The mirror., 1917-10-04

hand. you say, Others lost be-
cause they didn't know the game
as you do. Does your insight into
the future tell you that there is a
chance of your winning on that
handg Your first card says, De-
ceit; you tried to deceive yourself
all along, and the man that tries to
deceive himself will try to deceive
others.
Deception means: lying: cult
waiting false pride; considering
yourself superior to all others.
You may try and satisfy your own
petty mind that you are getting
away with everything: but don't
jam that idea down everybody; be-
cause everybody won't be deceived,
Your next card say, the player.
There are fellows in this world
outside and in here, that think they
have acquired the true essence of
wisdom. There is nothing that
they can't do and nothing that you
can do. A pile of dictionaries
placed near them would appear so
insignificant that they would melt
as snow on a hot stove. Their
wisdom is so profound and, genu-
inc that you would hardly notice
it if they did not call your atten-
ton to it. And vet how sad that
fate should have willed that they
should have been put here. Their
wisdom is about as much use as a
wart on an alligator's tail. And
yet with all the wisdom they pos
sess, they persist in playing a los
ing game; are not wise enough to
see that the man who won did not
and would not take a chance of
losing on the kind of hand you
held. Well, you say, it was des-
tined that you should win or lose.
l lost. Yes, but you might have
won if you had desired. Well,
let's drop the know-it-all; he knows
too much for us. Well take the
next card which says, Laziness. A
man takes his dinner pail and starts
out on a days work. He returns
at night and stopping at the first
saloon, goes in and begins to tank
up. That man knows that he is
cultivating a habit that some of
the best men have gone down in
disgrace. He knows that his char
acter is being placed in jeopardy.
He knows this; yet he is too lazy
to exert his energy and fight down
the desire for those things which
he knows will lead him onward un-
til he arrives at the only goal that
be can arrive at-Ruin. Such a
man is not physically lazy, but
mentally. Possessing foresight
enough to see the results of his
deeds; but too lazy and Indifferent
to make it his determination to
overcome these cravings and de-
sires for things that he tries to
make himself believe are essential.
Another man may be both men,
tally and physically lazy; doing no
bodily work. Your next card is:
Dissatisfaction. What is dissatis-
factions 1t is not knowing what
you want; not contented with any.
thing that you have. If the next
man plays safe and wins, you think
you are the victim of fate; you
think that an injustice has been
heaped upon you; you think that
he played the sucker to get where
you think you ought to be. 1t is
true you ought to be there by
right; but you ought to be man
enough to admit that you have no
right to the place after the game
you played, so don't be dissatisfied
with the winnings don't be sur
prised at the debti that 60 with
them; winnings that you were so
anxious to play for
"You played and won the game
not the game thai helps man
upward. but the game that helps
him downward, where thousands
have gone before hm. You have
showed four of your cards; now
show the fifth and last.