A MINISTER IN AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1125, 8 September 1882, Page 2

A MINISTER IN AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.

♦ The followingamusing story appeared in the New York Mercury of a recent date : — A sensational and highly amusing story is going the rounds in the community of a ludicrous episode, in which a young Methodist minister was victimised into the role of a leading character. Owing to the high social standing of the parties concerned we suppress the names, the general outlines of the funny occurrence l>eing as follows : — Two sprightly and beautiful young ladies have been visiting a lady cousin living in the country, not far, from Wooster. These three young misses are of that happy age which turns everything into fun and merriment, and were constantly playing practical jokes upon each other. All three occupied a room on the ground floor, that which in country parlance is termed the best room. The two visitingyoungiadiesonaparticulareven ing went to a party in the neighborhood. About an hour after they had left, the young Methodist minister called and craved a night's lodging, which was, of course, granted and as ministers always have the best of everything, the reverend was assigned Ihe "best room." The young lady who had not gone to the party was entrusted with the duty of sitting up for the absent ones, to inform them of the change of rooms. She took up her post in the parlor, and as the night was sultry, staep overtook her, and she departed on an excursion to the land of dreams. About half-past eleven o'clock the sprightly cousius returned, and as it was late, they concluded not to disturb the household, so they quietly stole into the room through a low open window. By the Jim light of the moonbeam as they

struggled through the curtains the young ladies were enabled to descry the outlines of their cousin, as they supposed, ensconced in the middle of the bed. They saw also a pair of boots. The thought flashed across their minds that the cousin had set the boots in the room to give them a good scare. They put their heads together and decided to turn the tables on her. Silently they disrobed, and stealthily as cats took up their position on each side of the bed. At a given signal they both jumped into bed, one on each side of the unconscious divine, laughing and screaming ' Oh, what a man !" giving the poor bewildered minister such a promiscuous hugging and tussling as few persons jare able to brag of in a life-time. The noise of the proceedings awakened the sleeping sentinel in the parlor, ■-»n<T the old lady who was sleeping iiHhe adjoining room, and they rushed to the scene, explaining the situation. There wtks one prolonged, consolidated scream, a dash of muslin through the dooi^ and all was over/ The best of the joke was that the minister took it all in good earnest, and would listen to j no excuse or apology, but solemnly folded his official robes about him and silently stole away.