Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-04-03
VICTORY OF THE A W
4 Minister'S Joke on some Boys who
Were Equal TO Almost Any
Occasion.

a certain minister of the Listeners
acquaintance, who is somewhat of a
wag, was at one time attending the
summer school of ethics at Plymouth.
and rs the weather was N eedingiy
hot. he frequently climbed up old
Burial hill for a breath of fresh air,
relates the Boston Transcript. As
usual at that season of the year. a
good many sightseers visited the his
toric spot, and a half-score of BOYS
we're always present. eager to ex-
change their services as guides for
the loose change Of the summer pill
grims. and the rivalry was often as
keen among these thrifty urchins as
hat between hackmen at Niagara.
After visiting the yard several times
the minister began to feel annoyed
ut the obtrusive attentions of these
guides. and on his way there one
morning. having the customary scene
IN mind. the thought popped into his
head that a little innocent joke might
be the best method of relieving the
pressure of the situation.
So he did some mental figuring. and
finally resolved that IL the boys came
at him hat morning with their IA.
milia- Want to see the old graves.
sir?" he would ask them to- show
him the grave of some well-known
person still living. He hoped the
boys would not Immediately catch on
TO the imposition. and his imagina-
tion created a pleasant picture OF
their discontinue. when. after a
vain search about the ~incIosure, he
should cut the string and let the cat
ont Of the bag. scoring a good laugh
against them. But caution was nee
essary in the selection of the name.
Whose grave should he ask for?
"Bill Nye.- was then in the flesh. and
the minister had read n letter from
him in the morning papers. and
somehow that was the first name
that occurred to him. Capital" he
said TO himself. that is the very one
Of all others to spring a Joke upon.
Yes. everybody has herd of Bit
I'VE. and no boy but Will tumble to
that familiar Bill how
ever. is simply short for William
there | have it now. I will ask TO
see the grave of William I'VE. and
then when the search proves ~unavail-
ing. I will gently break the news to
them that it is Bill Nye whose
a I desire to see. II that don't
fix them. I'm mistaken
So. with a smile Of self-compIa-
cency. the minister FASTENED forth 20
the scene Of action. and. as EXPECT
ed. was met az the entrance to the
yard by the whole force OF guides.
whopressed about him CRYING: Want
to sec the old grave sir2" well.
yes" said the clergyman. ~but there
Is grave that I most particularly
iesire 70 find The biggest boy in
the lot. thrusting his companions
aside. stepped forward and said:
Whose raw Is IL. sir2- Gently and
almost tearfullv the minister re-
piled: Il would like to behold ths
grave Of William Nye.- Quick Is a
fash the lad wheeled about. ~Sten
right this way. sir he said. as he
led the minister TO 4 stone soma
two rods away. Here Won are. sir"
And sure enough. there. right in the
focus 81 the ministers wondering
ewes. was a veritable head~toae in
scribei 20 the memory Of William C..
I'VE The neNa dav the minister re-
marked 10 a friend that '.iokinS was
a very uncertain business. and that
a Pilgrim graveyard was no place for
such fooling. anyway