The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-10-28
THE LOTTERY TICKET.


James Lanning was a mechanic,
Young, honest man, whose highest
ambition was to gain a comfortable
home for himself and wife, and to be
well thought of by his neighbors.
He had built himself house, and
there still remained mortgage OF
J Eve hundred dollars; but this sum he
! hoped to pay in few years, If he
/ bad only his health. He bad calcu-
lated exactly how long it would take
him to clear of this incumbrance,
and he went to work with his eyes
open.
One evening james came home to
his supper more thoughtful than usu-
al. His young wife noticed bis man
ner, and inquired its cause.
"What is it Jamesg" she kindly
asked. "Why l never saw you look
so sober before"
"Well I'll tell you Hannah y re-
turned the young man, with slight
hesitation in his manner, Il have
| Just been thinking that would buy
a lottery ticket"
Hannah Lsnning did not answer
Immediately. She looked down and
smoothed the silken hair of her babe,
which was chirping ike alittle robin
in her arms, and the shades OF her
handsome features showed that she
was taking time to think.
"How much will it cost" she ask
ed at length, looking half-timidly up
into her husbands face.
Twenty dollars returned he,
trying TO assume confidence which
be did not feel
"And have You made up your mind
to buy ity"
"Well, think shall. What do you
think abot it?"
"If you should ask my advice l
should say not to buy it?"
"But why so?"
"For many reasons" returned his
wife, in a trembling tone.
She would not offend her husband
and she shrank from giving him ad-
vice which he might not follow.
"In the first place." she said, Il
think the whole science of lotteries is
bad one; and then you have no
money to risk"
"But just look at the prizes" said
James, drawing a scheme from bis
pocket. ''Here is one prize of twen-
ty thousand dollars, another OF ten
thousand, another of FIVE thousand,
and so on. Something tells me that
if buy q ticket l shall draw a large
prize. And just think. Hannah,
how easily | could pay all up for my
house, and perhaps have good hand
some sum left"
The young man spoke with much
earnestness and assurance; but he
saw that there was a cloud upon his
wife's brow.
at seems to me that the chance OF
drawing a prize is very doubtful" 7"
said Hannah, as she took the scheme
Here are many thousand tickets to
be sold"
The babe tried hard TO snatch the
D aper, and Hannah laid it aside.
a think / shall run the risk" re-
sumed James, glancing once more
over the paper, and resting with
nervous longing upon the figures
which represented the higher prizes.
There's Barney, be drew about
eight hundred dollars year ago."
"Yes. | know it." said Hannah.
with more warmth that she had be-
fore manifested. "and what has be-
came of the money! You know be
has squandered it all away. Alb.
James, money is of no use unless we
come honestly by it."
Honestly" repeated the young
man, Surely, there is nothing dis
honest in drawing prize in a lotie-
ry."
81 think there is" kindly but en-
phatically replied the wife. "All
games of hazard, where money is at
stake are dishonest. Were you to
draw q prize of twenty thousand dol
lars YOU would rob thousend men
of twenty dollars each; or at least you
would take from them money for
which you returned them no equiva-
lent. Is it not gambling in every
sense of the word!"
ooh, no! you look upon the matter
in too strong light"
Perhaps / do; but yet SO it looks
to me. What you may draw some
one else must loose; and perhaps it
may be some one who can afford it
no better than you. wouldn't buy
the ticket, james. Let US live on
the products of our honest gains,
and we shall be happier"
James Lanning was uneasy. He
had no answer for his wife's argu-
ments: at least no answer that could
spring from his moral convictions,
and be let the matter drop. But the
Young man could not drive the idea
/ from his heart. All the next day his
head was full of prizes, and while be
was at his work he kept muttering to
himself, Twenty thousand dollars.
ten thousand dollars" and SO on.
When be went home the mex.
night he was almost unhappy with
the nervous anxiety into which he
had thrown himself. The tempter
had grasped him firmly, and when
ever be thought of the lottery he saw
nothing but piles of gold and silver.
In short James Lanning had made
up his mind that be would buy a
ticket. He went to the little box
where be had already one hundred
and twenty dollars laid up toward
paving of the mortgage from his
house. The lock clicked with start
ling sound, and when he threw back
the cover he hesitsted. He looked
at his wife, and saw that she was
sad
"Oh, I'm sure / shall draw prizen
he said, with faint, fading smile.
"He took four half eagles from the
box and put them in his pocket His
wife said nothing. She played with
her haby To hide her sadness. for she