The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-13
HE UNDERSTOOD THE GAME.
CT apIain wanted to "Kick Him Up"
with Three Jacks.

CT apIain wanted to "F<icI Him Up"
with Three Jacks.
That the army is not exactly conducive
to the upbuildlng of splendid moral char
acters is pretty generally conceded, but
soldiers sometimes have things to say
about their spiritual advisers that induce
one to believe something of what Sam
Small had to say about chaplains, that
thew are not very much good and are mere
ly "sops to public sentiment"
Many chaplains are as good men In the
army as out, and the lives OF strict and
upright Christianity they led before en-
tering the army have been followed with
even greater precision than before they
DOTTED their clerical vestments 10 don the
soldiers coat with the cross on the shout
der strap. But there are others.
A regiment that arrived not long since
from Cuba and passed on through to an
other city to be mustered out had what
the soldiers denomnated a peach of
chaplain" He had been minister before
entering the service, and 1t Is probable he
will return to his congregation when he is
mustered out and be as sanctimonious as
requirements demand But in the army
he has been looked upon as sort of bon
vivant and a rare old sport.
While the chaplain did not play poker,
he was yet a judge of the great game, and
IL always gave him a pain to see novice
losing golden opportunities with good
hands He sat behind an officer, young in
the service, on the way up from Cuba.
Time had hung heavily, and a quiet little
six-handed game had started Payday
had neen almost forgotten, it had been so
long since the paymaster had turned over
the crisp new bills that Uncle Sam uses
10 nav off his soldiers, so the limit was
small.
The chapain was Interested. Perhaps in
bie vouneer and sinful days he had buck
cd the striped cat himself, and little Oh
the virus of those days remained. he
continued to inspect the hands rs they
were dealt the officer in front Of him The
latter was not superstitious and made no
objection TO the chaplain sitting behind
him. but finally he got three Jacks. An
other player made a good stiff bluff and
raked down the pot the jacks should have
won. you play like a fish" said the
chaplain why the mischief didn't you
kick him up?" which, in the days of the
pastor chaplain's youth, meant "raise
him"
When one of the regiments discharged
here was about TO 90 out of the service
| A question arose about the chaplain. HIS
senior officers were In a qaundary The
chaplain had forsaken the straight and
narrow paths, officers and men said, and
there had been nothing of very religious
character about him since his connection
with the command. though he had been q
good preacher before securing his commits
sion and had stood well in the church. II
was another example OF the effect of army
life. Finally il was decided TO hold a courl
of inquiry TO look into the chaplain's rec.
ord. and the result was that he was tho
only officer in the regiment who received
a discharge reading service not honest
and faithful"
one of the best fellows In the world
was a chaplain who was here for while
lie had a LOT Of friends in Savannah, but
they did not see what he was chaplain
for. They called II practical religion. but
the designation nailed the general run oi
religion az intensely impractical for II
was as different from that shown by the
chaplain as Il could well have beenS The
chaplain had never shown any great fond.
| ness for holding services even IN this coun-
] Try, and when his command reached Cuba