and said he felt it was good to be there. He
said he didn't feel that he was a full sized Christian yet, but he
was getting in his work the best he could. He said at times everything
looked dark to him, and he feared he should falter by the wayside,
but by a firm resolve he kept his eye sot on the future, and if he was
tempted to do wrong he said get thee behind me, Satan, and stuck in
his toe-nails for a pull for the right. He said he was thankful to the
brothers and sisters, particularly the sisters, for all they had done to
make his burden light, and hoped to meet them all in--When Pa got as
far as that he sort of broke down, I spose he was going to say heaven,
though after a few minutes they all thought he wanted to meet them in a
saloon. When his eyes began to leak, Pa put his hand in his tail pocket
for his handkercher, and got hold of it, and gave it a jerk, and out
came the handkercher, and the cards. Well, if he had shuffled them, and
Ma had cut them, and he had dealt six hands, they couldn't have been
dealt any better. They flew into everybody's lap. The deakin that was
with Ma got the jack of spades and three aces and a deuce, and Ma got
some nine spots and a king of hearts, and Ma nearly fainted, cause she
didn't get a better hand, I spose. The preacher got a pair of deuces,
and a queen of hearts, and he looked up at Pa as though it was a
misdeal, and a old woman who sat across the aisle, she only got two
cards, but that was enough. Pa didn't see what he done at first, cause
he had the handkerchief over his eyes, but when he smelled the rum
on it, he took it away, and then he saw everybody discarding, and he
thought he had struck a poker game, and he looked around as though he
was mad cause they didn't deal him a hand. The minister adjourned the
prayer meeting and whispered to Pa, and everybody went out holding their
noses on account of Pa's fumery, and when Pa came home he asked Ma what
he should do to be saved. Ma said she didn't know. The deakin told her
Pa seemed wedded to his idols. Pa said the deakin better run his own
idols, and Pa would run his. I don't know how it is going to turn out,
but Pa says he is going to stick to the church."

CHAPTER XII.

HIS PA GETS PULLED. THE OLD MAN STUDIES THE BIBLE--DANIEL IN
THE LION'S DEN--THE MULE AND THE MULE'S FATHER--MURDER IN
THE THIRD WARD--THE OLD MAN ARRESTED--THE OLD MAN FANS THE
DUST OUT OF HIS SON'S PANTS.

"What was you and