The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-02-25
ult was the same as before.

drew blankl
Forty dollarsW was the sentence tha
dwelt fearfully upon the young mechan
ic's lips.
| "Oh, must draw prize p he exclaim
ed to himself Il must make up what
| have lost Let me once do that and II
buy no more tickets"
Another $50 was taken from the littl
bank, another ticket was bought, an
other blank was drawn.
All the end of three months the littl
bank was empty, and James Lanning ha'
the last ticket in his pocket. All, hov
earnestly he prayed that the last ticke
might draw prize He had become
pale and care worn, and his wife, poor
confiding soul, thought he only repineC
because he had lost $50. When sh'
would try to cheer him, he would laugt
and try to make the matter light.
James" said his wife one day-It wa:
the day before that on which the lottery
was to be drawn in which he held the
sixth ticllet-"Mr. Rowse has been here
to-day after the semiannual interest
| told him you would see to him to
morrow"
"Yes, 1 will" said James, in faint
tone. Yes, to morrow | shall pay him.
Young Lanning thought of the lottery
!
trial, and he felt sure that he should
draw
The morrow came; and when James
| Lanning returned to his home that nj ght
he was penniless! All his golden visions
had fed away, and he was left in dark
ness and misery.
james, have you paid Mr.. Rowse his
interest yet?' asked Hannah.
The young man leaned his head upon
his hands and groaned aloud.
"For Heavens sake, James. what has
happened p cried the startled wife,
sprnging to the side of her husband.
and twining her arms about his neck.
The young man looked up with wild.
haggard expression. His lips were
| bloodless, and his features were stricken
with death hue
what is it? Oh what? murmured
the wife
go look in our box-our little bank"
groaned the poor man.
Hannah FASTENED away, and when she
returned she bore an empty box on her
hand
Robbed y she gasped. as she sank
tremblingly down by her husbands side.
"Yes. Hannah" whispered the hus-
band, Il have robbed you
The stricken wife gazed upon"her hus
band with vacant look, for at first she
did not comprehend; but she remem-
bered his behavior for weeks back; she
remembered how he had murmured in
his sleep of lotteries and tickets, oi
blanks and prizes, and gradually the
truth broke in upon her.
Il have done it all, Hannah" 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
glttering gold in his hand, but he gave
me none of it. Oh, do not chide me
You not know what have esuffered-what
hours of agony | have passed-and you
cannot know how cold is my heart now
Oh, my .fe, would to God l had listened
TO your
''-sh p calmly whispered the faithful
wife as she drew her hand across her
husbands heated brow. Mourn not for
what is lost l will not chide thee. 1t
is hard thus for you to lose your scanty
earnings. but there might be many ca
lamities worse than that. Courage,
James; we will soon forget 1t"
And Mr.. Rowse Will .loreclose the
mortgage. You will be homeless" mur
INJURED young Lanning in broken accents.
No; l will see him. | will see that
all is safe in that quarter" added Han
nah
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 q receipt for
$45 from Mr. r.
Here she said, "the interest is paid
Now let US forget all that has passed and
commence again.
but how-what has paid this p asked
James, gazing first upon the receipt and
then upon his wife.
Never mind"
"Ay but must mind. Tell me, Han
nah"
Well, have sold my gold watch"
'Sold itr'
But l can buy it back again. The man
will not part with it if want it. But l
don't want it till we are able. Perhaps |
shall never want it. You must not chide
me, for never did derive more pleasure
from its possession than l now feel in
the result of its disposal
james Lanning clasped his wife to his
bosom, and he murmured a prayer, and
in that prayer there was pledge.
Two years have passed away, and dur
ing that time James Lanning lost not a |
single day from his work. He was as
punctual as the sun; the result was sure. |
1t was late on Saturday evening when |
he came home After supper he drew |
paper from his pocket and laid it on the
table.
There, Hannah" said he, while.
noble pride beamed in every feature,
that is my mortgage I've paid it
every cent This house is ours; 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. l 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, it is blessed moment, respond
ed the husband. Do you remember,
Hannah, the moment OF bitterness that
we saw two years ago p
The wife shuddered, but she made no
reply.
"Ah,'' continued the young man, 81
have never forgotten that bitter lesson,
and even now ! tremble when l think
how fatally was deceived bv the tempter
that has Iured so many thousands to de
struction."
But the terror is lost in this happy
moment" said Hannah, looking up with
Il smile.
Its terror may be lost" resumed