The congregation liked their new clergyman,
but were somewhat puzzled by his speaking style. His first sermon ran only 8 minutes; the
second Sunday he spoke for 45 minutes; the third week he rattled on for an
hour-and-a-half. That was enough for the Board to summon him for a little chat.
To their relief, Wilkerson had a ready
explanation. "The Saturday before the first sermon, I had my teeth pulled and my
mouth was still terribly sore. But, by the time a week had gone by, I'd gotten used to my
new dentures." Here the minister paused, and blushed deeply. "And as for last
Sunday . . . well, I'm afraid that I picked up my wife's set of teeth by mistake!"