The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-03-31
PREAcHERs' AMUSING BLUHDERs.
Each profession has its stock joke.

Afo(u RIOlCSSlOu Ids IlO SbO@A JOn~Si
its stories innumerable, and to each
belongs flavor all its own. That
the point of a jest lies not in the
tongue of him who makes it, but the
ear that hears, is the testimony of the
great dramatist. The doctor on his
rounds and the judge upon the bench
have both an audience ready and
willing to accept as the highest wit
the bon mots of the speakers and
there is no club gathering Of men
that does not acclaim one of its mem
bers as supreme in this respect, and
are ready to yield due recognition of
the gift.
There is, however, vast amount
of unconscious humor always floating
about, and to those who perceive it
the world is ever very amusing. 1t
must be admitted that the blunders
and iests clerical stand. for some
reason, preemiuenr, Dorn IN number
aud mirth-producing qualities. The
reason, of course, is not hard to find !;
the very surroundings in which they
occur, the very upsetting of ones
preconceived notions of reverence all
tend to cause reaction in the ordi-
nary mental equilibrium, and the
simplest mistake or accident under
such circumstances assumes the pro-
portions of a huge comedy.
The divine who is drawing the at :
tention of his congregation to a special
communion service on the follow
ing Sunday informed them that "the
Lord will be with us in the morning
and the Bishop in the evening" is
chronicled with praying for the chill
dren of his parish in these words !:
"And now, o. Lord, bless the lambs
of this fold and make them meet for
the kingdom of heaven" While a
Scotch minister hit the mark, inno-
Gently, perhaps, by telling his people,
"Weel, friends, the kirk is urgently
in needo o. siller, and as we have failed
to get money honestly we will have
to see what bazar can do for US.
There is certain amount of ex-
cuse to be made for the young curate
who, remarking that some people
came to church for no other reason
than to show off their fine clothes
finished up as he glanced over his
audience II am thankful to see,
dear friends, that none of you have
come here for that reason" An
Irish clergyman is credited with hav-
ing wound up powerful oration in
this fashion: ''My brethren, let not
this world rob you of a peace which
it can neither give nor take away"
Which is coupled with the remark of
a fellow countryman colleague who,
in reasoning with woman who had
lost faith in Christianity told her {:
"Well, you will have to go to hell,
then; and I shall be very sorry, in
deed, to see you there"
But what can be said of the negro
student who, in conducting the prayer
at one of the great missionary col
leges, said: "Give us all pure hearts,
give us all clean hearts, and give us
all sweet hearts" +" to which the entire
congregation responded, Amen !"
The giving out of church notices
has often proved pitfall for the un-
wary. During Lent" said a rec
tor, "several preachers will oficiate
on Wednesday evenings but need
not give their names. as they will all
be found hanging up in the porch. ="
1t was rector who gave out before
his sermon, a hymn beginning,
awake my soul, stretch every
nerve" And a curate who read in
the lesson for the day, "He spake the
words, and cater hoppers came and
grasspillars innumerable," but it was
at young woman's Bible class that,
when asked what hymn should be sung
at the close, they all with one accord
chose, "Where is my Wandering Boy
Tonight. -Cham6eys' Journal.