The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1859-12-15

"Pshaw! harm-whatya squeamish fellow Won
are, Stratton! Why, it's nothing but a rattle
and merely designed to give little zast to an
agreeable party. Didn't you know there's not
the least possible risk in it? can tell you that
they act on the some principle IN church fairs and
thatgood church members buy tickets for pic.
lures and quilts, and piano-fortes, and all thai
sort OF thing, If theysahsdesit, I'm sure we
can who don't pretend to any special pietv."
Thus reasoned Harry Brooks, Young man
OF twenty, while endeavoring to rursuade his
friend Miles Stanton, to take part in rattle
Miles had been carefully educated, and had al
ways looked with suspicion upon all games 81
chance as not only hazardous, but immoral and
pernlclous IN their tendency; but the cunning
and speclous argment of Brooks somewhat un.
settled his convictions. "True enough " he said
to himself (and pity It's he had cause to say it.,
they do encourage such pratices at fairs, and
after all, 1t would only be but paying trife
Tor good supper; only a shilling.' And alas!
he yielded--as Harry knew he woodland
yer, there was voice, and it sounded won
afously IKE the gentle tone Of his mother, say
ing, Go not in the way Of the ungodly."
| whats to be ratified for?'' asked Jonas
Childs, who, with two other young men, had
joined them.
| "Oh' a magnificent work-bov; just the thing
to give to pretty sister," said Harry, who
knew that Miles was very fond of his sister
Alice, and that the two, being poor, land orphans,
rarely had gifts bestowed upon them.
'Come, it's nearly time; we shall have fun
there, tell you; Elliston always gets prime
rafHes-and any way, we shall only a shilling
out OF pocket; we might spend that for cigars,
you know"
no TOUR gay young men-two of them clerks
in mercantile establishments, two of them bank
clerks-wended their way to another part of the
city, and soon stopped on the threshold of what
might be called fashionable restaurant, kept by
a man OF little principle, who seemed to under
stand how, by the most subtle advances to gain
a foothold in the hearts of the young men of the
city.
Miles Stanton was, perhaps, the only youth
in the little company who did not at first enter
into the spirit of the entertainment. He thought
OF his mother, who had been in heaven but q
year; he thought of his blue-eyed sister, wait
ing for him in their humble home, and wonder
ing why he came not. But the merry CONVEX
sation of the convivial party; the clnking OF
delicate glasses; the announcement that he was
the fortunate winner of the splendid rosewood
work-box, with its lid carved in flowers, its
hinges of silver, its gold-enameled compart-
ments and glowing lining, soon gave him new
spirits, and when he was challenged to ''look
upon the wine,' he drank, and forgot
And again the tempter assailed him. at was
no harm-a game of cards!-only fashionable
amusement to while away the time-and what
was quarter? So small stake was hardly
worth a thought"
| Come. come, Miles, you mustn't let them
think you're green hand. Sit down here, and
III initiate you. Besides, you're one of the
lucky ones; only think, now, of that beautiful
box, that cost fifteen dollars-yours for shil-
ling-it is but just that you should stake some
thing f. ssl
And he did stake something though he knew
it not, for there are fearful pleasures that cost
men-their souls! Oh, the peril, of the first
| yielding to sin!
| That beautiful work-box! How the innocent
eyes of gentle Alice Stanton flashed with pleas
ure, and filled with tears over it, Little she
knew-the sweet, confdiBg girl-that this first
''stroke of fortune" had poisoned the fountain
of heart dear to her as life.
| Yes; for now, alas the blush of the crimson
wine, the sharp shuttle of the cards, the fearful
rattle of the dice, the clink of the shining silver,
as 1t came rafting toward him in glittering heaps
| or receded, to fill the purse of some more fortu-
nate gamester, had become ,as sweet music to
him.