The Meeker herald., 1885-09-19
THE BEST sliOM.
How an Arkansaw Man slipped Into IAN
Jones' Gospel Tent.

through cNH uccus, k"ih '"'' ""'''
able name. but won it by his paroSysms
Of rage and by his almost ceaseless
habit Of swearing.
.'Martin." said friend. they tell
me that you have professed religion.
"Yas. Abe. it's n tact amt euss-
ed none fur more than two months.
Wy. sab. luther day when tho old
spike-tail hoss bit mouthiul o hair
outen my head. l grittcd my teeth.
but didn't cuss. My wifo expected to
hear mo cuss u sulphurous streak. but
l smiled after awhile an quietly took
the hair out Of old Spike Tais mouth.
Here. mother says ]. handin' tho
hair to my wife. you can stun your
pin cushin with this.
'.What was the cause Of this great
changc?'
..Sam jones ard the Lord"
''You heard sam, did you?"
'Oh. vas. went up to Nashville
to make arrangements for scllin' n lot
of Arkansaw whisky for Robertson
county. hadn't hearn sermon
sense was boy. My wife. she
couldn't git mo to go to church. Wall.
tho iir.t night arter got to Nash
Vile. wa, walkln' round and seed y
big tent. Hello" thinks l. here Is n
show. I'll jcs' 20 in for amt seed u
peart ho-s Ia long time My.
never did see such crowd. Folks
jammcd agln ono another like they
wuz afccr,d thar WASH, goin' to bc
seats enough. scrouged my way
along. but couldn't find ih. ticket
wagon. seed sich crowd Pourin
In that thought | mout slip in an !
done 1t as slick as whistle. looked
round for the animals but couldn't
see none. so tuck seat an waited
fur the fun To commence. Patty soon
a smalli-h sort of i-llcr hoppcd up.
'Thnr'- the ringma,icr. thinks ]. Hes
goin' ,o tell us about the concert
ihat'll take place air,cr III. show Is
over. but. bless YOU. he commenced
to Civ. out u hymn. As wicked as I
was I couldn't help but think that he
was -arryin' the burl.sluc ieeiie too
fur. but what was my 'sionishmcnt
when the folks took up the hymn an
com ficnc-d To sing II. ] leaned over To
an old fcllcr that so, clos. To NJ. an
whispered. Il live out In Atkansaw
whar man that has tho cramp bc-
cause he wants to light 80 bad
cnn always lind 'commodation. but
Ah'N b'H JUMP hP bh' s"'' t""H ""
III. gospel this way Tho old f-llcr
looked mighty hard n, me. but h.
diin't say noihin'. Airt-r tho singin'.
% pra'-. whispered To the old
man an said that !, was blamed
shame. Th. old fclicr looked hard at
me. aud said that II ! didn't hush he
would have me pn, out. This rilci
me. told him that thar mou, bc
men enough In the show Ia put mo
out. but agin they got through some.
body would ruhtcr 90 home than la
stay nm laugh nt tho clown. Then
h~ pcrlitcly told inc that Il want NO
show. that Mr.. Sam Jones, tho great
rcvivnlisi. was going to preach. l
thanked him for his information. tuck
n rhaw tcrbark.r an lent back. con-
cluiin' that IL didn't cost mo nothin'
an that could stand II I'LL they pass
cd the hat around. When Sam COM
mcnc-d To preach. l chawcd my ter
back-r an didn't pay no attention to
him. hut putty soon II appeared lik,
he wis plsyin' on n barjcr. stopped
chawin' an looked .. him. Then hs
tuck up til. pu,tic., hu,c I ever hcarn.
! lung out nv icrback-r an listened.
The inst thing I knowcd he had put
down the Hut. an tuck up a iiddci.
Laws massy. never hcari sich
music In my life. ! commenced to
gi, sorry that | had ever .wnppcd
hos.c. on sunday. an IL twan't long
till would have give putty cfi
hadn't p'izcncd Wcii-r's dog.
though, % things iha, l stole when I
WIZ boy thought o. tho thousand
q lies that had tolc an tho tear.
commenced To run ou'cn my eyes.
though, - my wife. how iruc an pa
,icnt she had always been. an how Of.
,cp bai hur, her fcclin's; though, a.
my childr-n-an'. oh. Lord. the face
a my liiil. boy-thc little boy tina, I
whipped few day. before hc died
come up before me. I couldn't stand
|, any longer. drsppcd on my knees
an cried oh. Lord. have mercy on
me. u sinner. | dijn' caro- who wa.
lookin' Mt me. lwouldn' have cared
II the whole world had been thar.
I humblcd myself in the dust. an deep
IN my hear, vowed that never again
would ever do anything wrong. A
flash Of warm light entered my soul.
A great giadncss spread over my
heart. got up. Thar. standin' close
to me was Sam Jones. lie rcichcd
on, his hand an said:
Brother, tho Lord has boon kind
to you
II don't know how 60, ou,cn that
tent. but | know that while was
walkin' along the street. everybody
seemed to want TO shake hands with
me. I went s,raigh,way to the depot
an tuck the inst train for home.
When my wife seed mo comm. shc
walked slowly to meet me, but, sir.
the blessed woman. scein' something
in my face uttered shout and rushed
iato my arms. Right thar atoned
for every time had hurt her fcclin's.
That was tho best show ever went to
Albeit was u show whar every man
had a chance. I amt done no,hin,
wrong scncc. an as told you. I didn't
- n Z