on fresh water steamer. Still l
thought he might counteract the presence
of the minister, for he has absolutely no
bump of veneration. Besides that, he
looks down on all ministers and thinks
| that when a man is totally incapable of
succeeding in business he takes to preach
ing the gospel Yes, would ask George
Hopkins.
1 secured him without telling who was
to be the other guest. l have since been
afraid that told him that l wanted him
to meet a young lady who was very anx-
iouS to make his acquaintance. Well, if
there was any such young lady on earth,
did want him to meet her, but that had
nothing to do with my invitation to din
ner.
The evening did not open very auepi-
ciously for me. First l got a look of dis
gust from my wife when she heard whom
had brought home with me. Then l re-
ceived the same kind of look from the
minister when he saw George Hopkins,
and its exact counterpart from George
Hopkins when he saw the minister. That
was enough to dampcn any ones ardor,
7 thinl. y-ny al -nr bap OF Inn
ing the first part of the meal. George Hop
kins mercurial temperament was the first
to recover, and he opened on the minister
''Becn to the West Indies, haven't yoh?"
he asked.
"Ycs, " replied the minister.
''Saw some pretty smooth things out
there, didn' your"
II saw much that was interesting and
instructive" the minister answered.
"Well, you re in luck to get back eafo
and sound, with both feet still holding on
to terra flrma, said George Hopkins.
'Indeed?" said the minister.
"You good men, George Hopkins went
on, Fought not to run around SO much.
THE good die young you know, so the
odds against you are long enough anyway,
without giving the angel of death any ex
ira shots at you.
"Indeed?'' said the minister
BY the way my wife was looking at me
l knew that l was in for it now, and 1 am
afraid that l winkcd at George Hopkins.
Yes said George Hopkins, time and
again I've known of men like you perish
ing when an average man-onc like Bob
here, or myself-would have been perfectly
safe. just the other day l heard of a case.
A minister, one of the best men there ever
was, started for Europe He got onto d
ship where the captain and crew and every
one on board were just corkcrs. Every
body swore and drank and gambled. There
was n forger and murderer, and a mem
Der of congress among the passengers.
Well, when the minister found out what
kind of n crowd he was in, he was all bro
ken up. From the very first he knew that
that ship would never reach port and he
made up his mind dying to rid the world
of that unrightcous crew. Then he sat
down and waited for the messenger that
was going to destroy them all. The mes
senger came in the shape of big storm,
but luckily only one man was lost. That
man was the minister"
''Indeed?" said the minister
eyes, sir" said George Hopkins, "and
l know of another case where q train was
wrecked. The first car was full of laborers
going to town to get drunk. That car
was knocked all to pieces, and the only
man in it who was hurt was q good heart
ed preacher who was trying to get those
men to save n little of their money for
their wives and babics'
''Indced?' said the minister.
"Then, again" said George Hopkins
"there was steamer coming into the
dock the other day. There was one min
lister aboard, and he had false teeth BY
actual count A. other persons on that boat
had false teeth too. The boat struck the
dock with little jar and knocked the
minister false teeth down his throat, and
he choked to death. "
"Indeeds' said the minister.
can't give all the stories that George
Hopkins told our suffering pastor, while
my wife sat there in horror and | in de-
light, but those are samples. He never
could have learned them all; he must have
manufactured them as he went along. For
the first time in my life l looked upon
George Hopkins with undisguised admi-
ration. At last he paused. The minister
glanced at my wife and then at me, almost
apologetically.