_Mrs. Cook's First Prayer_
Early the next morning Jimmie was at the Morton home. After
a long talk and much prayer he started for Bucktown, armed with
that sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. He had some more
verses marked in his Testament, and after Morton had quoted
them many times he felt sure that he could handle them. Mrs.
Cook had confused him the night before so that he could not
answer her; but he was sure of his ground after his talk with
Morton.
"I wish I could read 'em myself," he said to Morton sadly. "Der
yer tink I kin ever learn?"
"Yes, Jimmie, I know you can if you will study. You have five
hours that you are not busy with your papers; you can use that
time to learn to read. I think that Mrs. Price, a worker in
the Mission, will be glad to help you. She used to teach school
before her marriage. I will ask her to-day and if she consents
to take you as a pupil you must study hard."
"I will, yer bet." And so Jimmie went on his way.
As he quietly pushed open the door of the Cook home, he heard
Mrs. Cook talking with three of her neighbors on the back porch.
"Where do you suppose I was las' night, Mrs. Fagin?" she was
saying. Jimmie listened with keen interest for her account of
the Mission service. He knew that Bill would never get right
until she did.
"How do you s'pose I know?" answered Mrs. Fagin. "Where was
you?"
"I was to der Mission with Jimmie Moore," she said, "and it's
the best time I've had since the balloon extension on the market,
six years ago."
"I'd like ter know how yer can have a good time in church,"
said Mrs. Fagin.
"'Tain't no church, it's a Mission, and they have jus' as good
singin' as dey do in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and 'sides, it's a good
deal like dat play, too, 'cause yer laff jus' as hard as yer
kin one minute and the next minute yer cry like Eva was a-dyin'.
Yer couldn't guess in a thousand years who I saw there. I saw
Lousy Kate, that you used ter live next door to, and that
Hatfield that yer thought was such a dood. Yer oughter hear
what he said--yer know every one speaks in der Mission meetin's.
He ain't no dummy, that man ain't. He's been an awful drunkard,
and when Morton found him he was that fur gone that his wife
had ter leave him an' go an' live wid her Ma. He said he got
saved, an' now they're happy, and he works in der wholesale
house and----"
"Who saved him? Morton?" asked Mrs. Fagin in disgust.
"No, he said it was all Jesus and no Morton about it; that's
what Jimmie says erbout Morton, too. I guess he don't amount
to much nohow. He says he can't help no one, but can tell them
of One who can. I thought I'd split when Hatfield said he was
so low down he had to reach up ter touch bottom. Every one
laffed like all git-out; but when his woman got up and said
it was all true, and that her and her baby come near starvin',
every one 'round me cried, and I cried, too. I tell yer, I'd
know how ter sympathy with her; only Bill ain't no drunkard,
he's sick."
"What's Kate doin' there?" asked Mrs. Fagin.
"She's saved, too. She got saved in jail. Now she's livin' straight
an' goes ter meetin' every night. She looks so good, you'd hardly
know her, looks ten years younger; but the biggest surprise
of all is Morton. Yer know Dave Beach said that he know'd more
'an he looked, and I allowed he'd orter. But say, he's been
through der mill and knows der ropes like an' old rounder. He
said his mother teached him ter pray and be a good boy, but
he got ter boozin' and soon went ter pieces. He got in trouble
and fer years lived among thieves and drunkards and knows 'em
like a book. He's seen 'em killed and go down in nearly every
old way, but never knew any of 'em ter git anywhere until dey
git Jesus. He couldn't git no work 'cause he wa'n't honest and
couldn't stay sober, so he'd jus' clean up saloons fer his toddy,
like Fred Hanks der barber is doin' now. I wish Morton could
git Fred. One time he got a plant an' left fer Chicago; then
he went into a Mission like his'n is now and got saved. You'd
never think he ever did worser than pull his sister's hair,
to look at him now; but he knows what's what, and that's why
he was after Moore and all the rest of us, I guess. He says
jus' what Jimmie says, that Jesus loves us all and wants us
all. There, 'tis eleven o'clock and I've got ter give Bill his
medicine. Say, I'm goin' agin ter-night. Go 'long with me?"
"Fagin would go wild if he knew I'd go there; but I'd like ter
see it once," said Mrs. Fagin.
For seven nights Mrs. Cook and Jimmie went to the Mission. On
the seventh night she rose to her feet and was the first one
to go forward to the altar. After prayer she stood up and said
she would serve God the best she knew how, and wanted every
one to pray for Bill, her husband.
Every one shook hands with her and she forgot that it was getting
late. She visited with all the ladies, one after the other.
Jimmie had found Morton at the platform and slipped his hand
into Morton's. As their eyes met, both seemed ready to weep
for joy. "The ice is broken, Jimmie. And we must not give up
until the whole Bucktown gang are in the Kingdom of God. Bill
comes next, and you had better get Mrs. Cook home, as it is
late. You may hurt your case with Bill if you get him angry."
At last Jimmie got her started, and when they reached the house
Bill was nearly wild with rage. He was very nervous and needed
something to quiet him.
"Where in h---- have you bin?" he shrieked at the top of his
voice. "I want a drink and I want it d---- quick."
"No doubt, sonny, yer do," said his wife, "and you'll want it
quicker 'an that 'fore yer git it. Now shut yer mouth until
I'm done," she went on. "I been to der Mission ter-night and
I give my heart ter God, an' no more booze comes inter my house,
no more, not mine. If yer tongue was hangin' out as long as
a clothes line I'd tie it in knots and throw it under der bed
'fore I'd give yer a drop. All der people at der Mission are
prayin' fer yer, and Jim is goin' ter der drug store fer somfin'
fer yer nerves and ter make yer sleep, and if yer able ter-morrer
yer goin' ter der Mission an' git saved too. And oh, Bill! we'll
git a carpet fer our front room when yer gits yer pension, and
you'll git a new suit of clothes and we'll git a monument fer
Freddie's grave, and oh, Bill! we'll go ter be with Jesus and
Freddie some day in heaven."
She stooped down and took Bill's bloated cheeks between her
hands and kissed him again and again.
"I guess dis is where I lose out," said Jimmie. "I'll go ter
der drug store and by that time maybe dey'll have deir love
feast finished. Gee, when old Bill gits any booze ter-night,
he don't!"
Jimmie spent his last five pennies for a powder for Bill, and
went on tip-toe back to Cook's house.
As he opened the door he heard Mrs. Cook praying. She was kneeling
by Bill's bed, and this is the prayer Jimmie heard: "O Lord,
keep Bill from wantin' booze ter-night, and if he gits gay call
him down fer Jesus' sake. Amen."