Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-02
edgs. Ths result was the .ams as before. 4,

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 was empty, and James Lap-
ning had the last ticket in his pocket. All,
how earnestly he prayed that thai ticket might
draw him a prize. He had become pale and
careworn, and his wife, poor, confding soul
thought he only repined because he had lost
twenty dollars. When she would try to cheer
INN he would laugh, and try TO make the mat
ter light.
James" said his wife TO him one day-it
was the pay before tina. On which the lottery
was TO be drawn in which he held the sixth
ticket Mr.. Rowse has been here to-day at.
ter his semi-aAnual interest. | told him you
would see hun tomorrow"
Yes, l will said james, III IA faint tone
:" Yes, to. morrow | shall pny him.
Young tanning thought of the lottery, and
OF the prize. This Was his sixth trial, and he
felt sure that be should draw.
The morrow came, and when james Ian
Mug returned home at night he was penniless
All his golden visions had faded away, and be
was left in darkness and misery.
james, have you paid Mr.. Rowse his in
terest yet 2" asked Hannah.
The young mar leaned his head upon his
hands and groaned aloud.
For heavens sake, james, what has hap
pened z" cried the startled wife, springing te
the side of her husband, and twining her arm
about his neck.
The young nal looked up with a wild, bag
gard expression. His lips were bloodless, anC
1 his faofnro ~ II Ill .-:kl 1..4L L..
What sit? What 7" murmered theswife
| "Go look il our box-our little bank !
groaned the poor man.
Hannah FASTENED away, and when she re
turned she bore the empty box in her hand.
"Robbedl' she gasped, as she sank trem.
blingly down by her husbands side,
Yes, Hannah" whispered the husband, 81
i have robbed you.p
The stricken wife gazed upon her husband
with a vacant look, for at first she did not com
prehend; but she remembered bis behaviour
for weeks back; she remembered how he had
Rurmured in his sleep of lotteries and tickets
of blanks and prizes. and gradually the truth
broke in upon her.
Il have done 1t all, Hannahi' boarsely
whispered the condemned man, when he saw
that his wife had guessed the truth. "All,
all has gone for lottery tickets. The demon
tempter lured me-he held up glittering gold
in his hand, but he gave me none of it. o, dc
not chide me! You know not what | have
suffered-what honrS of agony l have passed
and yon cannot know how cold is my heart
now. o, my wife, would to God had list
ened to you'll"
"-shl" calmly whispered the faithful wife,
as she drew her hand across her husbands
heated brow. Mourn not for what is lost
| will not chide you. 1t is hard thus for you
to lose your scanty earnings, but there might
be many calamities worse than that. Courage,
James; we will soon forget it"
"And Mr.. Rowse will ~forecloss the mort
gage. You will be homeless" murmured
young Lanning, in broken accents.
No; | will see him. | will see that all is
safe in that quarter" added Hannah.
At that moment the babe awoke, and the
gentle mother was called to care for it. On
the next day, at noon, Hannah Lanning gave
her husband a receipt for fifteen dollars from
Mr.. Rowse.
"Here," said she, the interest is paid.
Now let us forget all that has passed, and com
mence again
but how-what has paid this :" asked
james, gazing first upon the receipt, and then
upon his wife.
Never mind"
"Ay, but l must mind. Tell NE, Hannah. .
Well, | have sold my gold watch"
"Sold it {"
But | can bay it back again. The man
will not part with it, if | want it. But don't
want it, James, till we are able. Perhaps |
shall never want it. You must not chide, for
never did | derive one iota of the pleasure
from its possession that | feel 10 the result of
its disposal"
james Lanning clasped his wife to his bo-
som, and he murmured a prayer, and in that
prayer there was a pledge.
Two years passed away, and during that
time James Lanning lost not a single day from
his work. He was as p%unctual as the sun,
and the result was sure.
1t was late one Saturday evening when he
came home. After supper he drew a paper
from his pocket and laid it upon the table.
There, Hannah" said he, while q noble
pride beamed in every feature, that is my
mortgage. I've paid it-every cent. This
house is o%urs--it is our own house. pye
bought it with dollars, every one Of which has
been honestly earned by the sweat of my brow.
| am happy now"
Hannah canning saw that her husband had
opened his arms, and she sat down upon her
knee, and laid her head upon his shoulder.
20, blessed moment n she murmured.
Eyes, a blessed moment" responded the
husband. do you remember, Hannah, the
hour Of bitterness that we saw two years ago?"
The wife %shuddered, but she made no reply.
"Ah," continued the young man, Il have
never forgotten that bitter lesson; and even
now | tremble when l think how fatally l
was deceived by tue tempter that has lured
thousands to destruction"
But its terror is lost in this happy mo-
ment,' said Hannah, looking up with a smile.
:" Its terror may be lost" resumed James,
: but its lessons must never be forgotten. All.
the Turing lottery-tieket that has a dark side
"a side which few see until they feel it.n
And are not all its sides dark ?' softly
asked the wits If there be a brightness
about il, it is only the glare Of the fatal ignis-
fatus, which can only lead the hayward tray
eler into danger and disquiet.p
You are right, my dear wife. You were
right at first. All" he continued. as he drew
the faithful being more closely to his bosom,
ii husbands would oftener obey the tender
dictates Of the loving wife, there would be far
less misery in the world than there is won
BAA shilling Testament purchased
in New Orleans previous to the Mexican
war, not only saved the life of the pos.
SCISSOR, but was the means of saving his
soul. 1t was in this way. A young Hi
nois girl purchased a small Testament for