There was a country preacher who had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought along the line of choosing a profession. Like many young men, then and now, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do - and he didn't seem overly concerned about it.
One day while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table these three objects:
a Bible, a silver dollar, and a bottle of whiskey.
"Now then," the preacher said to himself, "I'll just hide behind the door here and when my son comes home from school this afternoon, I'll see which of these three objects he picks up.
If he picks up the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be!
If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a businessman, and that would be o.k. too.
But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a drunkard - a no-good drunkard and Lord, what a shame that would be."
The preacher anxiously awaited the arrival of his son, and soon he heard his footsteps as he came in the house whistling, and headed back to his room.
He deposited his books on the bed as a matter of routine and as he turned around to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With a curious set in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.
He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket.
He then picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm.
Finally, he uncorked the bottle and took a big drink.
"Lord have mercy," the old man whispered, "He's gonna be a politician!"
