Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-07-05
A GAMBLERS SERMON.

A GAMBLERS SERMON.
His clothes were good, of the latest
pattern and most fashionable cut.
His watch-chain was the heaviest of
the heavy, and as fine as the gold of
Ophir. 1t surpassed in richness the
chain that the King hung about the
neck of the young prophet Daniel.
His boots. were highly polished, and
shone like the exterior of fine black
walnut cofiins. His diamond pin
twinkled like the evening star in a
summer sky. His shirt bosom was as
white as an infants soul, but his eye
was sad and his voice was as sorrow
ful and sorrowing as the wailing of
the winds in the dropping branches of
the weeping willow. He tapped his
boot 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 said-which painfully indi-
Gated that the gambler had struck a
loser, had coppercd in the wrong
place-"F is HI of 4 fascinat-
ing game! In all the games for
gambling it has no equal. A mans
a ID fool to play it, but it catches
the oldest of 'em. The chances on
the closest calculations are three to
one each play at the outest against
the player; occasionally we strike n
winner, but we only win to lose. The
most prosperous of us die in the gut
ter-Hnknown, forgotten, deserted.
Luck only smiles on us for brief
season, and when tickle fortune
deserts us she never roots about our
doors again! Few of us ere wise
enough to save in luck, in order to
live in rainy day. But while we
live we live, and after all that is all
there is Of life! The hereafter is
chance, and the old man has put up
the cards so well that nobody has
ever called the turn. Its 4 'cat-hop'
III the best. We are not utterly
heartless. 1t makes my heart ache
to see how many young men are
drawn into the vortex and down to
ruin. They begin on 4 game of base
ball. They lose on Il 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 winning, and often they play
life and blood on the investment. The
first winning opens the fascinating
road to hell; builds up a barrier
behind them which few ever climb
over 10 reformation. A little senti-
mental, amt l? Have something?
You don't drink? Good. Bar
keeper, give me 4 whisky punch light d!
I'm blue to-day. Gambling and its
attending excitements burn all the
stamina out Of a man; but, thank
God! ii can not, does not, blot out
his sympathies. | wish | had never
touched card, but L am born u
gambler. It's in me; it always was;
| m in for it until the deal is out.
hate to see young men OF promise at
the gaming table. They have mothers
and sisters who love them; they have
good situations and employers who
trust them; but the day they set foot
inside gambling room their fate is
sealed. The Recording Angel enters
up the books ahead, ninety-nine
times out of a hundred, and loafs
| around the gate Of st. Peter to notice
the arrivals and say tab! tah! to the
boys who are assigned rooms lower
down. | / We case in mind now.
A fine fellow, who short time since
was agent for Il New York varnish
house, and commanded salary of
$50, 900 q year, in travelling got lone
ly. He gambled for amusement when
his business was yer. He fooled
with the tiger, put his hands through
the bars, petted the beast, and sud-
denly found himself torn to pieces.
To-day he is an outcast-drunken,
broken, deserted. l would advise
every young man who has business
never to cross the threshold of q gam
bling house. have made big winnings
and have made big losings. l lost
$4,000 in Chicago trying to make
$4,000. l was broke and down,
and stayed down for a long while.
If l had a business you would never
catch me gambling again. Guess I'll
go and buy couple of stacks of reds
and see how luck. runs to-day."-
[Cincinnati Enquirer.
A LIVELY RAn:RoAD.-A cores
pondent Of the Chicago Times de-
scribes narrow-gague railroad in the
| Pennsyly.nia minino districts as FOL.