UNKNOWN

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2861, 31 March 1888, Page 3

UNKNOWN

This story was told us by a clergyman, and, it is unnecessary to say, is \ true. "I had just come," said he, ' "to take charge of a small congregation in the back blocks of New South Wales, and was anxious to attract as many people as I could to the church. There was a character in the township known as—l regret to use the expression—Hell fire Jack. He had gained this sobriquet because he swore more than any man in a population whose language consisted chiefly of oaths. I was told he was a hard case, but 1 determined to do what I could with him. After I had explained to him what I wished, he looked at me fixedly for a moment, and then holding out his hand with a grim smile, said: " Boss, you're genuine, Youletjne know when your circus opons.jam! you can bet your boots I'm loo. He sat Shear thefroor, and when the collection gjplate went'round to him, and he saw it contained, he emptied his pocket into it, and taking it from the man who was carrying it said in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the church, 'What's the (profane) good of this lot? Give it to me and I'll (blasphemy) soon see whether the (wicked words much used in the backblocks) won't part better than this.' He marched up to the front row of seats and gravely took up a second naming each person as he camo to him and telling him to ' plunk down his money like a man.' I never got so much from such a congregation before. Aud he did the same thing every Sunday while I remained in the *. township, That was Hell-fire Jack.