The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-09-18
rHE LOTTERY TICKET.


THE LOTTERY TICKET.
James tanning was a mechanic,
young, honest man, whose highest ambi-
ton was to gain comfortable home for
himself and wife, and to be thought well
Of by his neighbors He had built him
self house, and there still remained upon
it a mortgage Of five hundred dollars;
but this sum he hoped to pay in very
few years, IL he had only his health. He
had calculated exactly how long 1t would
take him to clear off this incumbrance,
and he went to work with his eyes open.
One evening, James came home 10 his
supper more thoughtful than usual. His
young wife noticed his manner, and she
inquired its cause.
"What is it, Janiesg She kindly
asked. "why, l never saw you look 50
sober before"
"well, I'll tell you, Hannah" return
ed the young man, with slight hesita-
ton in his manner, 81 have just been
thinking that would buy lottery tick
ct"
Hannah tanning did not answer imme-
diately. She looked down, and smoothed
the silken hair of her babe, which was
chipping like little 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 asked
at length, looking half timidly up into
her husbands face.
Twenty dollars" returned james, try
ing to assume confidence which he did
not feel.
"And have you made up your mind
to buy itg'
"well, l think ! shall. What do you
think about itT
"If you should ask my advice, I should
say do not buy it."
"But why SOP
''For many reasons" returned the wife,
in trembling tone.
She would not offend her husband, and
she shrank from giving him advice which
he might not follow.
In the first place." she said, II think
the whole scheme of lotteries is bad
one; am then you have no money to
risk"
but just look at the prize" said
James, drawing a scheme" from his
pocket. "Here is one prize of twenty
thousand dollars, another often thousand,
another of five thousand. and SO on.
Something tells me that if | buy ticket
l shall draw large prize. And then
just think, Hannah, how easily | could
pay all up for my house, and perhaps
have a good handsome sum left"
The young man spoke with much ear
ne tness and assurance; but he saw that
there was cloud upon his wife's brow.
at seems to me that the chance of
drawing a prize is very doubtful" said
Hannah, as she took the scheme. "Here
are many thousand tickets to be sold"
The babe tried hard to snatch the pa
per, and Hannah laid it aside.
"Ithink shall run the risk" resumed
James, glancing once more over the pa
per, and resting with a nervous longing
upon the figures which represented the
higher prizes. There's Barney; he
drew about eight hundred dollars a year
ago"
Eyes, know it" said Hannah, with
more warmth than she had before mani
tested, "and what has become of the
money? You know he has squandered
it all away. All, james, money is of no
use unless we come honestly by it"
Honestlyw repeated the young man.
"Surely there's nothing dishonest in
drawing prize in lottery"
81 think there is" kindly, but emphat-
ically, returned the wife. "All games of
hazard, where money is at stake, are dis
honest. Were you to draw prize of
twenty thousand dollars, you would rob
a thousand men of twenty dollars each;
or, at least, you would take from them
money for which you retained them no
equivalent. Is il not gambling, in every
sense Of the word p
"Oh, no! You look upon the matter
In too strong light"
perhaps | do; but yet 80 II looks to
me. What you may draw, some one else
must lose; and perhaps il may be some
one who can afford the loss no better
than you can. Wouldn't buy the ticket,
james. Let US live ON the products of
our honest gains, and we shall be hap
pier"
james tanning was uneasy. lie had
no answer for his wife's arguments; at
least none that could spring from his
moral convictions, and he let the matter
drop. But the young man could not
drive the syren from his heart. All the
next day his head was full Of "prizes,"
and while he was at his work he kept
to himself Twenty thousand
dollars" "Ten thousand dollars," Five
dollars and so on.
When he went home the next night, he /.
was almost unhappy with the nervous
anxiety into which he had thrown him |
elf The tempter had grasped him firmly, |
and whenever he thought of the lottery |
he thought of nothing but piles OF gold .
md Aver. In short, James tanning had
made uphis mind that he would buy the |
ticket. lie went 10 the little box where
,e already had one hundred aud twenty
lollars laid up toward paying on the
mortgage from his house. The lock
licked with startling sound, and when
- threw back the cover, be bssitsted. !