The Washington herald., 1921-03-27

WORDSWORTH, in the most famous Of
all his poems, represents the child as
playing at life. All his games are imita-
tions Of "a wedding or festival, a MOURN
ing or a funeral" 1t is, says the poet, "ss
if his whole vocation were endless imita-
ton" No doubt that is perfectly true, and
it is true not only of the child's games Of
house" or horses or engines" 1t is
true of the games which grownup people
play. 1t seems as if We are SO fond OF
life, so absorbed in its interests, that even
during our hours of leisure, when we are not
living in earnest, we must still be playing
at life. And our. games are attractive to US
in so far as they are reflections of life. Those
which are most like life are the most popu-
lar. Those which are only little like life,
only resemble it in one or two points, are less
popular.
That is the reason, suppose, why there
are twenty bridge players for every one chess
player. Chess is not very like life. 1t is true
that brains count in life The man who can
see far ahead, who can plan coolly and cal
culate accurately, has a great advantage in
the struggle for wealth, advancement and the
other prizes which we all desire, which most
of us are out to win. If the race were always
to the swift and the battle to the strong, then
chess would be a perfect reflection Of life and
would be more popular than any other game.
Rut that is not so. The mournful old Jewish
preacher spoke the truth when he said that
time and chance happen unto all 1t is Just
there that chess fails. It takes very little heed
of time. You can have as long as you like,
or almost as long as you like, to think over
,our next move in a game of chess. In life,
the most important decisions often have to
be made on. the instant. We cannot stop and
think things out. And in chess we are deal
ing with an opponent and no one else There
;.matched against the players mind another
mind like his own. Only those two minds
matter for the winning or the losing Of the
game. a,
But in life, though men are matched
or.inst each other, there is always an out
.t.ndine mower which no player controls,
whicb profounly affects the issue Of the
came. We call it luck, chance, destiny or
nerbaps Providence. 1t upsets the calcula- :
tions of the wisest, giving the victory some
times to fools. 1t is perpetually interfering
IN one way or another with our plans. 1t In,
IN ,eal life. quite as important as brains,
character, daring or any other quality which
,ue NAV possess. And chess takes no heed Of
~ II Therefore the chess board is very i'm
perfect representation Of life; and chess, in
sn;te of its fascinating possibilities, will
never be really popular among men who,
when they are playing, like to play at life.
Patience games, played BY single player
with a pack or two of cards, are more popu-
Ia, than chess. But they, too, fail to repre-
sant life perfectly. In patience there is no
human onponent. The player matches him
elf AGAINST fate, uses all the skin he pos
sesses 10 defeat the blows of i'll luck, to make
tbe absolute best of such good luck as comes
in his way. he plays lone hand against
destiny. and there is no need to- consider
anv one except himself and that veiled hs'
Co.. an whose actions he cannot calculate.
~ were all of US Robinson Crusoes, eacf
marooned on a separate desert island, tryini
to make the best Of things for ourselves
with no competitors to dispute with US fol
the possession of the goatskin coat or tn
turtle on the shore, then patience would b
perfect reflection Of life. But - mattel
of fact, there always are competitors in life
men who want exactly what We want, wit
whom we have to struggle. Luck may undul'
favor US Or may trip us up at the -crihca