Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-21
MR.. JOBSON REPENTS
wy HEN Mrs Jobson got home from
MI church on the Sunday before last.
w Mr.. Jobson was stridng up and

| Hello sweetheart" he greeted Mrs. job
| son. to her intense establishment. Back.
| eh?''
| Well, of course she was back. That was
| obvious. But she couldn't see how her
being back could have elected that tender
| greeting-and tender terms are measurably
| rare with Mr. Jobson. But he was In one
of his penitential, se!f-derogatory humors'
only she didn't perceive that for a minute
! or so.
| Good sermon?" he asked her
splendid" she replied I'm fact. all OF
| the new minister's sermons are excellent.
| THAT so?' inquired Mr. Jobson- Got
| new minister down at your church, hey!
| Say you didn't tell anything about
| that"
"Oh. WELL" replied Mrs. Jobson with
smile, Il really didn't suppose you would
| be interested. That's why 1 didn't happen
to mention It to you
well" said Mr.. Jobson. tousiing his hair
and scratching his ear. II guess you re
| right about that. my dear. Maybe
| wouldn't have been interested-then. PROD
ably L woudn't've been But that's all
| changed now.
It was at this point that MRS. Jo1son saw
| 1t coming. But she didn't interpolate any
| remarks.
yep" went on Mr. Jobson. expansively.
as he teetered back and forth on the heeis
!
changed now. Fm going to get right, dash
ding my peevish old hide. Pretty nigh time
| for me to make a switch. What 90 you
| think about it?
| Mrs. Jobson pretended to be blowing some
| dust off the n,antel. and she didn't have
anything by way Of reply
| Got to thinking while you were gone.
went on Mr.. Jobson. that mans a mean
sort of a curmudgeon to send his wife Off to
| church alone on Sunday morning. II
isn't the thing He's not only a mean
| skate to do that but he's an Internal pagan
| hyena, that's what he is
| Mrs Jobson murmured something to the
| general essence that she hoped 1t wasn't SO
| bad as all that
| on Mr. Jobson, tousling his hair some more.
"Just kind O. struck me that way. all OF
! heap after you went to church TINS morn
ing. here was l. a-lolling back ana Waoins
! through hull big slathering bunch OF
! comic sections, and pulling away al
blasted cd pipe. while my little wife. cog
gone it. was doing the decent thing Tor the
| whole blamed plant by fixing herselt up
and going off to divine worship. like
human being. 1t sure gave me line or
| thinks And the only conclusion l couic
come to was that 1 was Just TOO CONNIE
and onnery for catfish bait, and that's
what 1 am. Don't you dare deny 1t. that
what I sure 1 know IT. Letting little
woman go trotting off to church on
bright sunshiny Sunday notwithstanding
when all nature is glad. birds singing In the
| trees and all like that-lettins dear little
| woman trot off to church all by her lone
some. and me just mooching around mere IN
| the house like a loafer.'
| Mrs Jobson passed close to Mr.. Jobson to
| see whether, by any chance. he hao nap
| pened in her absence, to have gone up
against the things downstairs IN the nttie
| wet goods cabaret But he hdoh = IL "o'
| all on the level.
yep" went on Mr. Jobson. I'm through
with this COMPOUNDED pagan business: !
| certainly. am. l fell to thinking too, while
| you were gone. that I'm not just precisely
| so Young as l used to be. Getting on
| toward the time when l ought to De sort o
smuggling up to the church II ever I'm
| going to be decent and well-regulated
! citizen. Lots O. fellows l know, some OF
| 'em younger than l am. are dropping OF!
! right along from one thing or another, and
| goods sos to have to make death.bed re
| pentance honest wouldn't. Don't THINK
much Of these death-bed repentances, when
| 1t comes to that
! say. please don't speak so gloomily about
things. for itH be years and years. l hope
| before"
and years part of it, broke in Mr.. Je5seEs
| hut a Teller never knows. AS I say. these
death-bed repentances don't make much OF
| a hit with me. l don't think man has
| got a license to go up and down the Worid.
| kicking and snorting around and making
| everybody miserable for forty or fifty or
| sixty years. and then. after he's let every
chance to be decent glide by him. ana when
he sees that he's just hanging over the edge
! of the other world. for him to go sneaklng
! back to the faith in which he was born and
| baptized and brought up. think that
cheap and mean. that's what L think ABOUT
| It,"
| Mrs Jobson was picking up the bunch
! of scattered Sunday papers. and SO no reply
| was expected from her.
i And when 1t comes to that went on
| Mr. Jobson, with eloQuence and his usual
| fine brand Of self-knocking. I've got
| lot Of things to try to make my peace for.
and. hang it, feller can't 90 any more
| than try can he? For one thing. I've been
| mighty crusty and cranky with you. my
dear. for a long while back. and that's go
ing to be cut out, you take 1t from me. l
don't believe that a fellow. II he was IN
the church, would make such blasted
| nuisance Of himself as do when 1 get at
| you sometimes. and that's the reason m
| going back to the fold.
| But Mrs. Jobson had heard something
| similar to all like that not very long be-
fore. and so she wasn't making any COM
| ments.
over" went on Mr.. Jobson. continuing to
| rumble up his hair. 1T struck me, while
| you were gone this morning that these
fellows that shirk their church duties al.
| together don't amount to much. They don't
arrive. They don't belong. They sort o
| fade from the view. They've got no an
| chors out, and so they don't hitch or con-
meet. They sort Q. lose out on tnear ,I pr,n-
|
| anywhere We all need some help blame 1t
| all. None of US can rely upon ourselves.
We've got to. lean on something higher than
| ourselves We've got to have faith In and
| show our faith in something that's above
| and beyond US. And 1t isn't enough to
| have the faith, either. We've got to show
| it. And the only way to show 1t Is to hitch
| on with the church q fellow Is born and
| brought up In and get down to bed rock
principles. That's me. I'm going back
| to the church"
He glanced at Mrs Jobson out of the
| tail of his eye to see how she was taking
! that tremendous announcement. and. in
| truth she had to look pleased and elated
over it. But she had heard him before on
that topic so that her citation was largely
| simulated for his benefit.
And 3d. my dear" Mr. Jobson concluded.
you've gone to church by yourself for
the last time. Hereafter. and light down
| to the finish line. 1 shall be going along
with you. It's the only square and the
| only decent thing. A feller's got to be
| man or q mouse and l guess the man end
| Of 1t is good enough for me. III be all
| ready to accompany you to church next
| Sunday morning and all Of the Sunday
| mornings thereafter for the remainder of
| our lives. Put pin in that, If you please,
my dear"