The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 123

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

123

than an hour, we were again ready to continue our
efforts to reach Selma, which was still eight miles
away.

But the conversation which took place while the
tire was being patched is what may interest the
reader.

I had noticed that of the five occupants of the
car only four worked, two men and two women.
The conclusion that the man of leisure must be
a preacher was correct. The party had just come
from a service held in a little town forty-six miles
from Selma.

I know what I say and don’t say.” Unanimously
and vociferously the other three witnesses, assisting
in getting the rebellious inner tube into the casing,
confirmed the charge that the preacher had indeed
made just that statement. Then. came another
charge: “Yeah, preacher, I was in church. I was
sitting in the center row, three seats from the front.
Do you disremember? And didn’t I notice that
each time you couldn’t think of any more to preach
about, you’d keep on hollering, ‘Aaah, Lordie, aaah,
Lordie!’? Yeah, you’d keep that up until you’d
think of something more to preach. Maybe you

St. John’s Lutheran School, Salisbury, N.C.
On the left Teacher F. D. Dinkins. In the window Miss Wilma Barnhardt, teacher.

Addressing the preacher, one of the men said,
“Parson, you sure preached a mighty powerful
sermon to them people in that church to-night.”
Evidently pleased, the preacher tried to elicit
further favorable comment with the question, “Did
you enjoy my sermon, boy?” This question got him
into trouble. Leaning over the wounded and much-
abused casing, one of the men continued: “Yeah,
Temember when you told them there people over
and over again, ‘If you all don’t want to go to
heaven, J’ll run this Gospel-train to heaven myself.
I can do it, for I’m the engineer, and God’s the
conductor.’ ”

“Boy,” said the parson, “you ain’t been in church
at all, for I never preached no such preaching.

fooled the other folks, but you couldn’t fool me.”
In confusion the preacher took refuge behind the
statement, “Boy, I’se glad I’se don’t have to answer
God for your lies.” 3

At the conclusion of this lengthy argument as
to what the preacher really did and did not do, the
parson brought the conversation to a close with the
emphatic declaration, “I’se want to say that my text
was John 16, and my subject was “Pay-day’.”

By that time the tire had been inflated, and the
tools had been hurriedly thrown under the ragged
back “cushion.” ‘To avoid further embarrassment,
the preacher eased over to my car and, after getting
permission to ride with me, triumphantly called out
to his companions: “I’se going to ride in this here