THE PARTY LINE

In a rural area in the U.S.A.
where telephone party-lines
are still in use,
a nosey neighbour habitually
would listen in on the conversation
of one of Jehovah's Witnesses
who had recently moved nearby.
One day the witness
picked up the phone to make a call,
heard her name spoken
and just couldn't resist
listening in...

"...Well, no Mable, I can't
really find any fault
with her as a neighbour.
In fact, she came over to meet
me soon after they moved
in and brought some cookies!
But they have some pretty strange ideas!
What? Well, like, they mean to take
over the government! What? no, she didn't
exactly tell me that
...but I overheard her on the phone
one day and she kept talking
about what it would be like under
the "New System".
Yes! ...it even has a name
...calls it a
theo...theok..theockracy,
whatever that means.

How? By MOB ACTION, Mable!
yes, she said there
was a "GREAT CROWD"!
And listen...they are going
to make their move real soon,
cause she said someone
named Jehovah is "speeding it up".
(Do you think he might
be their guru or something).

And Mable...they have an
international spy ring
going on! No, I am not joking!
It's a system they are just
putting into operation
...developed it at their
"headquarters" she said and
it's called MEPS!
and get this
... It's in 200 languages.

Well, here's how it works, Mabel...

First they check out a territory
...Yes! they send in their very best workers.
And they even have a code name
...PIONEERS!
And she said they spearhead the work.
Aren't they clever?

Well, these "PIONEERS" go and
get their instructions every month.
What? Well I know because I heard
her ask her friend
if she got her February K.M. yet.
(I think it stands for "Keep Mom!".

"And Mable, they kidnap people
who don't listen to them!
They do so!
I have heard her speak about
"THE RANSOM"
bold as you please,
I don't know how many times.
Oh I'm telling you Mabel,
these people are s-m-a-r-t.
Why, they can read foreign languages.
Yes, they can!
She is always saying she reads
something or other in the Hebrew
or Greek scriptures.
Fancy that!"

And you know, they must make
slaves out of people
who don't get ransomed.
They must...she refers
to the "SLAVE CLASS" a lot.
And this is something!
Some are "FAITHFUL SLAVES"
and then there are the "EVIL SLAVES"!!
I figure they
are the ones who won't work."

Why? Well, because she was
telling her friend
about someone she said was 'INACTIVE"
for about a year!...Oh It's
a wonder they let them live, isn't it?

Oh yes, some of them are "PUBLISHERS"!
You can imagine what sort of stuff they print! And,
I think her husband is a medical man.
What?...
No, I am not kidding!
She said he made several calls on
some who were "IRREGULAR"
and had very good results!!