The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1861-05-03
An Arkanaaa FarerZelI.

FerslmOns, lr. IN the SDtrtt of the Times,
gives an account of old Ben Winnie, of
Arkansas, with his son Joe, who was leav-
ing home for business in Texas. The old
man was accustomed to deal in euchreism,
and his discourse is enlivened by SMILES
that the smoking-car passengers on some
Of our longest local railway trains will
understand. Thus the story runs:
In the course of time Uncle Winnie's
eldest son, boy of some eighteen years of
age, was most Unexpectedly invited to
what was then the new country of Texas.
A distant Telativewho desired an assistant,
offered great inducement, and Winnie, ir.
chip Of the old block, and real honor
to Arkansas, made his preparations for
the first time to leave home. His mother
treated the thing a good deal as mothers
do, and filed up the time before his de-
parture with crying. packing up trunk,
and making "cake tixins."
Old Winnie took most grasping and
philosophical view Of the matter. He re-
marked that life was pack of cards, and
that your success depended upon how
they were dealt out. He said he knew Of
fellows who never could get above four
spot, and never enough of them to make
more than a pair. He'd known others,
again, who always had their hands full Of
queens and aces; and even if the deal
runs low, they would get two pairs, or
three duces, that was even better in this
case than ''picters." In short Uncle Win
ME said some men had luck, play as they
would, they could not, in fact, help win
ming, whether they set down with green
ones or took shy at the ''tiger."
AT last the ''boy" was about to take his
departure his mother gave him her last
kiss, and her most fervent blessing, and
Uncle Winnie accompanied him to the
wagon that was to take him to the steam
boat landing. The moment of leaving
came he had held up wonderfully all
through the preliminaries, but now his
heart was to full, and he broke out as fol-
lows:
bob, you are about to leave home for
strange parts. Your going to throw me
out Of the game and 60 it alone. The
odds is again you, Bob but remember
always that industry and perseverance are
the winning cards they are the bow
ers'
Book learning and all that sort of
thing will do to fill up with, like small
trumps, but you must have the bowers to
back 'em, else they amt worth shucks.-
If luck runs agin you pretty strong, don't
cave in and look like a sick chicken on q
rainy day, but hold your head up and
make 'em believe you're flush Of trumps /;
then they won't play so hard agin you.
"Pve lived and traveld around some,
Bob, and I've found out that as soon as
| folks thought you held q weak hand,
the'd buck agin you strong. So when
| you're sorter weak, keep on bold front,
/ h,,4 H. G.I
| point. Many's the hand I've seen eucher-
ed cause they played for too much.
keep your eyes well skinned, Bob ;
don't let 'em mig on you recollect the
game lays as much with the head as with
the hands. Be temperate-never get
drunk, for then, no matter how good
your hand, you won't know how to play
it-both bowers and the ace won't save
| you, for there's sartin to be misdeal.: oI
something wrong. And another thing
Bob" (this was spoken in low tone, and
in Bob's ear, "don't go too much on the
women; queens is kinder poor cards; the
more you have of 'em the worse of you
/ you might have three and nary trump.
don't say discard 'em all if you get hold
of one that's q trump, its all good, and
thar's sartin to be one out of four.
"And above all, Bob, be honest neyel
take mans trick wot don't belonging tC
you nor slip cards. nor mig, for ther
you can't look your men in the face; anC
when that's the case, there's no fun in tn,
game its regular cut throat So now
Bob, farewell remember what ] tel
you, and you'll be sure to win, and if yoU
don't, serve you right to get skunkedl p
Old Winnie's feelings now overcam,
him, and with tears in his eyes he con
cluded:
''Good-by agin, Bob, and God bless you
Be a man, and do honor to your nativ,
State, and never be so mean as to run fo
the legislature. or try to get into Congress
to do either isworse than keeping q sweat
cloth at a mule race, or thimble-riggin a
a negro campmeeting."
Here the old man fell upon Bobs neck
and the two wept together and parted.