TELLIHG BAD NEWS.
. One of the hardest things on earth to do is to break sad ne^s to people. You can never tell exactly how it is going to strike them. They may faiut or they may go intc a paroxysm of grief, or they may stand it with stony calmness. But generally they do what you leaafc expect, and that is why it makes it so hard to tackle them. A Northern New Hampshire deacon had a very embarrassing time of it recently when on one of the?o sad errands. He called upon a bereaved citizen, and assuming an expression of countenance sufficiently lugubrious to dull the edge of a jack-knife, said : "My dear friend, don't be alarmed." Immediately the citizen, who had up to that moment shown no sign of alarm, began to look scared. Such is the contrariness of human nature. The deacon continued: "This is a world of sorrow and tribulation, and we ought to nerve ouraelvos to bear its ills?" "Deacon, what'ra you driving at ?" asked the now thoroughly aroused citizen. "It ia always hard to be tho bearer of ill news," said the deacon. "Yes, yes! Go on," cried tho citizen, growing more nervous every instant. " Can you stand news of bereavement?" asked the deacon. " Good heavens, I'll try ! Is it very bad ? Do tell me what it ia ! " exclaimed the pale and trembling mat. "You won't faint ? " " No, no ! but if you keep me in this suspense I Bhall ! " And the citizen was in such a state of scare that he shook all over and was as white as a sheet. " Well, bear it with Christian resignation, my dear friend," said the deacon. " Your,mother-in-law — now don't lose your self-control — your mother-in-law in dead." The look of horrified anxiety, face" "1 lo"ok"'of "gu^ei^S 1 ..] 116 . place. " You great idiot ! " he cried, " have you palavered around all this time to tell me that ? Don't you know any better than to come here and frighten me this way ? By jove, Bir, you acted eo durued melancholy and awful that you Beared me most to death. I thought mebbo a team had run over my dog and broke h'u back !" The deacon went home disgusted.
TELLIHG BAD NEWS.
Star (Christchurch), Issue 3949, 14 December 1880, Page 4
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