The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-12-24
AN OLD LADY'S SERMON.

Il go from OTeen Duy tO OHlchBo, Ol
the N. w. Railway. AT Oshkosh we
were Joined by a delegation of lawyers,
on their way to Madison, the capital, to
attend the Legislature, then in session.
They were ex judges of the Circuit Court,
and one had seen chairman of the
Young Mems Christian Association.
The party found seats near together,
and after the salutations were over, aud
the news duly discussed, they began to
look about for means to while away the
time. After awhile some one proposed
q game of cards. No sooner said than
done. Two seats were turned apart SO
as to face each other, II cushion iinpro-
vzed for table, and three of our law
yers, including the chairman of the
Young Mems Christian Association and
n Chicago runner, on good terms with
them, were soon deep in the mysteries
of game of euchre.
TO be sure, they played for stakes no
higher than the cigars for the party.
But it seems to me that, in the eyes of
all discreet persons, this does not change
the act nor lesson the danger of its ex-
ample, but rather heightens it, as from
the less to the greater is the invariable
course of crime. But did not intend
to moralize on paper, but was about to
say that while | was filled with such
thoughts as these, one of the party grew
tired of the game, and our remaining
~, q, tnI- 1, T
saw the blood mount in an honest blush
of disapproval, to his manly face, and
he hesitated and drew back. But the
game had become interesting, and his
excited companions urged him. "Come
judge, take u hand" they cried, I" we
can't go on without you" So the Judge
slowly rose from his seat, inwardly con-
demning the act, as | evidently saw,
and stepping forward, took seat among
the players, and the game went on.
1 noticed an old lady in seat to the
rear of the players, who had got on
board at Menasha, believe. Gray and
bent with age, she had sat abashed, and,
with eyes closed, seemed asleep most of
the time, until the train, stopping at
Oshkosh took on board the company of
lawyers. She then underwent u change,
and became greatly interested in the
company, looking often from one to the
other, as if she recognized them all, or
was trying to recall their faces. When
the game of cards was started she be.
came very restless, would hitch uneasily
about in her seat, take up the hem of
her faded apron and nervously bite the
threads. Once or twice | thought she
wiped her eyes under her "Shaker bon
net" but could not tell. She acted so
strange, that become more interested
in her than in the players, and watched
her closely She got up after II time and
tottered forward, holding on to the
seats as she passed. She brushed against
Judge --- in passing, but he had be-
come interested in the game and did not
notice her. Reaching the water tank at
last, she drank u cup of water, and took
a seat near the door, with her back to
the players. But she did not long re-
main there; rising again with difficulty,
she tottered back to her former seat, but
reaching the players, she paused directly
in front of them, and now, greatly eX-
cited threw back her bonnet from her
face and looked around at the company.
Her action at once arrested their atten-
ton, and pausing in their play, they all
looked up inquiringly.
Gazing directly in the face of Judge
--, she said, in a tremulous voice.
Do you know me, Judge -"
No, mother, l don't know you,' said
the Judge, pleasantly. Where have
we met p'
my name is Smith, said she; was
with my poor boy three days, off and
on, in the court room in Oshkosh, when
he was tried for-for-for robbing some
body, and you are the same man that
sent him to prison for ten years, and he
died there last June"
All faces were now sober, and the pas
sengers began to gather around and
stand up, all over the car, to listen and
see what was going on. She did not
give the judge time to answer her, but
becoming more and more excited, she
went on:
Z" He was good boy if you did send
him to Jail. He helped us clear the farm,
and when father was taken sick and
died he done all the work, and he was
getting along right smart, till he took to