The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-10-12
WHO SAW Jokes
Humor in Clergyman's Work
in Country Parish.
MOSES, POPULAR PERSON

geography FAR Aneld-Sad CAGES OF
Drunkenness In an Aged Woman
What People Understand by War
Feeding an Infant Mamma Because
Angola Eat 1t.
The country clergyman, in visiting
II talking to tho poor. has an un-
riyaled opportunity Of gaining an in
sight into their way Of looking at
the world. says q writer In the Ma
tional Review.
1t 10 not easy. I suppose, for educat-
ed people to form any Idea of the
vagueness Of the rustic mind with re-
gard to the world outside its own i'm
mediate surroundings. Board schools
are making q change, and the men in
village reading rooms look at illus
trated newspapers, but for the female
portion OF the rural population the
rOst of the donizens Of space and time
outside the circle Of the local news-
papers are included in the all-em-
bracing they"
"Ain't it awful when they cut their
heads Off" will be tho comment on
an engraving of the execution ca
Charles L. at Whitehall. or a "Dlily
Mirror" Illustration of some con.um-
porary horror in Armenia or the
Congo State.
remember being asked in q North
country ~village-some naval maneu-
Vers were being carried on at the
timo In the North Sea-"The war is
getting very near now, isn't it?" 1.-THE
war was conceived as q great natural
force always raging over the face Of
the earth. now in this direction, now
In that. There has been more ncws-
paper reading since the South African
war, though many Of us will sympa-
thize with the good lady who told
me, Il can't feel the same interest in
this Japanese war as did In the
South African one, the names are SO
much harder"
But the outside world is very little
realized. The wife Of a village builder
told me one day that she had a son in
Rome. Seeing, l suppose, that | gave
a start OF involuntary interest. she
added, In an explanatory tone, "Oh. |
mean Rome In America-not Rome In
Paris"
l have often found hat works of
fiction are regarded as literal trans
crlpts OF fact, though II Is sometimes
suspected that the story may have
been a little cmbellished in the tell
Ing. Il daresay, If the truth we're
known" | was once told, "a little bit
or romance goes down as we'll as the
strict facts" Print Is q very sacred
thing to the rustic mind. have
sometimes received the pathetic as
surance-perhaps OF some miracle of
healing wrougr by patent medicine
We'll, it's l. Mt"
In the gray Nlonotony OF the lives
or the poor. 1t is the most genial and
expansive, l think the kindliest pa-
tureas who are the predestined vic
tins OF drink. Drink is SO often the
adventure Of the artistic temperament
seeking a brighter and kinder world.
'Drunkard" Is, perhaps, too harsh a
term Tor another old woman, this
time In a south country parish, who
was certainly too fond OF her cups.
In spite Of everything her husband
had retained his first affection for her
and, apart from the wife's fondness
FOR drink, they were as decent an
old couple as one can we'll imagine
Late at night he would go out and
patiently look for her, and, like a
good shepherd, bring her home.
ono summer evening | met the pair
coming along steadily and quietly in
the twilight. stopped to speak to
inc worthy old people, and to inquire
after their daughter. who was i'll. But.
alas! no sooner did they stop than the
old lady fell to the ground. from
which all her husbands efforts To
raise her were in vain. 81 WAS an
overcome by the clergyman speaking
TO me that sudden" she explained
from her recumbent position.
On another occasion-I hope no
reader OF these anecdotes will suspec,
me OF making light of drunkenness
sho Tell on a spittoon in a public
house and split her skull. The YER
A VI 'ho ihClucil she gave me was
as follows: 81 went to the circus.
and when l saw the elephants come
prancing In | was that alarmed that I
fell and knocked my head against one
OF them circus poles"
In the Middle Ages the conscious
sharing In a world wide tradition
bound the local to the universal life
II through art and ritual the minds
Oh the poor were familiarized with the
1acts or the Christian faith. Bv orr
own poor | fear these facts are very
dimly realized. | have been shown q
picture OF the Nativity with the 0ute-
playing angels and the shopherds
bringing their lamb, and have been
told that 1t was Nose when he was
a baby" Moses at all times couples
an enormous place in their spiritual
world.
one Is sometimes startled by the
evidence OF a very naive faith. Only
the other day n mother told mo sho
mad been feeding her baby on some
preparation called Mama" at ought
to do him good" she added patbeti-
cally. you see It's what the angels
lives on."