The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-02-28
THE GAMES OF CHILDREN AND THE
GAMBLING OF. MEN. .

| chance Or skill that were considered
legitimate to the family, and these
were such games as Checkers, Fox
and Geese, aud TWelVe-men Morris,
played withlred and yellow kernels
of corn OH designs scratched on the
opposite sides of a plain pine board.
The various games of cards were
generally considered contraband,
and hence had wonderful charms
for the boys who keenly enjoyed
the stolen fruit in back garrete,
woodsheds and haymows. In the
youthful days of the younger nfour
adult readers the game of DIR. Bus
by and the Mansion Of Happiness
were added to the list recognized
by the heads of most families, and
we well remember our doubts con-
corning the propriety of reporting
at home the fact that we had been
exceedingly fascinated with the
game of DIR. Busby at the house of
playmate, and also our happiness
when the game, after becoming a
little known in the neighborhood,
was introduced to our fireside by
parents who had the. good sense to
believe in making home pleasant 10
the youngsters.
From these simple beginnings a
few other games came into general
use, and parents began TO learn that
it was not beneath their dignity TO
devote part of their evenings to
making home interesting and at
tractive to the children.
The word 'games" is at present
used TO denote q wide range of
amusements and reCreatiOns adapt
ed to the home circle, such as char
AIDES, parlor magic, fortunes, wax
ifs ures, pantomimes, etc.. ms we'll
as games of chance and skill
played with various kinds of cards,
or on boards with dice and men, all
of which we believe are each year
becoming more popular in Ameri-
can homes. a@
But while this is so we would not
have a parent forget for q moment
that the line should be drawn be-
tween innocent home amusements
and what we understand as gamb-
ling. Many are unable to see where
this line is and in what it consists,
and while they admit the necessity
of making home the most attractive
place to the children, argue that
games played at home in childhood
tend to gambling in manhood. This
is not so; ii Is the use of the game
that decides which side OF the line
it must be placed. The delight of
every boy, The game of marbles, is
as innocent as any other childish re.
creation, and yet many boys have
received their first lessons in gam
bling when playing marbles, for
gains, and many parents have al
lowed their sons to count over the
contents of their marblc-bags at
night in their presence, who would
have held up their hands in holy
horror at game of Besique around
the evening lamp. Here is just the
line we would draw. Never coun-
tenance any game played for a
permanent gain, or in which money
or its equivalent is the object played
for.
That this must be the one and
only distinction between innocent
recreation and harmful gambling
must be seen from the fact that the
simplest recreation or amusement
of chance or skill may be used for
gambling purposes, and hence no
dividing line can be drawn between
two games unless, indeed, one of
them involves vicious habits or
practices in itself.
But IL all games are made simply
matters of amusement, it is not like
ly that those boys who stay at home
in the evening to play them with
their parents and sisters will be at
tracted in their manhood by the
temptations of the gambling tables.
On the other hand, boy who has
been encouraged to be proud of his
constantly increasing bag ofmarbles,
as the reward of his shrewdness and
skill in playing, will be apt enough
to consider it legitimate in after
years to keep his purse filed in the
same manner, although ivory balls
and pieces of card may be substitute
ed for the marbles. 1t is a matter
of satisfaction to all who have given
the subject thought, that innocent
games and home amusements are
fast becoming a prominent feature
in our homes, thereby establishing
CONGRATULATIONS to those of sa-
looms and hannts of vice that crowd
SO closely to our door, not only in
the large cities but in every country
in the land" Home and Society"
Seribner's for March.