Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-26
Some of Sam Jones Work.

Martin Briggs, known IN Eastern Ar
kansas as Bad Martin. was in Little
Rock the other day. He did. not through
evil deeds gain this unenviable name,
but won it by his paro1ysms of rage and
by his almost ceaseless habit of swear
ing.
"Martin," said friend, "they tell me
that YOU have confessed religion.
"Yas, Abe, it's fact. | amt cussed
any for more than two months. why,
sab, luther day when the old spike-tail
hoss bit a mouthful of hair outen my
head, l gritted my teeth, but didn't
cuss. My wife expected tohear me cuSS
a sulphurous streak, but smiled after
Il while an quietly took the hair out OF
old Spike Tails mouth. Here, mother,
says l, handing the hair to my wife,
you can stuff your pin cushin with
this
"What was the cause of this great
changer"
"Sam Jones anG the Lord.
"You heard Sam, did yOu?'
"Oh, yes, went up 70 Nashville to
make arrangement for sellin' Il lot ot
Arkansaw whiskey for Robertson
county. | hadn't hearn a sermon sence
was boy. Ny wife she couldn't git
me to 20 to church. Wall the first
night after got to Nashville | was
walkin' 'roun and seed big tent.
'Hellon thinks |, here is a show. ii
jes' go in for amt seed peart hoss
in a long time My, never did see
such crowd. Folks janmed again one
another like they wuz Altered thar
wasn't gOin' 10 be seats enough. |
crouchcd my way along, but couldn't
find the ticket wagon. | seed sich a
crowd pourin' in, that thought mout
slip in, an done il as slick as a whistle.
| looked round for the animals, but
couldn't see none, so tuck II seat am
waited fur the fun to commence.
Putty soon smallish sort ol
fellow hoped up. That's the
ring thinks /. He's goin'
to tell us about the concert tbar!l
take place arter the show is over but
bless you. he commenced to give out a
HYMN. As wicked as | was | couldn't
help but think he was carrying the bur-
lesque leetle too far, but what was my
astonishment when the folks took up the
HYMN and commenced to sing it. |
leaned over to an old fellow that sot
close to me and whispered, 1 live out in
Arkansaw whar a man that has the
cramp because he wants TO fight so bad
can always find 'commodatiOn, but they
don't jump up and fall down on the
gospel this way The old feller looked
hard at me, but he didn't say nothin'.
AFTER the singin', some feller put up a
putty good sort of prayer. | whispered
to the old man and said it was blamed
shame. The feller looked hard at me
and said that if didn't hush he would
have me put out. This riled me. told
him that thar mout be men enough in
the show to put me ont, but agin they
got through somebody would ruther go
home than stay and laugh at the clown.
Then he perlitely said it want show,
that Mr.. Sam Jones, the great revivalist.
was going TO preach. | thanked him
for his information, took chaw OF ter
hacker, and lent back, coucludin' that it
didn't cost me nothin' and that / could
stand it till they passed the hat around.
When Sam commenced TO preach /
chawed my terbacker and didn't pay no
attention to him, but putty soon il ap-
peared like he was playin' on banjo.
l stopped cha wing and looked at him.
Then he took up the puttiest flute ever
heard. flung out my terbacker and
listened. The fust thing knowed lie
put down the flute and tuck up a fiddle.
Laws massy, never heard such music
in my life. | commenced to git sorry
that had ever swarped hosses on Sun
day, and it twa'nt long till would have
give a good deal ef hadn't pizened
Weller's dog. thought of things that
stole when ] wuz a boy, thought Of
the thousand OF lies hal told, and tears
commenced to run outen my eyes. /
thought of my wife, how true and pa
tient she had always been, and how
often had hurt her feelin's, thought
of my children-and, oh, Lord, the face
of nv little boy-thc little boy that |
whipped few days before he died, come
up before me. | couldn't stand it any
longer. | drapped OF my knees and
cried, oh, Lord, have mercy on me a
sinner 1 didn't care who was lOokin'
at me. wouldn't have cared if the
whole world had been thar. Ihumblod
myself in the dust, and deep in my heart
| vowed that never again would [ do
anything wrong. A flash of warm
light entered my soul. A great glad
ness spread over my heart.
81 got up. Thar, standin' close to