Show NOVEL NUT CRACKING CUSTOM nobody hesitated to take jake advantage of peculiar privilege allowed in olden days day the modern minister likes to have things quiet when he talks it disconcerts him to hear bear a baby cry or a woman cough or an old man snore it if he be Is put out by such trifles as these it Is interesting to conjecture what he would do if he were to take hold of a congregation where everybody brought nuts to crack during the sermon worshipers used to do this in england and even in our own states during colonial days this disturbance tur bance was not a weekly occurrence by any means it it had haa been the poor preacher would have undoubtedly left his congregation to administer spiritual consolation to suit themselves but as it only happened once a year he was forced to endure it this oro ono day which was attended by such remarkable license came the sunday before day and was called crack nut sunday nobody Y no 0 matter how pious he elgh t be hesitated tat e d to avail himself of tho the peculiar privilege granted him and men women and children came to church with their pockets stuffed with nuts nuta which they complacently cracked and munched during the sermon it can be pa easily ily Imag imagined ned that when forty or clity people get to cracking nuts nuta with all their might the noise la Is apt to be something ter terrific rifle and many times the minister was hard bard put to it to hear himself think the custom from being regarded with high favor tor for many years finally camo came to be looked upon as a nuisance and in the beginning of the present century tho the habit was waa suppressed although the act of suppression was att attended ended with considerable difficulty so BO firmly had the nut cracking fever taken hold bold of the fancy of the people |