The Washington bee., 1911-07-22
Feeling a Part
By REGINALD D. HAVEN


life" said the old eounterfeiter. There
wasn't much credit in it to me, but it
was productive OF a lot Of happiness TO
others. 1t occurred many years ago,
and as l am now a very old man and
have a very long, troubled life to look
back upon, including several terms in
the penitentiary, it stands out from the
rest of my acts in odd contrast.
ut was in the summer of 1859 that
several of US got together in a north
ern city and manufactured a number
Of twenty dollar counterfeit bills. As
sOOn as we had finished the Job we
destroyed the outfit, divided the bills
and started for different parts of the
country to put them out on the public,
my section being the south. Boarding
one of the crack steamers of that day,
/ started for New Orleans. In order
the better to impose on people I dress
ed myself in ministerial black and
wore a white crayat. | had been an
actor and could persOnate a clergyman.
or any one else, for that matter, to
perfection.
The main cabin of the steamers run
ming on the Mississippi river in those
HG-s when the table was not set for
meals, was occupied principally for
gambling. Poker, SeVen-up. euchre and
other games were played, though the
parties playing were not large and Of
ten two persons only occupied a table.
l was sitting on the guards one day
when negro came out Of the cabin,
wringing his hands.
What's the matter, boy?' I asked.
Mars done gone lose me to a Mig
gah trader. Ma wife an pickaninnies
won't nebber see me no mo-
i found that his master, a planter,
had taken him to Cairo as his body
servant was returning, had lost all
the money he had with him at cards,
staked his darky and lost him too
l went into the cabin, where the plant
er and the trader were settling up,
the planter being at the moment occu-
pied in making out a bill of sale for
the slave.
I beg your pardon, sir said to
the planter. ON account of my vOca-
ton l am opposed, of course. to gam
bling in any form, but l dislike ex-
ceedingly the separation of families.
1 understand that you have lost your
negro. l would be pleased to lend you
the money to win him back
'DThe gentleman accepted the offer.
l brought out some new, crisp bills,
just from the press, and the game
started anew 1t was euchre. 1 soon
saw that the gambler could 90 on
winning from the trader all day if he
liked, for the former was perpetrating
one of the cOmmonest tricks on him
that is, turning jack In other words.
when he dealt he would always turn
up a knave for himself Seeing this
and other cheating, l interfered.
told him that l had learned the game
before becoming a clergyman and in
sisted on taking the planters place.
Since l was backing the latter he was
obliged to yield to ne in the matter,
which he did with a bad grace.
4 had not only learned the game
before becoming a clergyman but
all the tricks that went with it and
many other games. l walked into that
card sharper in a way that opened his
eyes. The negro at stake had follow
ed me into the cabin and was standing
watching the game with bulging eyes.
1t was hard for me to keep a straight
face, playing as l was, a supposed min
lister Of the gospel, with counterfeit
money and doing as neat bits Of Thin
blerigging as had ever been pTaC-
ticed on that palatial steamboat The
negro trader was not a professional
card sharper, though he didn't hesitate
to cheat the planter, and never dream
ed that the SOmber nan before him in
a s-otless white necktie was placing
the cards exactly where he wanted
them.
"Of course l soon won the darky
for his master Then | arose from the
table, delivered a homily on the sin Of
gambling and returned to the guards
l was followed by the planter, who
said to me:
'Pe'mit me, sub, to say to yO' that
yO're the first man of the cloth that
has eveh obtained my unbounded re
spect, sub. YO' have saved my boy,
sub, from being separated from his
wife and children, an act fO' which l
would have been to blame. l have
sufficient influence, sub, to control a
call to the First Baptist church of -,
Mississippi. If yO' will accept it it
shall be yo'S with fat salary
II thanked the gentleman for his of
fer, but declined it. When we reach
ed his landing he insisted SO heartily
upon my visiting him at his planta-
ton that l consented.
Il was made welcome by his family,
ana the wife and children of the negro
l had saved from the trader came to
the house with tears in their eyes to
thank me. I was a good looking young
fellow in those days and could see
that / made an impression on one Of
the planters daughters. l had every
thing at my disposal TO perpetrate any
raScality l might choose. l could get
the planters Endorsement, which would
email mo fo dTspcco Of T4rr gsrroov