The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-09-23

4 pitL IA tOstSt
/ think there is,' kindly, but emphat-
ically, returned the wife. 'All games of
hazard, where money is at stake, are dis
honest. Were you to draw prize of
twenty thousand dollars, you would rob
thousand men of twenty dollars each;
or at least you would take from them
money for which you returned them no e.
quisolent Is it not gambling in every
sense of the word!'
%. no; you look upon the matter in too
strong light
Perhaps l do; but yet so it looks to
me. What you may draw some one else
must lose; and perhaps it may be some
one who can afford it no better than you
can. wouldn't buy the ticket, james.
Let US live on the products of our honest
gains, and We shall be happier
James Lanniug was uneasy. He bad
no answer for his wife's arguments; at
least, no answer that could spring from
his moral convictions, and be let the mat.
ter drop. But the young man could not
drive the syren from his heart. All the
next day his head was full of prizes.' and
while he was at work, he kept muttering
over to himself, Twenty thousand dol
lars, Ten thousand dollars, Five thou
sand dollars and so on. When ho went
homo the next night, be was almost un-
happy with the nervous anxiety into which
be had thrown himself. The tempter
had grasped him 6ruly, and vhenever
he thought of the lottery, he saw nothing
but piles of gold and silver. Iu short,
James Lanning had made up his mind
that he would buy the ticket, He went
to the little box where be had already
hundred and twenty dollars laid up to-
wards paying off the mortgage from his
house The lock clicked with start.
ling sound, and when he threw back the
cover, lie hesitated. He looked at bis
wife and be saw that she was sad.
%, I'm sure | shall draw a price, be
said With faint, fading smile.
He took four half eagles from the box,
and put them into his pockot His wife
said nothing. She played with her babe
to hide her sadness, for she did not wish
to say any more on the subject. She had
seen that little pile of gold gradually ac-
cumulating, and both she and her hus-
band had been happy in anticipating the
day when the pretty cottage would be
all their own. But when she saw those
four pieces of gold taken away from the
store, she felt foreshadowiog of evil =
She miz zht have spoken again against the
movement, but she saw that her husband
was sorely tender on the subject, and she
let the affair 60 to the hands of fate.
A week elapsed from the time that
james bought bis ticket to the drawing of
the lottery, and during that time the
young man had not a moment of real en-.
joyment. He was alternating between
hope aud fear, and his mind was constant
] y on the stretch
At length the day arrived. James
went to the Office, and found that the
drawing had taken place, aud that the
list of prizes had been made out. He
seized the list and turned away so that
those who stood around should not see his
face. He read the list through, but be
searched for his nun Der in vain. 1t was
not there He had drawn blankl He
left the Office an unhappy man. Those
twenty dollars which he had lost had been
the savings Of two months of hard labor,
aud he felt their loss most keenly.
When he returned home that night be
told his wife that he lost. She found no
fault with him. She only kissed him,
aud told him that the lesson was good
one, even though it had been dearly
bought. - ~
But james Lanning was not satisfied.
He brooded oser his loss with bitter
spirit, and at length the thought came to
him that he might yet draw prizel He
wished that be had not bought the first
ticket, and be thought that if be could
only get back bis twenty dollars be would
buy no more; but he could not rest under
bis loss He was determined to make
one more trial, and be did SO. This time
he purchased the ticket without his wife Is
knowledge. The result was the same as
before. He drew blank!
Forty dollars!' was a sentence that
dweit fearfully upon the young mechanics
lips. 20, | must draw prize. | must
make up what | have lostl Let me once
do that, and I'll buy no more tickets.
Another twenty dollars was taken from
the little bank, another ticket was bought,
another blank was drawn! At the end
of three months the little bank vas emp
ty. and Jane. Lannibg, had the last tick
ct 10 bis pocket. Alb, how earnestly be
prayed that that ticket might draw him
prize. He had become pale and care
worn, and bis wife, poor, oon6ding soul,
thought be only repined because be had
lost twenty dollars. When she would try
to cheer him be would laugh and try to
make the matter light.
James, said his wife to bin one day
it vas the day before that on which the
lottery was drawn in which be held the
sixth ticket-'Mr. Rowse has been here
to-day after bis semi-annual interest. |
fold his vou wonld s0a him to.morroW5