Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-09-26
THE LOTTERY TICKET.


young, honest man, whose highest am
, bition was to gain comfortable home
for himself and wife, and to be thought
well of by his neighbors. He had
built himself house, and there still
remained upon it mortgage of five
hundred dollars; but this sum he hoped
ito pay in very few years if he had
only his health. He had calculated ex-
actly how long it would take him to
clear off this incumbrance, and he went
to work with his eyes open.
One evening James came home to his
supper more thoughtful than usual.
His young wife noticed his manner,
and she inquired its cause.
"What is it, James p she kindly
asked. "Why I never saw you look so
sober before"
Well, I'll tell you, Hannah" re-
turned the young man, with slight
hesitation in his manner. 81 have just
been thinking that would buy lot
terry ticket"
Hannah Lannipg did not answer i'm
mediately. She looked down and
smoothed the silken hair of her babe,
which was chirping 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,
trying to assume confidence which he
did not feel.
"And have you made up your mind
to buy it?
"Well, think I shall. What do you
think about it ?"
If you should ask my advice, I
should say do not buy it."
"But why so?"
" For many reasons" returned his
wife, ia 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, CT
think the whole science of lotteries is a
bad one; and then you have no money
to risk"
"But just look at the prizes," said
James, drawing scheme" from his
pocket. "Here is one prize of twenty
thousand dollars, another of ten thou
sand, another of five thousand, and SO
on. Something tells me that if buy a
ticket I shall draw large prize. And
then just think, Hannah, how easily
could pay all up for my house, and
perhaps have good handsome sum
left"
The young man spoke with much
earnestness and assurance but he So v
that there was cloud upon his wife's
brow.
"It seems to me that the chance OF
drawing 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
paper, and Hannah laid it aside.
"I think shall run the risk" re-
sumed James, glancing once more ovel
the paper, and resting with nervous
longing upon the figures which repre-
sented the higher prizes. "There'l
Barney; he drew about eight hundred
dollars year ago."
"Yes, I know it," said Hannah, will
more warmth than she had before mani
tested, "and what has become of th,
money! You know he has squanderet
it all away. All, James, money is o
no use unless we come honestly by ii"
"HonestlyP repeated the yount
man. "Surely, there IS nothing dis
honest in drawing prize in lottery.
81 think there is" kindly, but EN-
phatically, replied the wife. GAL
games Of hazard, where money is q
stake, are dishonest. We're you t,
draw e prize of twenty thousand dol
lars, you would rob thousand men o
twenty dollars each; or, at least, yol
would take from them money for whicl
you returned them no equivalent. I
it not gambling in every sense of th
word ?"
"Oh, no You look upon the mat
ter in too strong a light"
Perhaps / do; but yet so it look
to me. What you may draw, some on
else must lose; and perhaps it may b
some one who can afford the loss n