PEPPER-SAUCE

Once upon a time there was a minister, a very orthodox man, and he was very fond of pepper-sauce, and he liked it piping hot, the very strongest kind on the market. Distrusting that furnished by the hotels, he always carried with him on his travels a bottle of his favorite brand. One day as he was seated at the dinner table of a hotel, a man on the other side of the table asked him to “please pass the pepper-sauce.” “Certainly,” said he, “with pleasure. This bottle is my own private property, I always carry it with me. I think you will find it very good.” The man helped himself freely, and when he had got done coughing and had recovered enough breath to enable him to speak, he said: “Pardon me, sir. I believe you are a preacher?” “Yes, that is my calling in life.” “An orthodox preacher, I presume?” “Yes, sir.” “And you really believe in hell-fire?” “Yes—I feel it my duty to warn the inpenitent of their danger.” “And you do preach and believe in a literal hell-fire?” “I cannot do otherwise with the Scriptures before me.” “Well”—said the man, “I have met a good many preachers in my time who believe and preach just as you do, sir, but I must say I never before met a man who carries his samples with him.”