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

bhO hiShCts LOU 10 1.-Two Oh bLN
products of our honest gains, and we
shall be happier"
James Lanning was uneasy. He had
no answer for his wife's arguments
at least, no answer 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 muttering to himself,
"Twenty thousand dollars" "Ten
thousand dollars" " Five thousand dol
lars" and so on.
When he went home the next night,
he was almost unhappy with the nerv-
GUS anxiety into which he had thrown
himself. The tempter had grasped him
firmly, and whenever he thought of the
lottery, he saw nothing but piles of gold
and silver. In short, James Lanning
had made up his mind that he would
buy the ticket. He went to the little
box where he had already one hundred
and twenty dollars laid up toward pay
ing off the mortgage from his house.
The lock clicked with startling sound,
and when he threw back the cover, he
hesitated. He looked at his wife, and
he saw that she was sad.
"Oh, I'm sure 1 shall draw prize?"
he said, with a 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
baby to hide her sadness, for she did
not wish to say more on the subject.
She had seen that little pile of gold
gradually accumulating, and both she
and her husband had been happy1u an
ticipating the day when the pretty cot
tage would be all their own. But when
she saw those four pieces of gold taken
away from the store, she felt fore
shadowing of evil. She might have
spoken again against the movement,
but she saw that her husband was sore
ly tender on the subject. and she let
the affair go to the hands of fate.
A week elapsed from the time that
James bought his ticket to the drawing
of the lottery, and, during that time,
the young man had not moment of
real enjoyment. He was alternating be-
tween hope and fear, and therefore his
mind was constantly on the stretch.
At length the day arrived. James
went to the office, and found that the
drawing had taken place, and that the
list of prizes had been made out. He
seized the list and turned away, so that
those who stood around, should not see
his face. He read the list through, but
he searched for his number in vain. 1t
was not there. He had drawn blank |!
He left the Office an unhappy man.
Those twenty dollars which he had lost
had been the savings of two months of
hard labor, and he felt their loss most
keenly.
When he returned home that night,
he told his wife that he had lost. She
found no fault with him. She only
kissed him, and told him that the les
son was good one, even though it had
been dearly bought.
But James Lanning was not satisfied.
He brooded over his loss with bitter
spirit, and at length the thought came
to him that he might yet draw prize.
He wished that he had not bought the
first ticket, and he thought that if he
could only get back his twenty dollars
he would buy no more but he could
not rest under his loss. He was de-
termined to make one more trial, and
he did so. This time he purchased the
ticket without his wifes knowledge.
The result was the same as before. He
drew blank p
"Forty dollars p was a sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the mechanics
lips.
"Oh, must draw a prize !" he said
to himself. "I must make up what I
have lost. Let me once do that, and
I'll buy no more tickets"
Another twenty dollars was taken
from the little bank, another ticket was
bought, another blank was drawn. At
the end of three months, the little bank
was empty, and James Lanning had
the last ticket in his pocket. All, how
earnestly he prayed that that last ticket
might draw him prize He had be-
come pale and careworn, and his wife,
poor, confding soul, thought he only
repined because he had lost twenty
dollars. When she would try to cheer
him, he would laugh, and try to make
the matter light.
James," said his wife to him one
day-it was the day before that OF
which the lottery was to be draw il
which he held the sixth ticket-"Mr
Rowse had been here to-day after hi
semi-annual interest. I told him tina
you would see him tomorrow"
Yes, will" said James, in fain
voice. "Yes, tomorrow I shall pa,
him"
Young Lanning thought of the lot
terry, and of the prize. This was hi
sixth trial, and he felt sure that b.
should draw.
The morrow came, and when Jane
Lanning returned to his home at nigh
he was penniless All his golden Wis
ions had faded away, and he was left il
darkness and misery.
"James, have you paid Mr.. Rows
his interest yet?" asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head upol
his hands and groaned aloud.
"For Heavens sake, James, wha
has happened?" cried the startled wife
springing to the side of her husband
and twining her arm about his neck.
The young man looked up with
wild, haggard expression. His lip
were bloodless, and his features wer
! all stricken with death-hue.
"What is itP Oh, what?" murmure
the wife.
SEQ look in our box-our littl
bank !" groaned the poor man.
Hannah hastened away, and whe
she returned, she bore an empty box i
her hand.
t Robbed p she gasped, and sh
, sank tremblingly down by her hus