THE OLD-MINISTER AND THE TAVERN-KEEPER'S WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5520, 26 July 1879, Page 7

THE OLD-MINISTER AND THE TAVERN-KEEPER'S WIFE.

Two clergymen were recently riding to the district conference through a retired portion of Canada. One was a venerable brother, the other a young man just installed in the work of the gospel. As they passed an old tavern, the elder brother pointed towards it with his whip, and sail, " Many and many a day I've been at that tavern, and a mighty handsome wife the keeper had, too. She was one of the handsomest women I ever saw, young, pretty, plump, fine colour, and such arms. Many and many a kiss have I given her when we were sitting in a big haircloth chair in the little private sitting-room j off the bar. Well, well, time flies"—and the good old man gazed at his companion, whose eyes were as large as soup plates, then blushing of a deep beet-red he said, with some confusion, " Bless me, what have I been saying ? Of course, brother, you will not breathe a word of this ; I cannot imagine bow I came to say anything about it, but then the tongue is," &c. The young clergyman gave the required pledge, and repeated it when at the end of their drive the old man besought him earnestly to remember and not breathe a word of the matter. But during the afternoon the young minister arose in the conference, and declaring that his conscience would not longer allow him to bear the burden he had imposed upon it, and that he must tell the truth, no matter how terrible the consequences, informed the astonished brethren that Brother — had that day admitted that he had been guilty of improper and unchristian conduct towards a married woman—nay, more, had recited hia sin with an unction which showed that it had never been severely repented of. It is needless to say that everybody first Btared at the speaker and then at the accused minister, who for a hundred miles around had won an enviable reputation for uprightness and purity. The accused buried his face in his hands, and the chairman desired the young brother to repeat his startling accusation with details. The young clergyman did so, and when he stated that the other member of the " guilty pair " was a woman whose name he did not know, but whose husband kept a tavern at Corner, was electrified to hear the chairman bawl, " Ha ! ha ! ha !" and every member of the conference go off in paroxysms of laughter. "Can you—is it possible you can smile at such a revelation ?" said the dumbfounded young minister ; and as soon as the chairman had sufficiently mastered his emotion to speak he said, "My dear young brother, before Brother was converted and entered the ministry he kept that tavern!" Thereafter that young minister was less zealous and infinitely more discreet.