The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-03

and / had to disappear behind my kerr
chief again and shake with emotion
/ wonder what I'd do If / should ever
be without a kerchief when one Of my
scandalous fits of laughter comes on?
The coattail couldn't be rescued. 1T
was buried with Sandy's compatriot.
and he looked more bowed down with
grief than any of the woman's family.
.Hecht it's a bad day for me, SIT,
this isl ne said gloomily as we left
the grave. Now, If he had had a sense
of humor and 1 hadn't how much better
it would have been.
Prayer meeting is almost as hard
on me as funerals. I love prayer meet
ing, but mere funny things happen
there than anywhere I go. I almost
scandalized the congregation last
week. We have two deacons, both al
most stone deaf; but they have the rep
utation Of being wonderfully gifted in
prayer, and they would rather pray
than do anything else in the world
Never a prayer meeting goes by with
out prayer from each of them. They
sit in front seat and whichever one
is the quicker prays first; the other
follows. Last week, for some reason
or other, they sat in side seats on
opposite sides of the room. They did
not get chance to say anything for
quite a while. Then, as a sister sat
down, both deacons jumped up, whirl-
ed around, without seeing each other,
and began to pray. They both have
tremendous voices. and they fairly
raised the roof. There wasn't any use
trying to stop them, for they couldn't
hear, and I couldn't pull one of them
to his feet and turn him around and
point out his rival. So they charged
ahead and prayed and prayed 1t got
funnier every minute, but I didn't dare
crack smile; ard wondered why I
had ever entered the ministry.
"No man ought to be ordained who
has a sense Of humor Life will be
too hard struggle for him, no mat
ter how good a Christian he may be-.
He can never live up to his elders.
never could. That's the worst Of il.
Not an elder have / ever had who
could understand why could feel like
laughing at a funeral.
Two or three years ago I had a
charge in small town. and there were
some fine fruit trees in my yard. One
day one of the elders most godly
man, came to CALL When he went away
my wife said to him, Mr.. Smith
wouldn't you like to take few Of our
pears home to Mrs. Smith? They are
so fine this year.
HE said he'd admire to do it; so 1
told him to go down in the garden and
gather them, while I found my hat,
and then I'd walk down street with
him. I hunted up my hat and hurried
around the house, just in time to see
an appalling sight. had dog, a fat,
short breathed, ugly cur, but faithful;
and I had taught him to protect our
fruit. The elder walked in solemn dig
nifty down the garden. The cur fol-
lowed suspiciously. The elder lifted his
hands and picked a pear. The cur made
flying leap, seized the elder by the
coat tails, and there he hung, gasping
and growing. The holy man cried out
and tried to run, but the fat dog neld
on and dangled. At last the tails aban-,
doned the coat, the breathless dog fell
on his back wheeling, with the broad
cloth tails spread over him like a pail,
and the tailless elder fed up the walk
and met me- @5
Il wrestled manfully. ] broke cut
into cold perspiration in my effort to
look seriously shocked and grieyed.,
Then I broke out into a laugh, and
that settled me. He has never forgiven
me. My goddess levity led to my NOV
ing the next fall. Now, if the elders
had tA,e sense of humor,s and the clergy
man hadn't. how easy the ministry
would seem-comparative speaking,
you understand. AS it is, some clergy