The Bishopric that Mr Burnand Lost.

Evening Star, Issue 8717, 8 January 1892, Page 3

The Bishopric that Mr Burnand Lost.

According to an interesting article in tho October number of ‘ Harper,’ Mr Burnand occasionally refers, with an appearance of regret, to the loss of his bishopric. Not that he ever occupied that rank iu the Church, but he is convinced that he would have been a prelate—possibly even a cardinal —by now if he had stuck to the ecclesiastical profession. It was ventriloquism which led to his abandonment of the priesthood, to which he had been destined, and for which he has been trained from his earliest boyhood. Addicted to practical jokes, and possessed of a fund of humor which is so delightful to the readers of 1 Punch,’ he devoted his efforts while an inmate of the seminary of Uur Lady of the Angels at Bayswater not to mastering theology, but to harassing the venerable reotor of the institution. The life of tho latter was rendered a perfect burden to him by Burnand’a pranks and jokes. These were frequently of a ventriloquial character, and were mostly played in chapel. Indeed, the solemnity of the surroundings seemed invariably to have the effect of calling into activity all his fun and devilry, and both matins and vespers were disorganised by the extraordinary voices and extravagant remarks which the young ventriloquist caused to proceed from bodies both animate and inanimate in tho sacred edifice. Words of the most terrible heresy, intermingled with fiendish chuckles, would seem to issue from the pulpit when occupied by the rector, and tho old gentleman, at the hla sermon, would be in the act of resuming his seat when suddenly a volley of protesting mews and angry spitting would cause him to leap almost clear into the air, with the conviction that ho had sat plump down on the monastic cat. Finally the reotor was unable to stand it any longer, and declined to permit Burnand to remain an inmate of the seminary, recommending him at the same time to abandon a vocation for which he did not appear to be suited. The young seminarist took the advice to heartland, instead of applying himself to preparation of his countrymen for a future existence, has devoted his energies to more or less successful efforts to cheer and brighten their life here on earth.