Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-09-27
STORIES Of PREACHERS.
Anecdotes Current on the Eastern
Shore of MARYLAND.

fnS$uOtCS AuTTCut OH Lue Eastern
Shore of Maryland.
EAsToN, MD, Sept. %. "A member
of st. Joseph's Catholic Church tells
this good story about Rev. DIR. Temple:
Before the recent rains, when the
earth was parched. the roads dusty and
rough and the crops failing. Father
Temple thought it became the church
TO pray for rain, and SO one Sunday
morning he gave notice that Mt the mass
he would say prayer for rain, and
asked the people to respond in their ST.
lent devotions. Sitting well up in the
congregation was worthy farmer and
his aged wife. When the announce
ment was made she nudged her husband,
and in whisper loud enough to be
heard by those around, but not by the
priest. asked: Pap, do we want rain 2"
mo, no. Sally Ann, he replied 1--WE
don't want rain; I've got 5000 pounds
of blades down and we don't want ram
until they are fit to haul in. The old
lady refused to respond. and the rain
did not come. despite Father Temples S
intercession. until the farmers blade
fodder was out of the way!
Some years ago a local preacher of
some celebrity preached in Broad Greek
Neck. He essayed TO quote sople Scrip
ture, but got the text wrong, and said
IF your right arm offend you pluck it
out, and if your right eye offend you
cut it off," Reny Larrimore. the wit of
the neighborhood, exclaimed: "Durn it,
the man must think we've got crab eyes
down here !"
y Rev. Henry r. Galloway. now dead.
used to tell story of Methodist preach
er in Chapel district, himself somewhat
OF, "a wag. who had an infant to baptize
in the church. Name this child"
said fhe preacher. and the father re-
Piled: SJohn James Augustus Andrew
Manshih What" John James
Augustus Andrew Manship." The
preacher wrote the name down, word
by word. and going to the baptismal
font. u tin basin, he looked In it and,
calling the sexton. said: "Bill Scott, go
get some more water; there amt half
enough here to baptize this baby in."
Rev. DR.. James +. Chaplain's story
of his baptismal experience ON the East
ern Shore of Virginia is good one.
One Sunday DR.. Chaplain, then presid.
ing elder, preached in little country
school house. He was asked to 20 in
the afternoon to the house of a farmer
where there were about dozen unbap-
tized children and christen them. He
went. 1t was little house surrounded
by big corn field. He saw no children,
nobody but the farmer aud his wife,
"Where are the children to be bap-
tized!" DR. Chaplain asked. The father
said they were scattered about some-
where, and sent man servant out to
look them up. After long while the
man returned. dragging with him by
the hand one little weeping kid. "Where
are the others" demanded the father
''Please sab" was the answer, "dis is
de onliest one l could ketch -
In the days when the brethren had
more respect for rumseller than for a
college taught preacher the Philadelphia
Conference sent into one of the rural
districts of Tallot county as the junior
preacher finely educated and eloquent
young man. He preached his first SER
mon i'll one of the neck churches and
was entertained that night at the house
of gentleman of means and culture.
After supper the conversation turned TO
the sermon. The host praised the SER
mon. but told the preacher he feared it
was above the heads of the audience, that
he used words the people did not know.
For instance" he said, "several times
you made use of the word felicity. Had
you said happiness you would have been
understood. There were not dozen in
your congregation who ever heard the
the word felicity before" The preacher
expressed his surprise and doubt. The
host called in one of his hired men whom
ne had observed at the service. John
do you know what felicity means 2"
he asked "Sartinly does. sir" well,
what is it," John scratched his head
well, l can't displain it perzactly. but
it's somthing inside of hawgr