The Minister's Mistake.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 35

The Minister's Mistake.

The ancient town of Medford, the seat of the old Lawrence Distillery, has for many years been famous for the excellent quality of its spirituous product, which has been attributed to the purity of its water and the pains taken in preparing and refining it. So great is its reputation among the trade that the " Old Medford" is now applied to all choice grades of rum improved by age. But the late Rev. Charles Brooks, an Orthodox clergyman, who many years ago was the esteemed and talented pastor of a large society in that town, was unversed in bar-room literature, and a connoisseur only in communion wine. So it happened one time that he was induced to attend a special town meeting, called to consider some matter of local interest to the citizens; and the proposition before it meeting his cordial approbation, he got up and made a rousing speech in its favour, just before the vote was taken, winding up with the emphatic declaration. "I do love old Medford." Of course this patriotic sentiment was greeted witli rounds of applause, mingled, however, with such boisterous laughter as to irritate the unsophisticated parson, and led him to think that his sincerity was discredited. So he turned fiercely upon his auditors and exclaimed with no little warmth : " Well, I do, gentlemen, whether you believe it or not." This brought down the house with uproarious meiTiment, and cries of " Good" for you," "We don't doubt your word sir," "Do take it straight ?" " Are you going to shout?" And it was not until one of hia parishoners came to the rescue that the be^ wildered parson was able to comprehend the misconstruction put upon his remarks,— Boston Commercial Bulletin.