The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-08-31

'"oie' i1c illu uraWE Il Dlunk tic lott tho
office an unhappy man Those twenty dollars
which he had LOST had been the savings of two
months hard labor, and he felt their loss most
kccnly.
When he went nome that night, he told his
wife that he had lost She found no fault with
hims She only kissed him, and told him the
lesson was good one, even though it had bccn
dearly bought -..i ta
but James Lnnning was not satisfied, he
brooded over his loss with bitter spirit, and
at length the thought camo to him that he
might yet draw a prize! He wished that he
had not bought the first ticket, and he thought
that If he could only get back his twenty dol.
lars he would buy more; but he could not
rest under his loss. He was determined to
make ono more trial and he did so. This time
he purchased the ticket without his wifcs
knowledge: The result was the same as be-
fore. lie drew n blank
Forty dollars :" was u sentence that dwclt
fearf'dly upon the young mechanics lips. ooh,
l must draw prize. must make up what
have lot. Let me once do that aud III buy
nu ;aorc tickets"
Anothc, twen;; dollars was taken from the
little bank, another ticket was '5cn:,.ht; another
blank was drawn At the end of three months
tic little bank was empty. and James tanning
had the last ticket i'll his pocket .lh, how
earnestly he prayed that the ticket might draw
prize lie had become pale and carcworn,
and his wife, poor, confi,ling soul, thought he
only rcpined because he had lost twenty dollars
When She would try to cheer him he would
laugh, and try to make the matter light
james, said his wife to him one day--it
was the day before that on which the lottery
was to be drawn in which he held the sixth
tickct-''NI Rouse has been here to-day after
his scn,i-annual interest. told him you would
see him Tomorrow"
Yes, will" said James, in Il faint tone.
Yes. to-morrow !. shall pay him"
Young 1.,nping thought Of the lottery and
,'f s;aol T!.is WAS the sixth trial land he.
felt sure that he should draw
The morrow came when James Lanning re-
turned tn his home at night hr wAs pcnnilcps
MI his golden visions had faded away and he
WAS lett in darkness and misery
james, have you paid Mr.. Rouse his inter
est yet ?" asked Ilannah
The Young a.an leaned his head upon his
hands and groancd aloud.
For heavens sake james what has hap
pcncd :" cried the startled wife springiny to
the side of her husband and twniny her arms
about his neck
The young man looked up with Il haggard
expression. Ills lips were boollcSs, and his
features were all stricken with death hue
''What is it (? o, what" murmurcd the
wife
"Go look in our bux-our little bank"
groancd the poor man.
Hannah FASTENED away and when she re-
turned she bore the empty box in her hand.
'Robbcl." she gaspcd, as she sank trcmb-
lingly at her husbands side
Yes, Hannah" whispered the husband, II
J have robbed YOU
The stricken wife ,azcd upon her husband
viii vacant look, for at first she did not com
prchcnd; but she remembered his behavior for
weeks back, she remembered how he had muir
INJURED in his sleep of lotteries and tickets, Of
blanks and prizes, and gradually the truth
broke in upon her.
II have done it all. Hannah, hoarscly whis-
pcrcd the condemned man. when he saw that
his wife had guessed the truth '..tll has gone
for lottery tickets The Demon temptcr lurcd
mc--hc held up .littcring gold i'll his hand,
but he gave me none of it. O, do not Glide
me You know not what have suffered
what hours of agony have passcd-and you
cannot know how cold is my heart now. ..
my wife would To G"d | had listened to you"
.'-sh :" calmly whispered the faithful wife as
she drew her hand across her husbands heated
brow Mourn not what is lost | will not
Glide thee 1t is hard thus for you to lose
your scanty earnings. but there might be many
calamitcS worse than that Courage. James );
we will forget it"
And Mr. Iiousc will tor+pl,sc the mortgage
lnH will jsc h1lAeiess," mYrmurcd young Ian
ming IN broken acccnts.
~. I ,:l COO him I will c., tl,nt all 10