Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-10-07
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. OCTOBER Z. 1882.
AN EXPERIENCE MEETING.
The had hoy and His Pa 60 to Prayer
Inaeftnr.

The had hoy and His Pa GO to Prayer
meeting.
whats that hear about your pa be-
ing turned out Of prayer meeting
Wednesday night?" asked the grocer of
the bad boy, as he came over after some
cantalOpe for breakfast and plugged a
couple to see if they were ripe.
'He wasn't turned out at all. The
people all went away, and pa and me
was the last ones in church. But pa was
mad, and don't you forget it,"
swell, what seemed to be the matter?"
Has your pa become backslider"
'Oh, no, his flag is still there. But
something seems to 60 wrong. You see,
when we got ready to go to prayer meet
ing last night pa told me to 60 and get
him handkerchief and drop little
'fumery on it and put it in the tail
pocket of his black coat. did it, but
/ guess got hold of the wrong bottle
of 'fumery. There was label on the
bottle that said Jamaica rum, and put
on whole lot. Just afOre | put the
Handkerchief in pas pocket L noticed
pack of cards OH the stand that pa used
to play hi-lO-jack with ma evenings
when he was SO sick that he couldn't go
down town, before he got 'ligiOn, and l
wrapped the cards up in the handker-
chief and put it i'll his pocket. l don't
know what made me do it, and pa don't
either. guess because he told me this
morning | was possessed of devil. l
must go home with these watermelOns,
or they won't keep."t
But hold on" said the gOOcery man
as he gave the boy some wOrmy raisins
that he couldn't sell, to keep him, what
about the prayer meetingT
'We sat in the pew at the prayer meet
ing next to ma and the dekin, and there
was lots of folks all around. After the
preacher had gone to bat, and an old
lady had got i'll her innings praying
and the singers had got out on second
base, pa was on deck, and the preacher
said they would like TO hear from the
new convert, who was trying to walk in
the straight and narrow way, but found
it very hard owing to the numerous
crosses he had to bear. Pa knOwed that
it was him that had to go to BAT, and
he got up and said he felt that it was
good TO be there. He said at times every
thing looked dark to him. and he feared
he should falter by the wayside, but by
firm resolve he had kept his eyes set on
the future, and If he was tempted he
said get thee behind me, Satan, and
stuck in his t0e-nails for pull to the
right. lie said he was thankful to the
brothers and sisters, particularly to the
sisters, for all they had done to make
his burden light, aud hoped to meet
them all i'll
When pa got down as far as that he
sort of broke down. | suppose he was
going to say heaven though after a
few minutes they all thought he wanted
to meet them in u saloon. When his
eyes began to leak pa put his hand into
his coat tail pocket to get his handker-
chief and got hold of it and pulled it out
with jerk and out came handkerchief
and cards. Well, if he had shuflled and
ma had cut them, and he had dealt six
hands he couldn't have done better,
They flew into eveIybodys lap. The de-
kin that'was with ma got the jack of
spades, three aces, and a deuce, and ma
got some INine spots and the king of
hearts, and nearly tainted cause she
didn't get atetter hand suppose. The
preacher got pair of deuces and
queen of hearts and looked at pa as tho
it was misdeal. and and old woman
who sat across the aisle only got two
cards, but that was enough. Pa didn't
see what he had done at first cause he
had the handkerchief over his eyes, but
when he smelt the rum he took it away
and then he saw the people discarding
and he had struck poker game, and he
looked around as If he was mad because
they didn't deal him hand. The min
lister adjourned the meeting and whis
pered to pa, and everybody went out
holding their nose, on account Of pas
perfumery, and when we came home he
asked what should he do to be saved
Ma said she didn't know. The dekin
told ma that pa seemed tO'be welded to
his idols. Pa said the dekin better run
his own idols and he would run his.
don't know how its going to turn out,
but pa says he is going to stick to the
church.