The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-03-07
innocent Amusements

A friend was in the City of b, and
a near relative, who was merchant,
invited him to dine with him at rest
aurant. While waiting for their order
to be filled, our friends relative man.
ifested so much agitation and distress.
as to lead to an inquiry into the reason
of it, whereupon his relative burst into
tears.
81 fear" said he after, becoming
self-possessed, THAT Arthur is utterly
ruined. He has a perfect passion for
gambling"
81 am surprised" answered our
friend, ''you will remember what
told you"
eyes; and you are right, and I was
wrong. But it is too late Dow."
This wealthy merchant was wont to
play cards with his children in the par
lor. Beginning with them when quite
young, he and his wife had spent many
OF tie long evenings in playing cards.
Our friend had been there and seen it,
and had condemned the practice.
Again and again he had warned the
indulgent parents agains5 nurturing a
love for card-playing in their sons,
that might prove snare. by and by,
in the place of vicious resort. The
parents only replied:
"Just the way to keep them out of
such places. Provide them with am-
usements at home; and they will not 60
abroad for them. Your Puritanic mo-
tions would drive many boy into
mischief, just to crafty desire for in-
nocent game, which is not grati6ed at
home."
But II few years had elapsed, and
Arthur was twenty-one years of age,
and gambler. The father had salts
fed himself that it was even as broth.
er merchant had told him. While the
father did not belive that his son was a
guest at public gaming boards, this
merchant assured him that 1t vas even
so. Scarcsly believing that 1t was pos
sible, he resolved to ascertain; he had
observed that his son left his desk where
he kept the books of the store, about
such time each day. and was absent
an h our or more. He recalled, also,
that he had caIcely been at home an
evening OF late, and frequently was
out until aften midnight. An apple
girl came into his Office just before the
hour at which he had observed his son
to leave the store. and he called her
attention TO the young man at the desk.
"lf you will 80 upon the opposite
side of the street, said he, "and watch
that young man when he leaves the
store, and tell me where he goes, l will
| give you half dollar"
In less than an hour the girl return.
ed to assure the merchant that she
could 'show him where The gentleman
was" The father, trembling with en-
otion, followed her to street near by
noted for its gambling hells, and going
directly 10 suspicious tenement, and
pointing up tbs stairs, she said, she
went up there"
The father rushed up the stairway
and. opening the door at the head of il,
what spectacle appalled, his sight
There sat his son With a group of pro-
feSsional gamblers, fascinated with tho
game for money, AS few years before
he had been fascinated by it in the par.
lor for pleasure. The father saw the
connection between the places and the
sports, as If the hand OF the recording
angle had drawn it. He was well nigh
| overcome. The great mistake of his
/ life flashed upon his view TO Oppress and
torment him. An "innOcent pleas ure's
had grown into hideous crime. What
he did for the enjoyment of his son had
ruined him for ever.
He related all the foregoing circum.
stances to our friend, seeking neither to
justify himself nor '1nncceut plea
eures," but confessing his error, AID
owning that games which are vicious;iu
places of public resort caunot DO WhoilN
innocent In tho paTlor. American AIs...
souger.