The times., 1897-09-12
SILAS HUMBLE.

W iiiISt Was pdSsln ONOT UHe pldluS OF
Dam Fl Know to reach the town Of Rich
| mond Hill and show my show, 1 met up
with a solemn lookin' old man who was
ridin' a blind and humble-lookin' hpss.
As we drew nigh to each other the I'D
man lifted up his hea d and said,
pilgrim, art thou benign and henevo-
lent critter who hast come hithsr to make
the world hetter?''
That's what 1 hast,' replied. ''As
travel over the hills and pTairies of the
West | leave nuthin' but a broad trail OF
Vaschew, Truth and Innocence behind
Then welcome thee" said the old man.
"Allus remember that Integrity is the foun-
dashun Of success
And that Truth crushed TO earth will
riz again, SCI l.
And that Goodness is a lamp shinin'
out of dark night sez lie.
And that Adyarsity brings out our
strength" sez 1.
And that good man is above riches, s"
sez he.
Then he smiles benignly, and / smiles
bene violently, and purity soon be wipes off
his chin nd sez:
stranger, human natur is very weak
and wicked. Here and thar We find a critter
who loves Yarchew and Integrity and sots
on thorn tree that those who come after
him may scratch their backs free gratis,
but most OF 'em prefer to sot around and
play poker. Hast observed it?''
Il hast, and wondered over 1t. Nay.
hev chided them also
Not a Bit
''Eut 1t did no pO0u7f'
"Alasl No. Maybe it was better TO git
out the keerds and appeal 70 their con
sciences through their Doodle. Canst play
the entiein' game called poker?''
jest few, feller-pilgrim, though with
no intent OF wickedness. Wouldst git down
and take a hand 10 pass weary hour?''
Il wouidst," sez he, as he got off his
hoss. He that would conquer vice must
be armed at all p'ints. and | find I'm
a leeue shy on poker. We VIII play
few games that we may make the world
better as We resume our Journey"
/ got down and spread a blanket on
the grass and got out the keerds, and
as l was deann' the fust hand the ole
pilgrim strokes his chin whiskers, and
sez:
Truth is a jewel without cost, and
1Ab ~ AA' t-iA I'M FN7 W " CtAi
And 1t takes the same amount OF
eorn-cobs TO smoke one ham as it does
ten, sez 1.
Thar ar many hills in life, but be
yand every hill / 5 a holler, seZ he
Its the crttter who clubs pole-cat
fur a coon that complains loudest OF mans
inhumanity,' sez l.
And then he looks his hand over and
signs that the world is no better, and
sez ne viii go a dollar on what he's got.
l Tiz him dollar, and he called me
and won. That makes him more benigner
than before, and he pokes lie in the ribs,
and sez:
"A Eog is no bigger than bole in the
fence Which let's him through
And hole in a fence 5 a hole in the
farmers POCKET" sez I.
He got pair in the deal and drawed
three keerds, and with much beaeyolence,
and WITH many wishes for the betermentof
the world in gineral he bluffed dt me TIL
l laid down. and he was So ahead OF the
game Thus Old l permit him 70 pursoo
his sinful tactics fur half an hour, and
his berignness would have made clam
omen its shell and smile. Bimeby l dealt
him three kings in his hand, and sez:
'Feler-ptigrim. hog which cannot be
driven mile agin his viii, Will make
twenty TO please himself
And as lie saw them kings in his hand
his heart swelled with benevolence, and he
replied:
'Couldst 1 but make the whole world
happy fur a day I'd be willin' to submit To
bath at night
And while l was deaiin him three kings
among his five keerds I also dealt myself
four aces and as we dis carled AMI drawed
to fill my feelin's of rectitood caused me
70 say.
HE who leaneth ON the staff Of in
teerity cannot fauinto the pit OF vice d 81 he
walks"
He had drawed two jacks and made a
fun house, and he was o tickled that he
poked me in the Tbs agin and softly SEE:
"ln honest man may be poor in purse
but he is aIhls rich in his own conscience
Then he lured me on and on, and I lured
him on and on, and when thar was nigh
upon hundred dollars in the pot called
him and scooped the board. When ne saw
them four aces il my hand all the be-
nignness went out of his face andthebcnevo-
Ience out of his heart, and he called me
sinful names and betrayed the fact that
he was a henchmau of vice.
Five muits later his smile returned and
his JUNCTION was as before. Patuin' me on
the back, he SCI:
'Adverslty is but straw III the way OF
perseverance. I'll put up my horse agin
S25 and take another hand at the entcin
game"
onward and upward is the way to sue
cess. and IN do it," sez I.
And we sot down and dallied with the
spots and picturs, and we smiled be
nevolent smiles and artfully poked each
other in the ribs. He thought he was art.
fuller than 1 was, and when he got four
jacks in his hand he felt that victory
was his. I had four queens in mine, how
ever, and when We laid down our keerds
he was busted critter. He had come
out to slay, and had bin slowed. His
smile fades away, his benigness takes
wings, and he rises up and speaks dis
respectfully of all my reIashuns.
Farewell, fcner- pilgrim sez I, a he
heads away towar1s the settin' sun witha
limp TO his left leg. ''The wind howeth
y wh9r' she listeth, and it's hard to tell the
size of cat by seein' her tracks in the
snow"
Humility is good thing, but four aces
is better"
And lik ewise:
Its what we pay fur that we don't
give away
And when he waslimping away helooked
hack and quoted these words from the
Bible: II VIII go softly all my days