The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-08-22

BIDDEFoRD MAINE FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST %, 1862.
'IIow often do you go into the saloon and
spend dime there?'

colin now.
DO you think that l am going to die any
quicker for going into saloons'
YES, and poorer, too-oh 80 poor that
your family will not mourn over you, nor
any body else-but your own set
a great many respectable men visit ga
looms
'of course they do, and they arc on the
road to ruin, too
'0h you are our conscrvator, l sce.'
NO, not that exactly, but the town is
Il am not on the town. Do you think
am pauper?'
Not yet, but you will be soon. You re-
member old Billy Grafton. He was worth
his thousands till he patronized bar rooms,
and he died in the poor house, poor fellow.
why, you speak as if were almost over
the DAM
Certainly | do, for you are in principle
and when man is lost in principle there is
no hope for him. If a man is thief at
heart won't he steal il he can get q chance
and il he steals won't he go to the State
prison? and il hc goes to the State prison,
where will he 90 next?'
.0h! you deal in cxtrayagances, and al.
ways did-except in money
In my expenses l am not cxtrayagant, |
confess it,
'No,you arcnigyardly therc-you wouldn't
spend ten cents for weeks enjoyment
Il couldn't afford to, for ! am laying up
money to support your wife and children and
pay your funeral expenses
DO you think that man that makes his
two dollars day is going to come upon the
town, or upon his friends ethcr?'
'Why, yes, he is the very man, il he spends
ten cents day for lager bier, candies, oys-
ter suppors, etc. You remember Sam Peters,
presume. lie made four dollars u day and
felt US rich as CrUsus, and lived like him,
and when he died VIC had to bury him And
look at his family, too. Often they have to
90 without dinner, so wretchcdly poor are
they; and when he was alive they had four
meals day! And besides all that ho died
Of dyspepsia-an Incorporate suicide
.He never visited saloons
NO, indeed; II he had hc would have
died a suicide and murderer, too in fact
he was murderer any way. for his family
are dying now Of broken heart,-povcrty's
bittercst cup!'
'And do you suppose that il he had saved
ten cents day they would have been any
better or
.Of course do; for ten cents day in
one year is thirty.six dollars and fifty cents /;
in ten ycars-to say nothing of interest,
simple and compound-three hundred and
sixty five dollars,--a handsome littl sum for
q poor widow. Besides, man that thinks
nothing Of spending ten cents day for lux
urics never stops at that. He soon spends
twenty, thirty, forty and fifty cents; and
and next his all. Tho way to AycrnuS is
easy the poet says-and alas! it is too. true,
and you are sliding down Its prccipces rip
idly!'
But just think of it. Your way OF liv-
ing gives one no enjoyment
Yes, it docs-it gives him the enjoyment
of respecability, of usefulness, Of comfort in
this life and the hope of better. And
really Edward, do you think that | would
exchange places with your You are smarter
than am, know, you have better trade,
you are genius, in fact, whilst l AIN only
what | am, q lover of home and Of temperate
habits, but SEQ, have house across tho
way going up, to be done in tho SPRING
Where is yours? | have family always at
church, neatly dressed, where is yours on
Sunday? Your dear wife told my wife, the
other day, she couldn't attend church, Tor
she hadn't dress ft to wear. l am out OF
debt. How many bills did you have present.
cd you on New Years day? haven't hall
the talents you have, and yet where is your
influence in society? Mine is not very great
confess. But where isyours? have some-
thing to give away for charitable purposes.
You have nothing to give except to saloons.
How highly you might have stood in the
world, if your maxim had been penny saved
is two pence clear. And now, Edward, il
you will abandon your principles, adopt mine
or better ones, If you can find them, you
may yet be rich, and influential in society.
But assure you If you so on little longer.
us you are now going, you will soon be in
your grave, and your wife dying Of broken
heart, and your children left to the cold
charities of the world
Edward listened to Harry, reflected a mo-
ment, then entered a saloon, spent another
ten cents, felt happy for an hour, went home,
and in few days died-and left his family
penniless and his creditors minus. A sub
scrip,ion was handed round to pay his iuncr-
al expenses, and Harry subscribed, saying to
himself; al AIN no prophet, but my prcdic-
ton has become true in Edward Gordon's
case, and will 50 in many other-otherwiso,
a penny saved is not two pence clear"
Nv dear readers, this talo is not written
to reaec, on you, but to induce you to reflect
on your ways, and IL wrong to abandon
them, and become blessing to yourself and