The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-10
7RUS

! is one of those cases, may 1t pleas
Your Honor, which need not be ar
| gued, for the law in our favor, which
| / have just read to your Honor, i
| so plain that, in the language of tn
great Apostle: "A wayfaring man
though a fool, can read it a running.
| The judge smiled family, the ba
| pricked it's ears to hear what els
was coming, but the learned lawyer
satisfied that his Scripture quotation
| had settled the matter, closed hi
| speech with a grandiloquent flourish
Politicians as a general rule are no
much more correct in Scripture quo
| tationS, than the lawyer referred to
though, it was said of Governor Vanc.
that his quotations We're always ac
cording to the letter, which might b.
attributed to the fact that as he face
tiously remarked, often times, his wifi
would make him read his Bible. AND
then he had a good, old-time Presby.
terrain aunt who took great interest il
lim, and, who, doubtless, looked af
ter his reading. 1t was told Gas {
joke, l SUPPOSE, of this aunt thai
she insisted on his joining the church
but, he very honestly told her thai
he was not fit to join the Presbyterian
church. The aunt hesitated for a mo-
ment. as if in deep thought, then said
in very serious way: "Well, Zeb, il
you don't feel like you are fit to joil
the Presbyterian church right now
you might join the Episcopal church
until you do get fit
Humor aside, it must be admitted
that Governor Vance was well up il
Scripture quotations, and always used
them with fine effect.
Some years ago a distinguished
Senator, in Congress, used Scripture
quotation that was SO palpably Wide OF
the mark as to Wreathe the chambei
in a solemn smile Another Senator
gravely took him to task for his mis-,
quotation, saying that the Senator re
minded him of an old preacher, GU
West, who took for his text: '"Thest
eight did milk a bear to TOb-ah." Ht
went on to give the Senate and tn
brother Senator, especially, what, h
said. was the true version of the text
"Now," said he, the old preacher haC
heard that Micah did bear eight chill.
dren unto Tobah: but being just q.
ignorant of the Bible as are some
Senators. he got the thing all wrong
thinking that Tobahs eight sons "did
milk a bear" to give the old man nOur-
ishment in his aged and enfeebled con-
ditiOn. Then, for the amusement o
the Senate, and to still further mortify
the Brother Senator who had shown
illS iSI1oI tuCt VI tilC S'iolC, Tic pCiicItci
went on to give a synopsis of the ser.
mon in the old preachers language
about as follows:
Yes. my breethring, old Tob-ah wa.
getting mighty oldah, and didn't have
thing to eat 'cept what them eigh
boys >of his would fetch in now ant
then-ah Them boys wern't no man
ner count, or it stands to reason
thered been plenty of COWS anC
goats on the plantation to milk-ah
One day the old man said to then
lazy, good -for-nothing boys, if | don
have something soon W nourish me
l shall die Dad" said one of tbs
boys, "can you drink bears milk" 90
can drink anything to save my life,
he whispered.
Then, my beloved breethring then
boys went away down in a wilderness.
and. as good luck would have it, they
found a she bear that had two RICH
young cubs and was giving a plent!
of milk-ah. And they MIXED her
them eight boys did, and that nite-ah
| they carried the milk to the old mar
Tob-ah. which saved the good ole
mans life-ah. And that goes to prove
| my breethring that God will always
| take care of the eIect-ah."
What was the text" asked anothe
Senator, "the old preacher was tryin:
to quote?"
why" answered the Senator. wht
had been telling the joke, 1.-The Scrip