iration that stood in
beads on our forehead. We began our discourse, and every sentence gave us
the feeling that we were one step nearer the gallows. We spoke very slowly,
so as to make the ten-minute notes last fifteen minutes. During the
preachment of the brief manuscript we concluded that we had never been
called to the ministry. We were in a hot bath of excitement. People noticed
our trepidation, and supposed it was because we were afraid the gas would
go out. Alas! our fear was that it would not go out. As we came toward the
close of our brief we joined the anti-gas party, and prayed that before we
came to the last written line something would burst, and leave us in the
darkness. Indeed, we discovered an encouraging flicker amid the burners,
which gave us the hope that the brief which lay before us would be long
enough for all practical purposes, and that the hour of execution might be
postponed to some other night. As we came to the sentence next to the last
the lights fell down to half their size, and we could just manage to see
the audience as they were floating away from our vision. We said to
ourselves, "Why can't these lights be obliging, and go out entirely?" The
wish was gratified. As we finished the last line of our brief, and stood on
the verge of rhetorical destruction, the last glimmer of light was
extinguished. "It is impossible to proceed," we cried out; "receive the
benediction!"

We crawled down the pulpit in a state of exhilaration; we never before saw
such handsome darkness. The odor of the escaping gas was to us like "gales
from Araby." Did a frightened young man ever have such fortunate
deliverance? The providence was probably intended to humble the trustees,
yet the scared preacher took advantage of it.

But after we got home we saw the wickedness of being in such dread. As the
Lord got us out of that predicament, we resolved never again to be cornered
in one similar. Forthwith the thralldom was broken, we hope never again to
be felt. How demeaning that a man with a message from the Lord Almighty
should be dependent upon paper-mills and gasometers! Paper is a
non-conductor of gospel electricity. If a man have a five-thousand-dollar
bill of goods to sell a customer, he does not go up to the purchaser and
say, "I have some remarks to make to you about these goods, but just wait
till I get out my manuscript." Before he got through reading the argument
the customer would be in the next door, making