The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-21
HAS ITS
HUMOROUS SIDE
CIerqymen Are Very Often The
Source of Much Amuse-
ment To Others.
Philadelphia Public Ledger.

Philadelphia PuDic LeQSeT.
# was DR.. Cosme Gordon Lang.
Archbishop of York, who, when he
was Bishop Of Stepney, remarked.
apropos Of the children of the East
End: 'sThey are doing a great deal to
rebuke the tendency Of the clergy to
become middle-aged in spirit-dull.
morose and SUPERIOR" he told
one of his ~favorite stories Of an East
End cleric who was feeling Iifeless
and disconsolate on setting out on his
daily round OF visits, when a little ur-
chin looked up at him with a cheer
full eye and knowing smile. n said:
"'UllO, young mani"
THAT greeting quite treasured the
parSOn for the rest OF the day., Doc
tor Lang declares.
And it was Doctor Ingram, Bishop
Of London, who once declared that a
sense of humOr is essential to- sue
cess. If a young man has no sense OF
humor, I would keep him at college
until he got one"
But although many clergymen
| seem to lack that sense of humor
to be successful and popular. there
| are occasions when they themselves
| are the cause, unconsciously, Of much
amusement to others. In his book.
The Humorous Side Of the Pulpit
the Rev. w. Cowan tells, for in
stance, how the bull at times
| arouses the risibilities of the congre-
| CATION, and plays havoc with the
| solemnity Of the occasion.
1t is said. for instance, of the elo-
quent Bishop Of Ripon, that he once
made the following appeal from the
pulpit
Brethren, 1 beg Of Q to take
hold Of your heart, and look il
straight in the face"
The following is said to hav beer
a preachers p%eroration: I'VE pursue
the shadow the bubble bursts, i
leaves the ashes in our hands" A
London preacher a short time in
vited young men and women Of al
ages to attend his meetings, which
reminds one Of the memoir bile exor
dunn of the nervous curate: young
ladies', Or perhaps I should say youns
women. for I wish to embrace yo,
ALL" Nervousness is, indeed, &C.
countable for some curious mistake
er must have been nervous who CAV,
out this text: "HeavineSs may en-
dure for JOY, but night cometh in tn
morning"
! Apparently it is dangerous for tn
young clergyman to fish for compli
! ments. There is a story of a reveren,
. divine who once asked a sexton hoy
5 he liked the m 81 don't k
2 at ALL" candidly answered that wo1
: thy. why, pray?" inquired. tn
: preacher. First, because you rea
/ it secondly. because it was not wort
: reading"
a And there was another young ma
e very vain Of his accomplishments a
8 a preacher, who. after officiating at
certain service for a Scottish minis
ter who occasionally had to avail him
T self OF the assistance Of probationer
n was met by the old gentleman wit
; extended hands as he descended frol
the pulpit Expecting high praise, b
said, mo compliments, I pray
a Nay, nay my young friend" said tn
d parson, nowadays I'm glad O. an,
le body"
. Lack Of Common Sense.
N MI. Cowan points out that reacl
i erS a remarkable lack of con
70 mon when choosing their text
20 He has heard of an Edinburgh mi,
J. lstef VINO preached a sermon on
1T miserly brother cleric from II
Id words, And the beggar died" Al
at lother cleric, in preaching to a 3
as c1ety of physicians, announced as b
text. "A certain woman = . > had 81,
fered many things of many physicia,
ana a spent all that she had. Al
or was nothing better, but rather gre
= worse" %
This is a story. too, told of an .
Evangelical clergyman who had q g
in orders. The young man became
~Iull-blown Ritualist. On one occ
"a sion the father paid a visit to his 81
no who asked him to preach in :,
he church. For some time the old m
I'd eI 80 y pIeSSeu 70 90 so, he
, l iQnRt consented and chnco
-. Lord, have mercy upon nv Son :
= he is a lunatic."
There are many other gems in ,
To Cowan's book. and one might c1
clude with a couple of Stories
which h late Mr.. Gladstone a
Lord Salisbury figure resnect;va
One day Mrs. Gladstone was az
ing with some ladies a knott ~
lem, while her distinguished bnsha,
nat was busy in his study unstaira