The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-10-07
gradually the truth broke in upon

gradually the truth broke in upor
her. i
II have done it all, Hannah,'
hoarsely whispered tho condemned
man, when he saw that his wife had
guessed the truth Call, all has gone
for lottery tickets. The demon temp
ter lured me; he held up glitteriRe
gold in his hand, but he gavo me none
Of it. Oh, do not chide me; You
know not what have suffered-wbat
hours of agony I have passed-and
you cannot know how cold is my
heart now. O my wife, would to God
listened to you!'
"-sh;;" calmly whispered the faith.
full wife, az she drew her hand across
her husbands heated brow. "Mourn
not for what is lost. I will not chide
thee. 1t is hard thus for you to lose
your scanty earnings, but there might
be many calamities worse than that
Courage, James; we will soon forget
it,"
"And Mr.. Bowse will fOrecloso the
mortgage. You will be homeless %
murmured young Lanning, in broken
accents.
"No; I will see that all is safe in
that quarter" added Hannah.
At that moment tho babe awoke,
and the gentle mother was called to
care for it. On tho next day at noon.
Hannah Lanning gave her husbandsa
receipt for fifteen dollars from Mr..
Rowse.
"Here," said she 'interest is paid,
Now let US forget all that has passed,
and commence again.
"But how-wbat has paid this p
asked James, gazing first upon the ro,
ce!pt, and then upon his wife.
"Nevcr mind"
"Ah, but l must mind. Tell me-
Hannah"
"Well, I have sold my gold watch
"Sold it'll"
"But I can buy it back again. The
man will not part with it. if want
it. But don't want it, James, till
we are able. Perhaps I shall never
want it. You must not chide me, for
never did I derive one iota of the
pleasure from it's possession that ]
now feel in the result of it's disposal y
James Lanning clasped his wife to
his bosom, and he murmured a
prayer, and in that prayer there was
a pledge.
Two years passed away, and du'
ring that time James LaGning lost
a single day from his work. He was
as punctual as the sun, and the result
was as sure. 1t was late on Saturday
evening when he came home. After
supper, he drew a paper from his
pocket, and laid it upon the table.
"There, Hannah" said he, while O
noble pride beamed in every feature
"thercis my mortgage. I've paid it
every cent. This house is yours; it is
our own house. I've bought it with
dollars, every one of which has been
honestly earned by the sweat Of my
brow. / am happy now"
Hannah Lanning saw that her hus.
baud had opened his arms, and she
sat down upon his knee, and laid her
head upon his shoulder.
"Oh, blessed moment!" she mur.
INJURED.
eyes, it is blessed moment" re-
spondcd the husband. "Do you re-
member, Hannah, tho hour Of bitter.
ness that we saw two years ago?.
The wife shuddcred, but made no
reply:
s'ih," continued the young man,
II have never forgotten that bitter
lesson; and even now I trembls when
I think how fatally I was deceived 5y
the tempter, that has lured so many
thousands to destruction"
"But it's horror is lost in this happy
moment, said Hannah, looking up
with smile.
"Its terror may be LOST, resumed
James, "but its lesson must never be
forgotten. All, the Turing lottery
ticket, has dark side-a side which
few can see until they feel it,"
"And are not all it's sides dark p
softly asked the wife. "1f there is
L,;oh+noco ohout ~ II 10 onlv the
glare of the fatal ignis fatuus, which
can only lead the wayward traveller
idto danger and disquiet."
"You are right my doar wife. You
were right at first. Ah," he contin-
ued, as he drew the faithful being
mora closely to his bosom, "if hus-
bands would oftener obey the tender
dictates Of the loving wife, there
would be far less Of misery in the
world than there is now"