The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-03
FuN-suRpEMED PREACHER.
Sense of Humor u Cross to a Minister al
the Gospel

Sense of Humor Cross to a Minister of
the Gospel.
"A sense of humor is a saving grace
Die trouble to a clergyman" said a
mild faced minister of the gospel to
a sympatheti layman
Il wish I had been born without it.
but I'm cursed with an abnormally
keen appreciation of the ludicrous, and
1t has almost driven me to give up my
profession and turn vagab bond. The tor
ture I've undergone at funerals and
prayer meetings, because something
absurd has happened, and l couldn't
iaugh, mas made me gray haired before
my time l don't believe I am lacking
IN spirituality or human sympathy. No
one could be more impressed by the
soiemnity of a funeral than I am. Per-
maps the very tension to which sympa-
tiny and grief have strung my nerves
has something to do with my seeing the
funny side of things at funeral: but
| reproach myself bitterly because /
have to struggle against ungodly
mirth, in the very face of great sor-
row.
Now, just this last summer 1 was
spending my holiday in little Mas
sachusetts town, and 1 was asked to
conduct funeral services. I didn't want
to do it. In the first place, needed
rest; and then I had known the woman
who was dead, and 1. couldn't consci-,
entiously say much that was good
about her. It's very hard to officiate
at a funeral when you know the dead
person was a hard-hearted, bad-tem-
pered, uncharitable old Tartar. How
ever, I couldn't get out of the thing;
so I patched up an inpersonal sort of
a talk and a sorrowful expression. The
funeral was at a house, and I was get
ting along fairly we'll when there was
a terrible clatter outside. A wagon
ratified up to the side door. There was
tremendous thump, and a, stentorian
voice shouted, Ice!
THE awful suggestiveness Of 1t was
too much for me. No one else seemed
to see it, but felt that I was going to
disgrace myself. / struggled for a mo-
ment. Then 1 caught the eye of a stout
old gentleman, in back seat. and he
deliberately winked. I buried my face
in my handkerchief, overcome by grief,
and it was several moments before l.
could go on. Luckily, 1 had been in the
midst of an affecting passage, and 1
got credit for being very sensitive and
emotional; but the fat man in the back
seat knew. It's terrible thing not to
be able to depend upon ones risible
muscles.
I've one man in my congregation
who is the closest good man l ever
knew--the most misery, I mean. Hes
a Scotchman, and tremendous stick
Ter on religious observances and doc
trine. He gives reasonable amount to
the church, but it's real martrydom
for religions sake, and outside his do
nations to the collection box he almost
has nervous prostration every time he
spends a quarter There was an old
Scotch lady in the church who knew
Sandy-had known him in Scotland.
She died last month and left word that
Sandy must be one of her palbearers.
He was willing. 1t wouldn't entail any
expense and he has a real Scotch love
for such solemn occasions.
THE day Of the funeral everything
went beautifully until the pallbearers
started to put the casket in the out
side box. 1t was heavy and a tight fit.
AS it dropped in it caught one tapping
tail of Sandy's frock coat. There was
a sharp noise and the tail parted ,om-
pany with the coat and disappeared I
saw the catastrophe and caught the ,eX-
preston on Sandy's face as the enor;ni-
ty of the disaster dawned upon him.
1t was the funniest thing I ever saw