ir pocket books out now; Gideon will do well tonight, ha, ha, ha."
Did the speaker not measure up to his ideas, he would say: "Wade in!
Wade in! Wade in! Dam you, the water's not cold. Warm up now or you'll
freeze them to the pews. Oh, what you tryin' to git through you? Just
listen to that crack; he'll make them think he's going to take up a
collection for the foreign missions. You can't get seventeen cents. It's
been worked to death. Come off, come off your perch, you poll parrot!
Come off! Well you ought to be studying your primer instead of
preaching; you don't know as much as Gideon."

Palmer, through the influence of the church members, procured a half
dozen young girls, at each place visited, to represent the multitude
passing through the gates in the final scene of Pilgrim's Progress.
Although these girls were before the audience but a moment or two at the
very end of the panorama, amateur like, instead of remaining in front
witnessing the exhibition, they would repair to the rear of the curtain,
don their robes and stand around during the entire performance, to the
annoyance of everybody working the panorama, and, more frequently than
otherwise, be late for their cue.

One night, an old preacher was laboring with an announcement Palmer had
written and rehearsed him in, Palmer was most vicious in his comments.
The old speaker's daughter was one of the virgins, standing near she
heard every word uttered and there was enough and there would have been
more, had not Alfred, by a nudge and a whisper, checked him. Palmer
grasped the situation at once. He stepped nearer the girls. Then with a
start, he shaded his eyes, dramatically gazed at the girls and began:
"Oh, woman, lovely woman, nature made thee to temper man; we had been
brutes without you. Angels are painted fair to look like you. There is
in you all we believe of heaven, amazing brightness, purity, truth,
eternal joy and everlasting love."

He was never at a loss, his quick wit extricating him from embarrassment
at all times.

* * * * *

SOMERSET, PA.

DEAR MUZ:

We showed, or we exhibited, last night. It was the most crowded
church I ever seen. I did well, better than anyone. Gideon, Mrs.
Palmer and all said so. Gideon said I saved the day, but Palmer
held me back, he wouldn't let me sing or dance. I heard him tell
Gideon: "I'll have hell with that gilly kid, he thinks it a
minstrel sho