The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-05-22
In the Game to Win.

In the tame TO WIN.
This plain. everyday life which we
are now livin is game, anyhow, Rufe,
and everybody plays it one way or an
other" says Blev to me oncst upon a
time. "lf you don't play somebody, the
next thing you know somebody will
play you. We are all in the game
horned and bred andbrung up in it-and
the onlyest way under the sun to keep
from playin your hand out is to shuck
off your mortal tolls and put on your
White wings and quit this dull old
world.
Now as for me, if didn't know any
more about handln of the documents
than some people, blamed i'll wouldn't
tend night school hand runnin for
ten years to come. And if there is any
points about the game in general which
| haven't already learnt, by the stars
and stripes it was tore out of the books
before my day and time.
Right now, Rufe, you mought as
we'll to take out your little note book
and set it down that Blew Scroggins is
in the game to win. You never heard
me make any proud, high-fyin remarks
about the family records of the Scrog-
gins generation of people, and you never
will. So fur as | know, we didn't come
down from the highristocracy of the
first settlers of this great and GROWN
country. On my own hook | raley
don't know for certain whether l ever
had any great-grandfathe at all scarce
", but reckon | did. At any rates,
am willin to leave that question for
time and future history to settle. No
doubts you have heard me claim some
kinnery with man by the name of
Scroggins which fit plum through three
wars and SWIM the Potomac river one
cold winter night to beat George Wash
ington in a little game of stud poker.
But we will let that pass, Rufe. Ac-
cordin to the Scriptures all men are
liars off and on, more or less.
"But whilst the Scroggins people are
only plain American citizens-without
any extry frills and fancy trimmings
you mought as well to remember that
there are two places in this country
where no mortal man of my name can
be found-the Poor House and the
Crazy Asylum. And am in this game
to win, Rufe. l never will be good
enough to turn out and preach, nor
smart enough to run for congress, and
it's little more than nothin that / have
learnt in books. But by gatlins, | do
know tremendous well that - with
fushes barred-four aces will bust the
bank. And | am in the game TO win"
"Foreordained TO Sin and Sufferin."
DAYS and weeks and months and
years have rolled by and stacked up in
the past since me and Blew rid down the
old jackson Trail road one mornin
along in the spring of the year and
heard him tallin with his mouth about
the game of every day life, wherein
he had learnt the documents and would
play to win. And it all come back to
my mind as clear as bell the other day
when old man Ran Phillips driv by our
house on his return back home from a
trip over i'm the River bend. | couldn't
keep from thinkin about the time when
old man Ran met Blew in little game
which handsome young wilder wom-
an and 60 acres of swamp land was the
stakes-and how the old man, with a
full hand and three cards up his sleeve,
as it were, had to cut the pot and divide
the pile, whilst Blew helt nothin TO
speak of or to bet on.
Everything that goes up must come
down. Rufe." says Blew to me out at the
horse rack one night after supper. I'm
this God forsaken country mortal man
born of woman is foreordained TO sin
and sufferin, and from all the signs of
the times it would seem TO me like old
man Ran Phillips will have to stand his
turn and take his dost."
With that Blew shut one eye slow and
cautious like and whistled few stanzas
soft and low. And from that day till
this have took particular notice that
a slow wink and a little soft whistle
from Bley Scroggins simply means that
somebody must suffer, and you mought
as well stand from under.
"You recolleet that old man Ran has
got 60 acres Of bully swamp land which
Joins my farm over there on the creek,
RUFF" Blew went on tarectly. Well
naturally of course | haven't got any
money. If whisky WAS goin at four
bits q barrel raley couldn't buy enough
TO change n baby's breath But J don't
etradd,e that co acres Of swap land in