Show SENDING FOUND THE HAT anaines an american describes the course pursued by a pi orf on circuit in inaki making tj a i congregational collection in ill the following amusing terms geuns wo we had a visit from the pic siding ng elder of our bisti act at one of our quarterly I 1 meetings AV we c had riot not paid our circuit pi cadier jer ary dime 1 as the boys boya say arid and we expected a scourging front from the elder well we were not disappointed the elder preached us a moving discourse from the text owe no man anything attire at the close of his SC seimon lie he came at once to tire subject in li hand Bi Bt ethien 1 said lie he have you yon paid brother anything this year nothing at all I 1 understand well now your preacher cant live on tho air and you must pay up tile tho idea lie he needs twenty y five collais dol lais and must have it 1 steward well take up a collection now here sonic of the audience near tho door began to slide I 1 out dont run I 1 dont run I 1 I 1 exclaimed the elder steward lock loci that door and fetch me the key I 1 I 1 lie he continued coming 0 down out of the pulpit arid and taking his seat scat by the table stand iu in front tile the steward locked the door ani and deposited the alie key on oil the table by the side of tle elder now sLoN waid vaid 1 said he be f 0 go round lound with tile alio hat I 1 must have twilit twenty five uvo dollars out of this crowd before ono of you shall leave this house here was a fix I 1 tire the con congregation rega were taken all aback the old folks looked astonished the young tittered ed the steward gravely pro ceedee to the discharge of liis his official duties the hat was passed around arid and at length deposited on oil the elders table tire the older elder poured louied out the funds on the table arid and counted the amount I 1 I 1 till thice cc dollars arid and a half I 1 A slow start brethren I 1 go round again steward we must pull up a heap stronger sti than that 1 P around went the steward with his hat again and finally pulled up tip at tile the elders eldera stand nine dollars dollaris arid and thice quarters I 1 not ellou enough 0 it yet go round again steward I 1 around goes the steward the third time 11 twelve dollars arid and a half I 1 mighty almighty slow brethren I 1 fraid your dinners will get cold before you get home to lo cat catch em go round again steward I 1 by this time tile the audience began to be fidgety they evidently thought tile the joke was getting to bo be serious soi ious but the elder was relentless again arid and again oil the hie indefatigable 6 ablo hat arid and slowly but the pile on oil tile table swelled to the requisite ic amount twenty four dollars and a half I 1 only lack a half dollar go round again I 1 stoward I 1 just then was a tap oi on tile window bioni the outside a land hand was thrust in holding 11 a half dollar between the thumb and fin finger finer er and a young follow fellow from tile 0 outside u aside exclaimed here palson paison heres your money I 1 lot let my iny gal out lo 10 0 o there pin im tided of waiting for tier her 11 1 it was the last straw th that t broke tho the camels back and the congie congregation 0 gation burst into a roar loar of laughter |