AN ARIZONA PARSON.

Western Star, Issue 1077, 30 October 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN ARIZONA PARSON.

“And how is parson M'Whacker,” asked an ex-Arizonian* talking about old friends with a lawyer just up from Tombstone. “ Oh, the parson’s all right. He’s left the Methodists and turned liberal, you know.” . “ Don’t say ! I hadn’t hoard of it.” - “Oh, yes;he preaches on his own hook every Sunday night in the OperaHouse, and he’s doing a big business too.”' m “ G-lad to hear it. The parson’s a nice man.” ; “Ye-es, but he and I ain’t friends any more. Took offence at a mighty, little thing. Awful touchy, these sky pilots. You see I went in by the stage; door—not likely to attract attention by being seen at church, you sabe—and stpered for a • private box. I had to grope along in the -dark behind the scenes, and my hand struck against an overcoat hanging on the wall. It had something hard in the pocket, and I found it iwas a flask, I took it along to the box, and got sway with it by the time-service was over. The parson saw me sitting there, and nodded from the sacred desk. When he’d closed the case he came arqund.to see me, and X saw that he was mad. He said that some scoundrel had picked his pocket '-while he was preaching. ; ; “ ‘ That’s all right,’ says I, fishing the flask up from,under my chair;‘here 1 ishe isv -.«• ; it no/ii •>'«" “ The parson’s face lighted up, and he reached,for’ik!/ , l ; t, “ ‘ Empty! ’ says he, “ ‘ Botcher,’ says I. “ ‘ It’s a mighty mean trick,’ says the parson furious. 1 You might have loft me one drink.’ . . , r j “ ‘ Pshaw,’ says I; ‘ come - over with f me to the Elite, and you can have all thei drinks you .want. ’ . “ That’s all very well, Mr Lushkin,’ says the; parson, mad enough to cry; ‘ but you know well enough that a clergyman can’t go .up to a bar on Sunday. You arc a man of profligate principles, Lushkin, and, dang me, if it; was not for my cloth I’d give you a deal right here that’d make your head swim.’ W'k? s ™: I";iKi “‘ Of course that ended ever j thing between the parson and me,: ,Being a gentleman, I couldn’t lick a preacher you know ; so l quietly told him to go t) the lower levels, and went out into the house and joined the 1 departing .congregation.”’—San Francisco Post.