Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-03


II he could only get back his twenty dollars
he would buy no more, but he could not rest
under the loss. lie was determined to make
one more o Al, and he did 50. This time he
purchased the ticket without his wife's
knowledge. The result was the same as be-
fore. lie drew a blank
Forty dollars % was the sentence that
dwelt fearfully upon the young mechanics
UPS.
"Oh, must draw prize r. he exclaimed
TO himself | must make up what have
lost. Let me once do that, and III buy no
more tickets"
Another s20 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 the last ticket might draw
prize lie had become pale and careworn,
and his wife, poor, confding SOUL thought
he only repined because he lost $50. When
she would try to cheer him he would laugh
and try TO make the matter light
james" said bis wife, one day-it was
the day before that on which the lottery was
to be drawn in which he held the sixth ticket
--" Mr.. Rowse has been here to-day after his
semi-annual interest told him you would
see him tomorrow"
"Yes, | win, " said James, in faint tone
" Yes, tomorrow shall pay him"
Young Lanning thought Of the lottery and
Of the prize This was his sixth trial, and
he felt sure that he should draw.
The morrow came; and when James Ian
ming returned to his home that night he was
penniless All his golden visions had fed
away, and he was left in darkness and misery.
"James, have you paid Mr.. Rowse his in
terest yet ?" asked Hannah.
Tho young man laid his head upon his
hands and groaned aloud.
" For heavens sake, James, what has hap
pened 2" cried the startled wife springing to
the side Of her husband aud twining her
arms about his neck.
The young man looked up with wild,
haggard expression. His lips were blood.
less, and his features were stricken with a
death hue.
awhat is itg Oh, what ?" murmurcd the
wife.
go look in our box-our little bank :"
groaned the poor man.
Hannah hastened away, and when she re-
turned she bore an empty box in her hand.
(" Robbed" she gasped as she sank trem-
blingly down by her husbands side.
" Yes, Hannah" whispered the husband
f" have robbed you"
The stricken wife gazed upon her husband
with a vacant look, for at first she did not
comprehend; but she remembered his be-
havior for weeks back she remembered how
he had murmured in his sleep Of lotteries and
tickets and blanks and prizes, and gradually
the truth broke in upon her.
81 have done it all, hoarsely whispered
the condemned man, when he saw that his
wife had guessed the truth. " All has gone
for lottery tickets The demon tempter
lured me; he held up gittering gold in his
hand, but he gave me none OF it. Oh, do
not chide me You know not what have
sutfered-what hours of agony ! have passed
and you cannot know how cold my heart
is now. Oh, my wife, would TO God had
listened TO your
"--shl" calmly whispered the faithful
wife, as she drew her hand across her hus-
bands heated brow "Mourn not for what
is lost. I will not chide thee. It is hard
for you thus 10 lose your scanty earnings,
but there might be many calamities worse
than that Courage, James, we will soon
forget it,"
"And Mr. Rowse will foreclose the mort
gage. You will he homeless" murmured
young Lanning in broken accents.
No; | will see him. | will see that all
is safe in that quarter" added Hannah
At that moment the babe awoke, and the
gentle mother was called to care for it. On
the next day at noon Hannah Lanning gave
her husband a receipt for SO from Mr.. r.
Here" she said, " the interest is paid
Now let us forget all that has passed and
commence again."
n,t sh.f h. ~. IL
James, gazing first upon the receipt and then
upon his wife.
Never mind"
"Ay, but must mind; tell me, Hannah" Z"
"Well, have sold my gold watch"
"Sold itl"
But ! 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. Per-
haps ! shall never want it. You must not
chide me, for never did | derive more
pleasure from its possession than ! now feel
in the result Of its disposal"
Two years have passed away, and during
that time James Lanning lost not n single
day from his work. lie was as punctual as
the sun; the result was sure.
Ii was late ON Saturday evening when he
came home. After supper he drew paper
from his pocket, and laid il on the table.
"There, Hannah said he, while a noble
pride beamed in every feature, Z" that is my
mortgage. I've paid it--eyery cent. This
house is ours it is our own house. I've
bought il with dollars every one Of which
has been honestly earned by the sweat Of my
brow am happy now"
Hannah Lanning saw that her husband
had opened his arms, and she sat down upon
his knee and laid her head upon his shoulder.
"Oh, blessed moment" she murmured
Yes, 1t is q blessed moment" responded
the husband "do YOU remember the moment
of bitterness that we saw two years ago
The wife shuddered, but she made no reply
"Ah," continued the young man, have
never forgotten that bitter lesson, aud even
now | tremble when | think how fatally
was deceived by the tempter that has lured
so many thousands 10 destruction"
Z" But the terror is lost in this happy mo-
ment," said Hannah, looking up with smile.
"lt's 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 see until they feel it,"
And are all its sides dark Z" softly asked
the wife If there is any brightness obout
it, it is only the glare of the igns tdius, which
can only lead the hayward traveller into dan
gers and disquiet.'
You are right, my dear wife. You were
right at first. All" he continued, as he
drew the faithful being more closely to his
bosom, "if husbands would oftener obey the
tender dictates OF the loving wife, there
would be far less misery in the world than
there is now"
A Model Mother.