Refreshment Parable
An Iowa man was disgusted with the custom of serving refreshments at any and every kind of meeting, so he dashed off the following:
"Behold, the lodge lodgeth together and they all eat. The club clubeth together and they eat. The businessmen counsel together and they eat. The young people elect officers and they eat. And even when the Missionary Society meeteth together, they eat. But the latter is in good cause because they eat in remembrance of the poor heathen who have not much to eat.
"Behold, hath man's brains gone to his stomach and he doth no longer regard intellectual dainties? Canst thou no longer call an assembly or get together a quorum or even a baker's dozen except thou holdest up the baker's dainties as bait? Be it true that the day cometh that to get a crowd to prayer meeting the clergyman must hold up a biscuit?
"Yea, verily, thou hast heard of the child races of the world. Behold them nigh thee, even at thy door. For as one calleth unto the child and sayeth, 'Come here, little one, and I will give thee a stick of candy,' even so thou must say to his grownup papa and mama, "Assemble ye together and we will serve refreshments' and they will come like sheep into a pen!" — J. S., Iowa.