WANTED A PROMISE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1678, 27 April 1904, Page 35 (Supplement)

WANTED A PROMISE

A minister who flourished in a rural district in che West of England a good many years ago was a strictly honest but painfully frank old man. One day he was approached by one Bill .Tones, a man of doubtful reputation, who said: “Look’ee here, pazzoo. T want to make a request of ’ee, an’ ’tis this: I want ’ee to promise you’ll preach my

funeral sermon, if so be you outlive me.” ‘Why, certainly, Bill—certainly.” “An’ I want ’ee to preach it from the words. ‘An honest man is the noblest work of God.’ ” “111 do it. Bill —I’ll do it for you with pleasure,” replied the parson. “And I’ll add that I’m sorry there’s such a very poor specimen in the coffin."