The Forrest City times., 1894-01-05
GREAT DAY DIVINE SERVICES THE EMMA SALOO.T REV. JAMES FORSYTH, D. D. All Are Invited to Attend Evening Sery-
 ices at P. m.
 Please Leave Your Guns with the
 Ushers.

When the stage reached the Gulch the parson who had come on from Devils Delight was in it, but he stopped at the tavern until it was time to go to meeting. It meant nothing to him that he was taking his life in his hands to preach the Gospel of Christ crucified to these men. What was his poor. miserable gift of dying life, compared with these lost souls? Be sides-then he coughed terribly, closed his eyes, and wiped the cold sweat of mortal illness from his face. An, spacious human nature! Sophistries that keep it from the debasement of overrighteousness! It was of one precious sin-sicl1 soul he was thinking, and that he hoped to reach through this zeal for the brotherhood.
 Poor scared Emma, She had given her influence--and 1 have shown that it was great-she had gwen her saloon, which was also her throne, and now she was shut up in a miserable, tawdry room, partitoned off from the rest, dressed in her Sunday finery, waiting until all the gang had assembled, when she would walk in boldly and take her seat with the rest Well she knew that no woman would be there. No other woman would sit under the same roof with her, and then she looked down on her diamond bedecked hands. II can buy and sell them all. l am no mans slave and my word is law, but" And then whole flood of tears came. But soon she dashed them away and dried her eyes. Another touch of rouge to repair the ravage, and she was ready ito go to church." as she phrased it to herself. A determined, aggressive fig ure, dressed in a smart black satin, wearing bow of pink ribbon at the throat. It seemed as if the incongruity of her attire struck her at the last moment, for on the threshold of her room she stopped, went back, and threw lace shawl around her shoul- ders. Then she made her way to the front room, just as the noise of clatter- ing boots and grating chairs was hushed. and the minister bowed his head in prayer
 A dozen men made room for her. Their faces frightened as she entered, but she did not look at one of them. Like one walking in sleep she moved, and never took her eyes from the thin, meager form of the man who stood in the impromptu pulpit, pouring out his soul in prayer.
 It was not until the petition was ended. and the oppressed listeners had relaxed with sigh, that she sat down among the men, where she could see without being seen.
 The minister then chose hymn and lined it out:
 'I heard the voice of Jesus say"
 He was interrupted by Deputy Bill.
 I've can't sing that. pard-I mean parson. Give us some thing we know" /"
 They compromised on "A land that is fairer than day" The parson heard the sweet treble of a woman's voice, and wondered much whence it came. He looked troubled, and the cough that shook him with its paroxysm brought out bottles and glasses, but he put aside all offers with shaking hand. "Hearken to me, my friends" he be- gan. solemnly, "and know that you are listening to dying man."
 He had not time to announce the text, the words of life were lowering upon his lips, when there rang through the room a woman's frenzied cry: 'Ofnl Jimmy, Jimmy"
 "Whc spoke, who called me?" asked the parson, with white lips, clinging to the table before him.
 .'Oh. Jimmy, you're too late-and you're killing yourself, and it's for me, and I'm not worth it-Im-not-worth it!'
 She was making her way to him now, and as his eyes lit up his death-pale features he prayed:
 At last" he murmured, 'at last. and now I'm willing te die! Lord, T. thank-Thee."
 His head fell forward A dozen stall