The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-03-26

~ y f'"tN W az ouSu pun tVoCl nUQ
moreover, they would have said 80,
feeling that they wore telling the
truth. Am ] not right
upon my soul, responded tho
man who understood billiards,
you speak TO the point. l know
that young man who has just paid.
bis bill, and you have not misiudg.
cd bim in a single particular And.
what il more, ! happen to have a
fact at hand 10 illustrate your
charge. We have club for an
excellent literary paper in cur vil.
lage, and last year that man was
one Of the subscribers. This year he
fclt-obliged to discontinue il. His
wife was very anxious 10 take it,
for ID had become a genial compau.
ion lin leisure moments; but he
could no: afford it. The club rate
was one dollar and fifty ceuts
year
Eye, and soft goes, said The
other gentleman. well, that
mans wife may be wishing at this
very moment that she had her pa.
per to read, while be is paying al.
most its full price for a ycar-for
what2 And yet how smiIingly he
does It. Ali those poor, sympa.
thizing wives? How many clouds
often darkcn upon them from the
brows of their husband when they
ask for trifling sums Of money, and
how grudgingly the mi.c is banded
over when il is givenl What por-
feet floods of joy might that dollar
and forty cents have poured upon
the children Of the unsuccessful
billiard player. Ali it is well Tor
such wives and children that they
do not know where the money all
goes
They had finished at the nearest
table The two gentlemen moved
on, and Albert Landman arose from
his scat, and left the hail. Never
before had he such thoughts as now
possessed him; he bad never dwelt
upon the same grouping of ideas.
That very morning his own true,
faithful, loving vile had been sad
and hcart-sick because he had
harshly and unkindly met her re-
quest for a small sum OF money.
And his sweet Lizzie had crept u,
way to her homo almost broken
hearted for the want of a simple
toy--such as her mates possessed.
And yet the sum Of both their
wants amounted 10 not as much
qs he had paid away that evening
for billiard playing,
Albert Landman wanted TO bc
an honest husband and father, and
the lesson was not lost upon him.
On bis way home he stopped at
Mr. Grants and purchased the
best and prctticst hoop to be found,
with driving stick painted red,
white and blue, and in the morn.
ing, when he beheld the child's de-
light, and received her grateful
happy kiss, the question came to
his mind: Which was the best
and happicst result, this or five
games Of billiards.. The hoop had
cost thirty cents. lie could play
two games of billiards less and be
the absolute gamer OF ten cents by
the pleasant operation.
A few mornings after this, as
Albert arose from the breakfast Ia.
ble, he detected an uneasy, wistfuI
look upon his wife's face.
Kate, what is il2'
ALBERT, could you spare me hall
a dollar this morning.
Certainly, my love. Anything
in reason to make you happy
And out came his wallet, and
the money was handed over with d
warm genial smile.
What tears at thatl Was il pos
sibio that she had been so littlC
used to such scenes on his part thai
so simple an act Of loving kindness
| thus affected her?
How many games of billiards
would be required to create usucL
satisfaction as Albert Landmar
carried with him that morning tc
the shop2
A very simple lesson, is it not
But how many may gain lasting
profit by giving heed TO the lesson