The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-08-18

that money to spare You viii understand
me. I would not cry down the game Of
billiards for, if ] understood it, / should
certainly try you game now; but whenever
/ visit a place of this kind am led to reflect
upon most strange and prominent weak
ness of human nature as developed In our
sex. For instance, observe that young man
who IS just now settling bis bill at the desk
he looks ike mechanic; and / should say
from his manner, and from the fact that he
feels it his duty TO 90 home at this hour
that be has a wife and children. ] see By
his face that he is kind-hearted and gener-
Gus, and l should judge that be meant to do
about as near right as he can. De has been
beaten, and he pays one dollar and forty
cents for the recreation of some two hours
duration If you observe, you will see that
he pays it freely, and pockets the loss with
smile. Happy faculty But how do you
suppose 1t is in that young mans home
Suppose his wife had come 10 him this morn
ing and asked him for dollar to spend for
some tritiing thing-some household Orna-
ment, or some bit of jewelry for the adorn-
ment OF her person-and suppose his little
child bad put in a plea for forty cents to buy
paper dolls and picture-books with what
would nave been the result2 What do you
think he would have answered Of fifty
men Just like him would not fve-and forty
have declared that they had not the money
TO spare for any such purpose? And, more
over they would have said so, feeling that
they were telling the truth Am not rightY
Upon my soul, responded the man who
understood billiards, you speak to the point.
l know that young man who has just paid
his bill, and you have not misjudged him in
a single particular. And what is more, ]
! happen to haze a fact at hand to illustrate
/ your charge. We have a club for an excel
lent literary paper In our village. and last
year that young man was one of the sub
scribers. This year he felt obliged to dis
continue it. His wife was very anxious to
take it, for it had become a genial compan-
ion to her In her leisure moments but ne
could not afford it. The club-rate was one
dollar and fifty cents per year"
AYe-and so 1t goes, said the other gen
! tleman. While that mans wife may at this
very moment be wishing that she had her
paper to read, he is paying almost its full
price for a year-fOr what Almost for
nothing. And yet see how smilingly he does
it. All these poor, sympathizing wives
How many clouds darken upon them from
the brows of their husbands when they ask
for trihing sums of money. and how grudg
ingly the mite is handed out when it is given.
What perfect floods of Joy might that dollar
and forty cents have poured upon the chill
dren Of the unsuccessful billiard-player
An it is we'll for such wives and children
that they do not know where all the money
goes !"
The game was finished at the nearest
table; the two gentlemen moved on and Al
bert Landman arose from his seat and left
the hall Never before had he had just such
thoughts as now possessed him. He had
never dwelt upon the same grouping of ideas.
The very morning his own true, faithful low
ing wife had been sad and heart-sick be-
cause he had harshly and unkindly met
her request for a small sum Of money And
his sweet Lizzie had crept away to her home
almost broken-hearted for the want of sim
pie toy such as her mates possessed. And
yet the sum of both their wants amounted
not to so much as he had paid away that
evening for biliard-playing.
Albert Landman wanted to be an honest
husband and father, and the lesson was not
lost upon him. On his way home he stop
ped at Mr.. Grants, and purchased the best
and prettiest hoop to be found, with driving
stick painted red and white, and in the morn
ing, when he beheld has child's delight, and
had received her grateful, happy kiss, the
question came to his mind-which was the
best and happiest result-this, or the five
games at billiards? The hoop had cost thirty
cents He could play two games less at bill
lizards, and be the absolute gamer of ten
cents by the operation.
A few mornings after this, as Albert arose
from the breakfast table, be detected an IN
easy, wistful look upon his wifes face.
Kate, what is itY
Albert if you could spare me halfa-dol-
lar this morning"
Certainly, my love. Anything in rea-
son to make you happy" And out came
the wallet and the money was handed over
with a warm genial smile
What Tears at that? Was it possible
that she had been so little used to such scenes
on his part, that SO simple an act of loving
kindness thus affected herr
How many games Of billiards would be
required to give such satisfaction as Albert
Landman carried with him on that morning
to his shop?
A very simple story, is it not? But how
many may gain lasting profit by giving heed
TO the lessOn2