The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20

busy all the time tryin' 10 lead everybody
up to the mo'ners' bench, whether there
was a meetin' on or not.
How come she married old man Ram
say nobody knowed; but there couldn't
nobody cay she didn't do her duty by
him, for she nagged him furious ail his
NE for TO get him to get religion, an
act'ly made It 30 hot f'r him round home
7 he useter spend all his evenin's round
to the s'loon.
Just nachully she give young Jim as
ful trainip' as tn old man did, on'y
goin' sort o boy an RELY did think a
heap o. his mother he give way to her
most amazin'. even alter he'd come to a
hisself.
"She KEEP him at school an made him
go to chu'ch till he was old enough to
know better. an even alter that she KEEP
as women thinks is necessary, an him
bein' as soft az he was nachully he was
nigh plump spilled. Even as twas she
KEEP him at his books so long t he got
a hankerin' alter EN- like. an set out fer
TO study fr a preacher.
More n likely that want RELY Jim's
fault, bein' as he want so hell roarin'
religious his own self an kind O. had a
leanin' lords boss tradin' r practisin'
law, but Mis- Ramsey she were almighty
p'sistent when she got sot on a thing, an
she sure were sot on that.
Anyway. that's what Jim sot out to he,
a preacher; an likely would "a been till now
but fr almost Miraculous i%nterposin' o
Providence. 'Tain't hardly necessary for
to say t it came round through a game
o draw poker, that same 6vin the most
powerful mean O grace what Providence
uses in improvin' the human race.
"Th' amt nothin' in the hull arsenal
O. heaven as the Good Book calls it,
what's done 80 much to develop character
as draw poker has; an without takin'
too much credit, | reckon | en- say l was
tn instrument. under Providence, o
bringin' that greet truth home to the
Rev. Jim Ramsay afore twas too late.
He'd studied an been licensed to
preach, but hadn't been reg lar 'pinted
minister o no chu'ch vet, an he was Twin
home fr a spell, sort o restin' up a'ter
his studies like.
just nachully, with him in the house,
Mis- Ramsay got naggin' tn old man
consid able more'n common about him
gettin' converted. an tn old man got
so het up 7 he spent the most Of his time
down to tn s'loon where l was tendin'
bar. Bein' as he was there g much az
he was. just nachully he played con-
sid'able poker, an o co'se the more
poker he played the less time he had for
to 20 home.
Come a time when there was two
crossroads gamblers stopped over at
long afore old man Ramsey an a couple
OF others a settin' in with EN- in tn"
back room. 'Twa'n't no u hell roarin
big gam at first. but they played all
night. an long lords noon next day
the two citizens went broke, leavin' old
man Ramsey an the two tin horns playin'
an soon they took OF the limit.
sn' rn'sa va oil knnwaI that the old
man knowed enough o the game fr tf
hold his own ag'in anybody. an twain
nohody's business nohow to butt in. but
it sho' was scan 'lous to see how them two
was trimmin' him long lords midnight
o tn second night.
was reelv Rettin' old an he couldn'i
stand red liquor like he could when ht
was younger, an bein' as he wan
catin' nothin' an was keepin' up On d
drink occasional it begin to tell on him
an them two tin horns seen it, an bein
consid'ab cautious their own sells they
just nachully begin for to soak him.
"Bein as he was of age al had n riRht
to do as he liked, there couldn't nobody
interfere, an It sho' did look bad.
tried to get m or two tolable good
players to set in an give him n show. but
there was nobody well fixed enough &c
set in count O. the game bein' 20 big.
~They was playin' ten dollar ante by
this time an the old man must "a lost
nigh four thousand dollars. But there
didn't seem to be nc way o stoppin
things long as he was sober enough tc
go on a-playin'.
Then in come Jim Ramsey. He
hadn't been in tn s'loon since he'd go,
his license TO preach, an | was consida'ble
s'prised. hut 'peared he'd come lookin
fr his dad, count o him bein' away
I'm home so long.
4When he seen what was doin' he
were stumped fr fair. He knowed as
stand fr nobody tryin' to stop hin
playin' till he got ready. an he set an
looked on f'r mebbe half an hour afort
he spoke. O. co'se he was onto the game
I'm the fust. bein' as the old man hao
teached him the game careful. hut he
hadn't played zone fr n long time. an
there want nobody looked fr him &c
do what he done.
-The old man had just lost n pot with
nigh 500 in il an ] knowed it was CROOKED
play aver IL / didn't see just how twas
did. but pears Jim did see. an goin' up tc
the table he saw very quiet:
81 reckon I'll take a hand in this here
game il there amt no objections
well, the two tin horns, they startec
to say somepin', but the old man whooped
Jim he says, I'm proud o. We, an II
makes me happy To see We turnin IN the
error Of your ways. Set in an be a SPOT
like I've al'avs looked for you to be-
$50 the tin horns they shut up, an
Jim set in.
well, 1 couldn't p'tend to tell jus,
what happened alter that il Jim hadn',
told me hisself.
~ seen they was doin' no the old man,
he says, an ] seen, too. want no time
fr to start a fight, see'in' they had the
old mans wad salted down. 80 | knowed
il was my Christian duty for TO set in an
teach them heather a lesson. | hadn't
never PLAYED crooked afore,' he saws,
'bein' as | hadn't never stacked up ag'in
a crooked game. but | knowed how well
enough to know t | cd neat them at their
own tricks. Idone it. didn't ~
There want no doubt about that. fr
il ever there was q man in Mississippi
cd deal slicker'n Jim Ramsey ] hahn
never heerd who twas. Inside OF an hour
he'd won back all the old mans %losin's,
an more'n two thousand dollars besides,
so's't them tinhorns Quit busted.
THAT W'n't the best OF it neither. fr
jim Ramsey seen that night what twas I
he cd do better'n anythin' else. an he had
! the sense to see Z that was what he'd
y oughter do, stead a wastin' his talents
into a pulpit an 'twa'n't long afore he had
a reputation through three States. The
old man he put up a argument I jim had
ought for to make him good fr what he
lost, but he was 600 rood a spot for to
argy hat long when Jim said he couldn't
see il that wav, IN il come about I he got
n fine start in life lust firm seein' what his