Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-01-02

the list through but ne searcneu lot HIS
number in fain. 1t was not there. He
had drawn blank. He left the office
an unhappy man. Those twenty dollars
which he had lost had been the savings
of two months of hard labor, and he felt
their loss most keenly.
When he returned home that night he
tod his wife that he had lost. She found
no fault with him. She only kissed him
and told him that the lesson was good
one, even though it had been dearly
bought.
But James was not satisfied. He BROOD
ed over his loss with bitter spirit, and
at length the thought came to him that
he might yet draw q prize. lie wished
that he had not bought the first ticket,
and he thought that if lie could only get
back his twenty dollars he would buy no
more; hut he could not rest under his
loss. He was determined to make one
more trial and he did SO. This time hs
purchasedl the ticket without his wife's
knowledge. The result was the same as
before. lie drew blank.
"Forty dollars + was sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the young me-
chanic's lips. go, must draw q prize.
l must make up what l have lost Lzt
me once do that and I'll buy no more
tickets"
Another twenty dollars was taken from
the little bank, another ticket was
bought. another blank was drawn At
the end of three months the little bank
was empty, and james Lasning had the
last ticket in his pocket All, how earn
estly he prayed that that ticket might
draw him a prize. He had become pale
and careworn, and his wife, poor, con
tiding soul, thought he only replned be-
cause 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 the lottery was.
drawn in which lie held the siyth tic
ket, "Mr. Rowse has been here to-day
after his sem:-annual interest. l told
him you would see him tomorrow.
eyes. WILL" said James, in faint
tone. "Yes, tomorrow shall pay him."
Young Lanning thought of the lottery
and of the prize. This was his sixth
trial, and he felt sure that he should
draw prize.
The morrow came, and when James
Lanning returned to his home at night
he was penniless All his golden visions
had faded away, and he was left in dark
ness and misery.
"James, have you paid Mr.. Rowse
his interest vet ?" asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head upon
his hands and groaned aloud.
"For Heavens sake, James, what has
happened ?" cried the startled wife,
springiug to the side of her husband,
and twining her arms about his neck.
The young man looked up with
wild haggard expression. His lips were
bioodless. and his features we're all
stricken with death-lue.
"What is it o, wiIlt Z? murmured
the wife.
"Go look in our boX-our little
bank !" groaned the poor man.
Hannah hastened away, and when she
returned she bore the empty box in her
hand.
"Robbed ~ she gasped, as she sank
tremblipgly down by her husbands
side.
"Yes, Hannah," whispered the hus-
band, "I-I have robbed YOU The
stricken wife gazed upon her husband
with vacant look, for at first she did
not comprehend; but she remembered
his behaviour for weeks back she re-
membered how he had murmured in his
sleep of lotteries and tickets, of blanks
and prizes, and gradually the truth broke
in upon her.
"G have done it all, Hannah !"
hoarsely whispered the condemned man
when lie saw that his wife had guessed
the truth, "All, has gone for lottery
tickets. The demon tempter lured me
he held up glittering gold in his hand,
but he gave me none of it. 0, do not
chide me! You know pot what | have
suffered-what hours OF agony l have
passed-and you cannot know how cold
Is my heart now. y, my wife, would to
God had listened TO you!
"-sh !" calmly whispered the faithful
wife, rs she drew her hand across her
husbands heated brow. Mourn not
for what is lost. 1 will not chide thee.
1t is hard thus for you to lose your scan-
ty earnings, but there might be many
cllamities worse THAI that. Courage,
James we will soou forget it."
And Mr.. Rowse will foreclose the
mortgage. You will be homeless. muir
INJURED young Lanning, in broken ac-
cents.
"No; will see him. l will see that
all is safe in that quarter" added
Hannah.
At that moment the babe awoke, and
the gentle mother WAS called to care for
it. On the next day, ut noon, Hannah
Lanning gave her husband q receipt for
fifteen dollars from Mr. Rowse.
"Here," said she, "ihe interest is
paid. Now let us forget all that has
passed, and commence again"
"Bat how-what las paid this ?"
asked James, gazing first upon the re-
ceipt, and then upon his wife.
Never mind"
"A;, but l must mind. Tell me,
Hannah ?"
"Well, have sold my gold watch"
"Sold it"
"But l can buy it back again. The
man will not pat with it, if want IL.
But / don't want it, James, till we are
able, Perhaps shall 1fever want it.
You must not chide me, for never did |
derive one iota of the pleasure from its
possession that l now ieel in the result
of its disposal"
r o1 Ii ia fn hi