Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-06-21
AGAMBLER,s SERMON.
Good Advice to Young Men Who
FOol With Chance.
Cincinnati Enquirer.

Ills ctOtneS were gOOO, OF ln0 IAteSt
pattern and most fashionable cut. His
watch chain the heaviest Of the heavy,
and rs fine as the gold OF Ophir. II
surpassed In richness the gold chain
that the King hung sbout the neck oi
the Oung prophet Daniel His boots
were highly polished, and shone like
the exterior of fine black walnut coffins.
His diamond pin twinkled like the
evenineastar in the summer sky. His
shirt bOscm was as white Ms an infants
soul, hut his eye was sad and his voice
was as sorrowful and borrowing AS the
wailing of the winds in the dropping
branches of the weeping willow. He
tapped his beer with his natty ivory.
headed cane, slipped down in his chair,
to give the base of his spinal column a
rest, pulled his hat over his eyes, and
languidly ssid-whieh painfully indi-
Gated that the gambler had struck a
looser. had coppered in the wrong
place: "Faro is a hi of a fascinating
camel In all the games for gambling
Il has 40 equal. A naa'sa DIN fool
to play IL, but IL catches The oldest of
'em. The chances, On the closest cal
culatlons, are three to one on each play
at the outset against the player; occa-
siOnally we striker winner, but we
only win to lose. The most prosperous
of Us die in the gutter-unknOwn, for.
gotten and deserted. Luck only smiles
on US for brief season, and " hen tickle
fortune deserts US, she never roOsts
above our doors again! Few of us are
wise enough to save in luck, in order
to live in u rainy day. But while we
live, we live, and after all, that is all
there is of life! The hereafter Is q
chance, and the old man has put up the
cards so well that nobody has ever
called the turn. It's cat hop at the
best. We are not utterly hesrtless. 1t
makes my heart ache to zee how many
young men are drawn into the vortex
and down to ruin. They begin on q
game of base ball. They lose on horse
race, get caught at friendly game of
draw, and in an evil hour try to get
even on faro. They often win on the
first venture, but 1t is terrible success.
They always pay 1000 per cent. on the
first wipning, and often they pay life
and blood ON the investment. The first
winning opens the fascinating rod to
hell; builds up barrier behind them
which few ever climb over to reforma-
ton. A little sentimental, amt /?
Have something? You don't drink !?
Good. Barkeeper, give me whisky
punch light, Pm blue to-day. Gamb-
ling and its attending excitements burn
all the stamina out of u man. but, thank
God it Can not, does not, blot out his
touched card, but am born gamb
Ter. It's in me; 1t always Was; and I'm
in for II until the deal Is out. / hate
to see young me of promise at q gaming
table. They have mothers and sisters
who love them; they have good situa-
tions and employers who trust them;
but the day they set foot inside q
gambling room their fate Is sealed.
The Recording Angel enters up the
books ahead, ninety-nine times out of
q hundred, and loafs around the gate
of st. Peter to notice the arrivals and
say tan tab to the boys who are as
signed rooms lower down. 1 have q
case in mind now. A fine fellow, who
q short time since was agent for New
York varnish house and commanded q
salary OF $1,000 year, in travelling got
lonely. He gambled fer amusement
when his business was over. He fool
ed with the tiger, put his hands
through the bars, petted the beast, and
suddenly felt himself torn to pieces.
To day he is an out-cast-drunkeH,
broken, deserted. would advise
every young man who has q business
never to cross the threshold of gamb-
ling.hOuse. l have made big winningt
and have made big losings. loss
S600n in ChicaOo irving IN mako ten
/ was broken and down and stayed
down for long while. I'm up again.
II had business you would never
catch me gambling again. Guess I'll
60 and buy a couple of stacks Of reds
and see how luck runs to-day. Good
afternoon" -s.r