The Parson and the Drummer.

Evening Star, Issue 7497, 16 April 1888, Page 2

The Parson and the Drummer.

Among the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher’s many accomplishments not the least was his ability as a story-teller. To much-amused listeners he once told this one about a New York drummer A typical " knight of the gripsack ” was detained at a small town in Western New York a while ago, where a revival meeting was in progress. He had met a party of convivial friends during his stay there, and had what is properly known as “a load on.” Nevertheless he drifted into the revival meeting, and took a seat well up in front. It was rather close in the church, and the warm air was rather conducive to sleep. The drummer yielded to the drowsy god, and, after nodding a little, sank into a profound slumber, and slept through the minister’s rather long and dry discourse. The audience sang a hymn, and the drummer slept on. Then the evangelist began his address, and wound up his fervid appeal with this request: “ Will all of you who want to go to Heaven please rise ?” Everyone in the church except the sleepy drummer rose. When the evangelist asked them to be seated one of the brothers in the same pew as the sleeping drummer accidentally brushed against him as he sat down. The drummer rubbed his eyes, and, partially awake, heard the last portion of the evangelist’s request, which was: “ Now I want all of you who want to go to Hell to stand up.” The drummer struggled a little, leaned forward unsteadily, and rose from his seat in a dazed sort of way. A sort of sup pressed laugh he heard from some of the younger people, and an expression of horror he noticed on the faces of some of the older ones. Steadying himself against the rail, he looked at the evangelist an instant, and then said, “ Well, parson, I don’t know just exactly What we are voting on, but you and I seem to be in a hopeless minority 1”