Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-25

"We cannot resigs our game so easily as
YOU can; and if we co,ld, we are not sure
that we should quite like the next, or
| whether there is an.,ther at all. "
"Don't you play one game after another.
as we do?" she asked.
eve really know nothing but our one
game. Some of us think we do, others say
that after one game we cease to play alto
gether; and others again, that afterward we
are rewarded and punished for our good and
bad moves; but not any one of us can tell for
certain
"And how did you get into your present
position?" she asked; shave you been play
ing badly?"
F'My position is the result of wrong moves
made by another piece-I am not conscious
of any such on my part.
''That is very hard that you should suffer
| for another's bad play" she answered. "but
| does not the player who is moving you take
care that all the pieces make the right
moves?"
"That is another thing we cannot tell, =" he
replied. "We do not know, as 1 said,
whether we are being moved or whether we
move ourselves
''Perhaps the player moves you badly, as
| you often move us amiss," she went on.
"Some of US have a suspicion to that
effect" he answered, ''and others think that
bDtIG 10 p1dy Cl WIN WlshSS nOIl w uSJ
and another ILL.,"
"And if bad moves are made by one it is
another who suffers for it?" she asked
"Thas is very singular. If our players
make bad move, they lose credit, not we
Are you rewarded for your good moves?"
'That is also hard to say; some of us
think yes, others that our good actions will
| benefit the invisible choir who come after
us, and similarly will suffer for our evil
| deed3."
''That is small consolation to you," she
| answered. "You appear to me to be most
remarkable race of beings, chiefly engaged
in lnjuring one another, and very ignorant
about yourselves. l would much rather be
| a chess pawn
''True, % he agreed; "but do you know
much more about yourselves"
'Wy, yes, we know all about ourselves;
here We have been and here we shall con-
tinue, playing our games, and that is all
| What more would you have?'
| "Do you often play?"
"We play every night-one game-when
no one eis9 is by, and are working out the
| invincible opening to which there is no de-
| fence. When we have discovered it our
| task will be over, and the game of chess
will vanish. In the daytime we allow you
to move us about, and are vastly amused by
your blunders. When this game is over 1
shall have to wish you good night
"You would probably be surprised then
to hear that you were all made by one of
| u.s."
impossible" she answered; 'but it will
be delightful if you can tell me all about
ourselves"
"And yet it is true"
"You must be very good and clever
| beings" she replied; "wiser than ever 1
could have imagined, for we are made so
well and we stand so straight, and our lot is
so pleasant"
"And yet we often play you badly
eyes, that is true too. You are the
| yourselves, as you made us?" she suddenly
| asked.
'No, certainly not"
'Then who did make you?''
| 'Well, really! you start the most insoluble
| of problems; that, again, L cannot tell you,
or whether any one made us; we have differ
| ent theories on the subject
"Dear me! perhaps whoever made you is
as much wiser than you think, as you may
| be wiser than 1 have thought you. After
| all, you know so little about matters, L don't
| see how to advise you what move you are to
| make. What are the alternatives?0
EITHER 1 must associate with one whose
moves l think wrong, or 1 must leave him,
| with very uncertain idea OF what will
happen in the future"
THAT is to say, as far as l understand,
| you must either make move not in ac-
| cordance with the rules of your game, or
| you must make a move without knowing
| what will be the result"
THAT is about it; but the second alterna-
| tive may be attended with very unpleasant
results which do not occur in your game
''But it is a move according to your
rules?'
eyes, I cannot say that it is not"
And what is the penalty if you make
false moye?''
THAT is also uncertain; sometimes there
is penalty, sometimes there appears to be
none, but some of us think the penalty
will be suffered in our next game.
We'll, p" she said, sit appears to me that
in truth you don't know the result of any
of your moves and the only rule you can
have is to move according to rule"
1T is very easy for you to say SO who do
not know the unpleasant results that may
follow"
"Ah! you have so little faith
"Row can you possibly know that?"
"Why, have you not often played us and
do you think we learn nothing OF your char
acters? You often lose the game from mere
fear of your opponent; and if we could only
speak, hoy often could we show you the
pCb0Sl buG ltll II L iSiuSCu w
move according to rule, what would you do
with me?"
81 should have turned you into
draughtsman, or condemned you to play
eternal 'skittles'"
'What an awful fate!'' she whispered,
with a shudder
''But now that I know more about you"
he continued,'I should send you for further
investigation to the Society for Psychlal Re-
search"