Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1885 — Nine Thousand Strings Too Many. [ARTICLE]

Nine Thousand Strings Too Many.

ide aeon Jonquil sat in the amen corner of the church at Squedunk, and always led the singing. One Sunday a new preacher was in the pulpit, and when it was time to sing he opened the hymn-book and read: “Oh, for a harp of ten thousand strings, 1 ’ and so on through the hymn. The deacon started and broke down on the first line. He tried it again and failed, and the preacher looked down on him. “Well, Brother Jonquil,” he inquired, “what’s wrong ?" “ Will' you read that first line once more ?” “Oh, for, a harp of ten thousand strings,” repeated the preacher. 1 “I’ve struck it, Brother Yonng,” he called out, eagerly. “You’ve gpt just 9,000 strings too many on that harp, and it knocks the meter all to pieces.” The minister made the correction and the singing proceeded. —Merchant Traveler. The President’s message is about six times as long as the average love story, and yet it leaves the country in doubt as to what he intends to do about retting married