Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-07-18
WHY | PLAYED ORANGE Bios.
SONS.

old man ard | might say, friendless
one. If the world has not dealt kindly
with me, / am to blame, perhaps;
have not dealt justly with myself.
Nature made me kind. Be patient
with me.
Did you ever gambler Did you ever
bet that nature did not know her bust
ness and try to beat her? No. Then
thank God that you have much of
that, that in crowd may pass for
wisdom-but you have missed deal
Of fun.
For myself-for my foolish self
would rather gamble than eat. i
would rather. back my Judgment on a
horse than own him. BY the same
token, like an honest woman. and
handsome face always warns the
cookies of my heart.
But let me tell you.
1t was on the day that just precedes
the opening of the Lenten season,
passed st. ,Mary's church That
church and others like 1t had been
closed to me for years, yet as hoy /
wore the surplice in such place and
swung the censor.
The day was bleak and stormy. the
wind showed bursts Of speed, While
the rain sulked. the elements, to bene-
fit the earth, abused 1t.
The wind and the rain beat into my
mind as well,
With a heavy heart | had left my
room in an East side tenement, whose
marble window-sills and tiled entrance
only Knocked the poverty within.
Where married life with shawl on
it's head, hugging its milkless breasts,
stands and shiyers in the doorway. At
It's feet its wealth-a bundle of wood
and a bucket of eoal-that's all.
As I neared the church, the tones
Of an organ drove all scenes of
squalor and thoughts of poverty from
my mind | stood in front and listened,
and through the closed doors, the
music filtered to n something | had
heard before, but where or when, my
old brains could not answer. Sud
denly the doors opened, as my mem
DRY did, and through the portals pealed
the music Of wedding march. | was
young again, and manly looking: the
world was brighter. and TO the self
same measure woman stepped, as
fair as the one | now looked on.
thought Of my own Orange Blossoms,
and half wished the dead could an
swer when called my wife.
The bride and bridegroom drove off,
as "God-speeds' followed them. The
music ceased and with a lighter heart
and brighter hopes | made my way to
a pooi-room.
All! there 1t Is, there it Isl If one
could win back the honesty and self
respect he had lost there!
Gamblers, You know, are super.
stitlous. even tin-horn gamblers. They
viii play to win upon a dream, an in
cident, a sweetheart's name, anything
that in the blind groupings of their
hope might touch chance
I had not vet seen the entries. but
the first name my eve fell on as | en-
tered the room was "Orange Blossoms"
in the last race My heart beat high.
Visions OF roll Of "yelows" with d
rubber on, danced before my eyes. A
Third avenue table d'hote with wine.
heckoned me to sit; the Bubbles" that
| wore for shoes were exchanged and
in imagination | stood redeemed, re-
generated ana dis CENTRALIZED" oh, the,
pleasures Of hope! its antics and mon.
keyshines in the human breast!
Between myself and all the riches of
the earth there were just two dollars
and ten cents. Between myself and
the Rasilisk who made my bed there
were just two dollars and ten cents.
Here was man Of good training,
fair education. excellent faculties.
elinging to such spar In sea of
selfishneSs.
The mare was an eight to one shot,
ana on form had a good outside
chance. Would play the first event
and run 1t up. or play the last and
wait?
l could still near the wind and rain
as they heat upon The roof. thought
OF my age and utter loneliness, re-
memhered though my room was cold
ana cherries 1t was still shelter l
looked fondly upon my capital and
though ont Of its possibilities, beef
ands" and three offs"-in Park Row.
With such material arguments as these
hesitsted to play ut all was not
4 dead game sport
Yet the mare had a chance, and
good one; she had won races, had
great pull on the weights. and with a
good Jock" up, should win, Besides,
did not SEQ "orange Blossoms" wear.
inE brackets at the church? What
more did want2 And, with such
whisperings If hope, rather than the
eounSels Of reason. showed my two
bones" through the window and