Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-09-12

journeyed by boat in the Good
Old Summertime; and / put off my
/ Prophets Mantle, and | wore a Short
Coat and a Cap and | looked like a
Minister off on his Vacation save
that / Draw the Line at Red Neck
tie. And the Ships Clock struck Five
! Bells, which meaneth Half Past Six.
] So | went to the Dining Room, and
the Head Steward gave me a place
at Table where Three People al
ready were seated. And one Of them
was Lady, and she sat Over
Against me.
And she sought to put me at my
ease at once and to make me a Mem
Der of the Party. And she Spake to
her Husband, but she looked at me,
and she said:
Now this is Very Pleasant to have
this Fourth Place filled, for / never
like to sit at a Table with Vacant
Place across from me. And j am
sure we welcome this Gentleman to
our Little Group. And, furthermore,
/ am persuaded that he is a Good
Dined we may sit in the Aft Cabin
and play a Welcome to Our City.
And her Husband, being thus adj
monished to Follow her Lead, adj
, dressed me, saying, Welcome to Our
City.
And we spake of the Weather, and
How Much Better it was to travel by
Boat in Hot Weather, and how it
was a Calm Night And then the
Lady Resumed the Subject of Bridge.
And she said,
Tell me, am | not right? | know
Good Bridge Player every time.
And this also have | observed, that
all Really Good Bridge Players Deny
1t.
Now if had admitted it she would
have felt sure she was right, and if
had denied it she would have felt
more sure. Therefore, | held my
peace, and spake of other things.
But again she asked me, and / said,
play a more serious game.
And she said, Oh, l knowl You
men all think Poker is so much bet
ter than Bridge! But Poker is a
Mans Game and / like it not. But
just love Bridge.
And said, The Apostle Paul
speaketh of Epaphroditus that he
played the Gambler with his life for
the Lords sake. And he command
eth his associates as Men who had
Hazarded their lives for the King
dom of God. / play the Great Game
of Life, face to face with an inscrut-
able player whose Hand is hidden so
that / see not the cards she holdeth.
And some men call her Nature, and
some men Fate or Destiny, but the
servant of God playeth ever in the
tell its name. And the hazard is this,
fbaf ~, xxyrvII xx,I,o v~oopxv - xko
Cards are black and some are red, /
wager my very soul that Hearts are
Trumps; that the Club is not the win
ming card nor yet the Club nor Dia-
mond; that in world where Cruelty
exists and Death Stalks abroad, and
Money driveth men mad. Love is af-
ter all the Greatest thing in the
world. That God is love, and men
are brothers, and that the end of the
Game when we all Cash In we shall
find that he who said that Diamonds
were trumps will go where his Money
will purchase nothing, and he who
hath said that Clubs were trumps
will go where clubs and cannon count
for nothing, and he who hath said
that Spades were trumps will find
that Death is not finality, but Life
and Love and God and Duty and
Heroism and Sacrifice Win Out.
That is the Great Game which play.
And the Stakes are High. / have
Bet my Life as Epaphroditus did,
and have hazarded my soul like the
three men in the Burning Fiery Fur
mace. have made my wager that
God is good, and Love is the final
law Of the universe.
And ceased, and the Lady said,
Oh, just do love to hear you talk!
Oh, think its just grand to be able
to talk like thatl
And Of Bridge spalxe they no more.