New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-13
forehead, and brown study Of few min

thing what fellow has to go through who
is trying to be pious. A dozen times have
/ gone into saloon and ordered cocktail
before remembered that | was piuus
and couldn't drink any more. Sometimes a
pretty woman would make eyes at me in
the car, and would return the compliment,
and we would be well along in Irritation,
when it would suddenly occur to me that |
was no longer a sinner. Then l would
switch off, and the other party, after vain
attempt to solve the trouble, would turn her
back to me with the conviction that was a
tip top, Al noodle. l tell you, it used to
gall me !"
at must, of course"
.sThen, | used to be worried a good deal
the other way. Mrs. Jones is and was
pretty woman. Now, / haven't got any
more jealousy than stone fence, and, be,
side, I.know it is sinful to be jealous. All
took most thrilling interest IN Sister
Jones. They would hold her hand SO long
and lovingly, and look into her eyes, with
such an expression of affection, that l
would find myself resolving to put head
on them before it would occur to me that
was pious, and that all this holding OF
Mrs. Jones' hand, and the warm looks INTO
Mrs Jones' eyes, were Christianity exMbl-
tons of pious and fraternal regard You
that while it is very wicked for an unre-
generate person to do anything of the sort,
It is all right for Christian to paw sister
all over"
"Oh, it is, is it,"
sOh, yes, vastly different, OF course it is. "
well, yes, since you say it is, it must
be-"
Certainly. You see you are not pious,
and don't understand these things"
g / suppose not, but go on"
"Our preacher was a specialized old
mule-I mean, he was learned and devoted
divine, who was noble Christian. He was
very attentive in his pastoral visits. At first
it used to worry me good deal that he al
ways paid his parochial calls at my house
during my absence. Several times, before
| could recall the blessed fact that had ex-
perienced religion, l made up my mind to
lay for him with cart stake, some night
at the next corner. 1t was only the Vivify,
ing recollection that L was no longer sin
ner which saved that good man from having
seyen-by-nine confusion fastened on his
top piece" -,
'Dont you honestly think you would
have been justified in handing him just one,
on some gentle summer eyea %
ooh, no! not for worlds 1t is your I'm.
regenerated heart that prompts the sug
gestion.'
''All right, my boy. lean stand it if you
can. What else is.there"
"To sum the thing up, what bothered me
was to get what you may call the hang OF
being pious. You see, when you get so, you
can do all sorts of things which, if you
should do them among gentlemen. when
you are impenitent, you would be kicked
down stairs at limited notice. You see il
was this difference that worried me. When
all sorts of fellows who are brethren call at
all sorts of times TO see Mrs. Jones, 1t is all
right; whereas, you see, if they are not
sheep in the fold, it is all wrong"
"Oh. see."
II tell you, it took id sight, mean
a deal of praying on my part before | could
see that it was all right, and how it isn't
scandalous to do something as a pious
man which it would be very scandalous to
do if one is ungodly. But outside of this
view of the thing, 1 tell you, it is mighty
uphill work to be pious, at least, from the
stand-off"
From what you say, l think it must
be-"
We had now progressed into orr third bot
tie, and it seemed to me that Jones was get
ting a little unsteady. His face had grown
into vivid crimson, the pupils Of his eyes
seemed set in globes OF blood, his words
began to tfficken, and he leaned heavily
forward against the table.
"Tell you what It's, me boy" he said, 81
am going to lay around for old spectacles,
and I'll put head on him; if don't I'll be
id And if l see a pretty ankle in the
prayer meeting, I'm going to take a square
look at it, if it busts me. And if catch
any of the brethren squeezing Mrs. Jones
hand, III put mouse under their eye, by
thunderr'
just here the saloon keeper came in, and
said we were getting too noisy, and must &C
away.
We went out into the alley, when Jones
proceeded to want to put his arms around
me, and tell me how much he loved me
Then policeman came along and took uE
both to the armory.
".
! am not entirely clear in my mind
whether or not ought to tell what l have
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