When the original article on "Teacher" was printed there was a comment on the editorial page, presumably by H. G. DeLisser, which, in spite of the condescending tone, shows clearly that the writer had walked the streets of Kingston, by day and by night.   Daily Gleaner 1910 July 16 page 11   A MAN WITH A MISSION.   We publish this morning a humour­ous sketch of a man with a mission by W. A. S. This person is one of a type. Any one who walks about the streets at night will come across many men with missions who neither work nor, apparently, want. Is their mis­sion believed in by the class of people to whom they appeal? We are certain it is not. The average pea­sant or town-worker who goes to hear these prophets prophesy and these teachers teach make a fairly sharp division between the man and his words. If what he says comes from the Bible they will think it good. But that will not prevent them from laughing at the preacher. Yet it is unquestionable that they assist him with a few pence and so enable him to live, and the reason they do so is partly pity and partly because they have been entertained by him. It Is not usually recognised that these street preachings are really amongst the amusements of our working classes, for people as a rule do not associate religious gatherings with enter­tainments. Nevertheless it is true that our working classes regard religious gatherings as a very enjoyable means of passing an hour or two. An open-air meeting consists chiefly of singing. It enables one to sing a rousing chorus in which hundreds may join. Then there is the impassioned preacher who insist[s] upon telling all and sundry that they are go­ing straight to Hell, a piece of infor­mation which is received with re­markable appreciation by the assembled crowd. Nothing is more encour­aging to a popular Jamaica audience than a terrible picture of the here­after. It makes them feel good to know that their ilI-considered mis-doings will be rewarded in so terrific a fashion. If the preacher is also wise enough to tell with dramatic force and fervour of the approaching end of the world, he will the more greatly please his audience and reap his reward in coppers. But the particular “Teacher” who is described this morning has a method all his own. He does not pass the hat round. He makes no direct appeal to the generosity of his hearers. He is a man of faith, and whatever one may be inclined to say about his faith, he has certainly managed to live for ten years by simply waiting to be fed. The one thing he objects to is being called idle. He contends that a man who spends his time sitting in the park and doing nothing cannot legit­imable [sic] be called idle so long as he has a mission. That mission represents both his stock-in-trade and his profession; if you want to be taught, you go to him; if you don’t want to be taught, you stay away; those are his terms. We are rather inclined to envy him, but not being aware that we have any particular mission, we are not tempted to follow his example.  Still, considering that he affords amusement to the crowd, and amusement that does not apparently injure him in any way, we would not dream of saying he is useless.  He has a place in the economy of our life.  He has a mission.

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