Don’t condemn your doctor until you try his remedies.
The devil’s no fool. If you get to playing tag with him he’ll touch you on the shoulder, say “tag, you’re it,” and get your goat. He’s never idle. He never gets the rheumatiz, peritonitis, gout or appendicitis.
BILLY’S SKETCH OF LEPER BATHING IN JORDAN.
Billy Sunday’s impersonation of the leper Naaman, entering the waters of the Jordan river to dip seven times, given Thursday night in his sermon on “The Moral Leper,” in the language of the vaudeville press agent, was a “bell-ringer.”
Billy, in the role of Naaman, made things so realistic that his vast audience could almost expand their imagination enough to see the muddy waters of the river, the slippery bank and the frightened and shivering Naaman, endeavoring to bolster up enough courage to plunge in and take his seven dips to be cured of leprosy.
Billy cautiously approached the water’s edge, stuck one toe in to ascertain the temperature of the water, drew it back with a shiver and an “U-u-gh, but that’s cold!” Then he stopped to explain that Naaman was not accustomed to such surroundings, but was used to a porcelain bath tub at home and to a “crooked-handle dingaramus” to rub his back with. With this Billy went through the contortions of a man trying to reach the hollow of his back with a brush or sponge.
SAYS WATER MADE NAAMAN SHIVER.
He told of a big “snake doctor” stinging Naaman on the shoulder, emitting an unearthly screech and slapping one hand to the offended spot. Then he tried the water again. He got part way in, slipped, stubbed his toe and went hobbling about on his left foot, holding the other in both hands as his facial contortions told of Naaman’s pain after getting hurt. He shivered again, let his teeth chatter with a loud “b-r-r-r,” as he again went into the water, pinched his nose shut after taking a long breath, squinted his eyes and “ducked” under the surface, coming up spluttering, spitting and choking.
Then Billy told of the spots of leprosy on Naaman beginning to itch. He nearly had every one in the tabernacle scratching arms and legs as he vigorously rubbed various spots on his body, and scratched ’em. Then he resumed his ducking stunt. After the seventh dip, he told of Naaman’s flesh being covered with the delicate skin of a babe and of him emerging from the river no longer a leper. Here Sunday ended his monologue with the exclamation, “Gee, wonder what Mrs. Naaman and the kids will say when I come home and they see me cured.”