The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-19
FATE OF THE UNGODLY
OLD Nan Greenhut Illustrates III a Parable the
Foolishness of Wrong Doing.
By DAVID A. CURTIS.
Copyright. 1903, by Robert Howard
RusSell.)

~
There is times said Old Man
Greenhut, when even the best man IS
tempted to fOrsake religion Pears
like there amt 10 advantage to 1t.
You can look round an see the WICK
ed fO~urishin', as the Good Book says,
ike a green bay boss, an a God-fear-
in citizen skinned out of his hard
earned wad in q crooked game Q Ho-
ker. by some piker that along
with q new trick that he amt no ways
familiar with. It's enough to shaka
anybody's confidence in Providence to
see sech doin's an yet you'll see en-
now an again. There's a good many
times when " felt plum discouraged.
an euaInOst ready to give up faith in
w~eII-dOin'.i
The old mans countenanCe was
cast as ne spoke, and his detected tone
seemed 4 clear Indication that some
thing far out OF the ordinary run of
happenings must have occurred, so to
affect his usual optimism. And this
indeed was true. His hearers were at
no loss to understand his ~perturba-
ton for they all knew the CirCum-
lance and general gloom prevailed
among them. Only the night before
lake WfnterbOttOm. one of the most
respected citizens of Arkansas City,
had been induced to sit IN at u little
game Of freezeOut with q stranger a.
the hotel near G~reenhuts saloon, and
had suffered d considerable loss in
consequence. And the stranger, they
had lust heard. had gone on down the
river on Il boat that had stopped tina
morning. shortly before daybreak,
- I--+rnyri-~ OH phancn Ef re-
covering the stake he had o n
blow to their local pride was even
more severe than the loss of the money,
and Greenhut was YOictng the Sentl-
ment of the community in his cheer
less utterance.
There was no reply to his words. In
fact ne seemed TO expect none Shak-
ing his head dOlefully, he opened a
fresh box of cigars n selecting one
with anxious care he lighted it very
deliberately and going to his favorIt2
seat by the window, put his Lee6 on
the sill and smoked for some nut
in silence. Presently ne chuckled soft
", and after a few moments more he
spoke
sometimes he said, AN it sure Is
cOmfortin' to the right-ninded to see
EN- brought low. As the Good Book
SAYS: oh their eend. their dretful
eend.'
Thar wasa bumptiOus young
heather by the name o Silas I. Han
kins that was riz in the same town
with me in MizzOura hat was marked
out firm the ~beginnin' for a member
o. the Legislature or q rOuster, cord
in to which ways either things turned.
Thar was folks that took him at his
own valuation. same as thar mostly Is
till n man gifts found out, an if he
don't never git found out he usually
gifts what ne asks for, an gifts looked
UP to. but when his kinG does git sized
UP right. they usually graduates on
the leve wOrkin' for ten cents an hour.
This here Hankins was a loud
mOuthed cusS that knOwed it all, an
gently told 4 good deal mOre'n rs
knOwed. so it KEEP him so busy talk
in t he didn't have time to improve
his mind He'd git Il half notion in
his head. an git 40 puffed up over il
that ed begin to Cackle afOre he'd
got hold O. the other half. like a ken'll
make more fuss when she's down of
the nest afOre she's laid her egg. nor
she will if she finishes up the job an
h goes rOun' tellin' folks
He looked round considerable while
he was a young Teller, like young fell
lers does. afOre maxim up his mind
what ned do for a livin'. an finally
he concluded he was cut out for a ard
player. He said he didn't see what
good II was for a nan to work for MS
money when the world was full an
runnin' over with suckers that was
ready to lose theirs, playin' poker. 1t
was him for the boats. he said. an a
gorgeous Twin without no work n
hisn, soon as he'd learned how &c
handle the p~aSteboards.
L SAYS to him, 'Hankins you Re
wrong. \ professional l says, is al
right if he knows his business. an has
enough nerve to back hisself with
when he gets into a narrer place, but
you amt cut out for it. I'm not sayin',
I says. : but what yOu'S mean enough
[ reckon you'd just as Don take none
firm a blind niger as You would to rot
a bank but you hasn't got the savoy. YOU
might learn how to rifle n deck of cards
pretty fair if you'd give YOU days an
nights to it for a few Years. but you
wouldn't never know how to size VI
any RELY difficult situation, like poker
is full O SIGH things. where q mar
needs boss sense an some intelleCk tC
tackle EN-. More'n that [ says, you
couldn't lick a man o your weight
hOuten one of his hands was tied, an
a RELY successful gambler has got q
know how to fight if he gifts caught
same as you'd be sOoner or later. The
thing for you to do I says, is to be
a preacher. You kin talk, i says, so
% make some folks think o know
sOmepin' an o won't have to fight
faint likely. You'd be as nue. re.
spected.' 1 says. If You was to be
preacher on a mall salary. as Vol
would be if you had the maxim of :
toTable good cross roads gambler into
You. which I don't believe yol have
have
Wei. there was others give hin
good advice, too, but twan't no use
He was sot on bein' a gambler. an
VIII say I he worked harder. praCtisir
with cards nor 1 ever knowed him I;
work Al anything else. an after
time there was some that said he was
likely 10 be a good deal Of a man i