Part 5 (1/2)
”It's jus' fine,” said Mrs. Cook, glad to change the subject.
”I'm goin' agin ter-morrow night.”
Bill was all tucked away in bed when Mrs. Cook got home. Dave had put him to bed. The doctor had given him a powder to quiet him.
After the children were asleep Mrs. Cook sat alone thinking of the night's happenings. The market clock struck twelve before she came to herself and thought of going to bed.
”O G.o.d, I can't see it; I can't see it,” she cried; ”but I want ter. I can't see it; I can't see it that way; but I want ter.”
”I've seen 'nough fer both of us,” said Bill, as he bolted upright in bed. ”There's one under my pillow now wid a thousand legs!”
CHAPTER VI
_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 G.o.d. 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. f.a.gin?” 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. f.a.gin. ”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. f.a.gin.
”'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. f.a.gin 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. f.a.gin.
”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?”