The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-12

more personal "reminiscences since / am
in the mood, will say that the Pearce
family, now living only in memory, had
a somewhat keen appreciation of the
humorous. The father, the Rev. Mar
maduke Pearce, was one of the most
logical of Methodist preachers; a
class noted more for the Billy Sunday
type of the emotional, than for the
logical. He was once approached by an
old farmer who said:
''Mishter Pearee, my boy tied. !
tried to get Mishter johnson to preach
de funeral sermon, but | eouldn Y git
him. Den | tried to git Mishter Will
liams but | couldn't git him. Den /
fought as l culdn't git anybody else 1
would come unit see vetter / couldn T
git you.''
"Well,' answered the aged MARINA.
duke Pearce, "God bless your honest
old soul. Since you can It get anybody
else, III do it," and he did.
Now Marmaduke had a son, John
j., who perhaps when still in his teens
felt that he had call to become a
preacher of the gospel; and on the even,
ing he was to preach his trial sermon
in the old Berwick church, of which
was afterward junior pastor, more
than fifty years ago, told his father
not to come to the church, as it might
embarrass him in preaching his first
sermon; but the father went, and while
his son John was offering the opening
prayer, slumped into rear seat, with
the collar of his old cloak covering not
only his face but his head. When his
son John came to the parsonage, after
the sermon, the father said:
John, you grunt when you
preach -
How do you know, father7D
heard you, for l sat on the back
seat from beginning to end"
'Oh! | saw you father, but l thought
it was somebody's old coat hanging on
the corner of the pew"
Getting to a Subject
John afterward went to Congress
on the Know Nothing" ticket, from
the West Branch District, and on his
return again became a pastor, then a
Presiding Elder, and then he some
times lectured. The subject of one of
his lectures was "Hell.n A preacher
introducing him to his congregation
SAID, " assure you Brethren the lee
turer of the evening is full of his sub
ject."
L think it was Josh Billings or some
other humorist, who in lecturing on
Milk talked about everything ex-
cept milk, saying at intervals what he
would tell the audience if his subject
was NOT "milk' and he believed in
sticking to his subject; which he did
by taking sup of milk every three
minutes from tumbler of milk on tbe
lecture table before him.
MY subject is "The Susquehanna
Navigable, Yet Unnavigable. y If you
viii be patient a. little longer I expect
to get to the Susquehanna. 1t is still
some distance away. Permit me to re-
mark that it is an ancient addage that
Too great familiarity breeds con-
tempt This is true of our home.life.
and scenery, and Of places of historic
interest near us.
In the year 1904 I was the guest,
at Hotel Parker, in Boston, of the
honorable j. b. Lewis, character
with characteristics. He now heads the
flying squadron holding hundreds of
meetings and attacking the liquor traf
fic front and rear. Arriving there in
the evening he said to me:
Now as you do not lecture at sThe
Peoples Temple till tomorrow even.
ing, you will have all day tomorrow
for sightseeing. Where do you want
to go?''
"Well," I replied "I would like to
see Bunker Hill, the old Tea vessel,
and where she dumped her cargo in
Boston harbor; Old South Church,
Faneuil Hall, the old State House,
Boston Commons, Harvard College.
Lexington Commons" ETC., etc.
'Well,' said he, "you don't want
much.D
Had Never Been to Bunker Hill
"No," replied, "man wants but
little here below, but wants that little
strong"
He replied: "You mention Bunker
Hill first, so we will take that first in
the morning. I have never been there
but | know the way"
How long have you lived in Bos.
ton -
About - years.
"And never been at Bunker Hill