The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-12-24

I IIIdHIy
pride of her heart and the solace of their
mothers aff1iction, in her passionate
grief for his sin and shame.
The day he drew the prize, he bade his
employer farewell! The money he re-
ceived in payment of his salary due that
| day was the last he ever received honest
{ ly. For anything gained by any form OF
| gambling is not gained honestly, wheth-
er it be the quilt or the dressing gown at
a church fair, the ring from the festival
cake, or the prize in an old-fashioned
lottery
That day he babe adieu to toll of hand
or head; he also babe adieu, although
unconsciously, to health, happiness, res
pectability, and to wealth, He thought
his luck" had made his fortune, His
use of it closed the door of fortune and
| barred it forever.
| He purchased lottery tickets by the
| wholesale, but except few small prizes,
his luck" seemed to have deserted him
| Upon the whole, he did not get his mon
ey back again. Then he resorted to 9TH
er modes of gambling, sometimes losing,
sometimes winning as more experienced
gamesters saw fit to allow him to do, that
they might lead him on to higher stakes,
which were invariably lost. They per-
suaded him to drink that he might play
more feCkleSSly, ana Wnen ne lOSt, as ne
usually did in the end, he drank more
| freely in his desperation to drown disap-
pointment and forget his losses.
OF course he soon acquired an appetite
for liquor, which quite reversed this pro-
gramme; for having now little money to
| lose, he played in hopes to win enough
to purchase the means of gratifying his
appetite Losing still more frequently,
as he was oftener under the influence of
alcoholic stupefaction, he at last pawned
his watch, the costly rings with which
he had delighted to ornament his lady
like hands, and even his clothing, to pay
his gambling debts and procure liquor.
Why follow the fortunes of now habit
ual drunkard? We all know the steep
descent down which so many sons, broth
ers, husbands, fathers, have fallen; cling
ing with frantic despair to the rocks
| along the pathway, yet only to stay their
fall for a moment, and then, with torn
and bleeding hands uplifted wildly to-
ward the weeping wife, the frantic mother,
the tattered children dragged half way
down with them, and now watching,
trembling agonized, the last scene,
which shall end alike their slavery and
his sufferings. His own slavery, | should
have said, for the dominion of sin is
worse than that of sorrow.
neither wife nor child to weep his shame
Never shall l forget the joy with which
one of my young friends mentioned to
me his having enlisted in the Mexican
war.
'It may be the means of his reform"
said she, "and at least it will be a relief
to his poor mother and sisters"
~ think you mistake" l replied, with
some bitterness; "he will return, un-
doubtedIy, and worse, if possible, than
now"
What can be your reason for thinking
so? asked she, adding, "All their friends
are hoping for the best"
81 always like to hope for the best" l
replied, "but in this case, l fear the
worst. He is not the kind of man that
is killed in the front of the battle, and
only a noble cause earnestly espoused
can render the life of a soldier ennobling.
He has enlisted in sheer desperation,
perhaps in a drunken frolic. He will
shirk or drag through, if he does not ac-
tually desert and come home the first
opportunity, with all the vices of the
camp"
Il am afraid he has most of them al
ready" said she, and we turned to other
subjects of conversation.
The event justified my prediction, and
y
terward, come with the words, "He never
seemed even to try to reform after he
left the army and at last after being so
long a sorrow to his mother, and dis
grace to his estimable sisters and broth
ers, he has died drunkard's death"
Let us turn to pleasanter picture, be-
fore close this true story.
The young man who was next to him
in Mr.. rs store although not supposed
to be nearly as smart" was promoted,
upon his sudden resignation, to his place.
This was done almost from necessity, as
no one else so well understood the bust
ness. He proved, however, far more
capable than his smart and lucky
predecessor. Beneath very quiet exte
rior, was hidden depth of real talent.
He soon became junior partner, and ere
long the gossiping world were astonished
to learn that the employers daughter
had given to him, and not to Alonzo, her
heart and hand. Notlong afterward, his
father-in-law having retired, he took sole
charge of the business, and lives to-day,
man of wealth and worth Should l
write his name, not one who reads this
page but would at once recognize it, as
that of a man well known to fame.
Surely work is better than luck