A GOOD JOKE | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 15, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 36.

A GOOD JOKE.

Boys are often fond of playing practical jokes. Such may sometimes be done, but never to anyone's inconvenience. In one of our colleges a professor, who made himself very friendly with the students, was walking out with an intelligent scholar, when they saw an old man hoeing in a corn-field. He was advancing slowly with his work toward the road, by the side of which lay his shoes. As it was near sunset, the student proposed to play the old man a joke. "I will hide his shoes; we will conceal ourselves behind the bushes, and see what he will do."

"No," said the professor, "it would not be right. You have money enough; just put a dollar in the man's shoes; then we will hide behind the bushes, and see what he will do."

The student agreed to the proposal, and they concealed themselves accordingly.

When the laborer had finished his row of corn, he came out of the field to go home. He put on one shoe, felt something hard, took it off and found the dollar. He looked around him, but saw no one, and looked up gratefully toward heaven. He then put on the other shoe, and found another dollar. He looked at it, and looked all around him, but saw no one. He then knelt upon the ground and returned thanks to God for the blessings that had been conferred upon him. The listeners learned from the prayer that the old man's wife and one of his children were sick, and that they were very poor; so that the two dollars were a great relief sent to them from Heaven.

"There," said the professor, "how much better this is than to have hidden the old man's shoes."—Christian Advocate.