The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-12-24

cOnXed me to let him sell the fnrm ana
buy house and lot in the village, and
he'd work at carpenter work. And so
did, as we couldn't 7 do nothin' on the
farm. But he grew worse than ever,
and after awhile he couldn't get any
work, and wouldn't do anything but
gamble and drink all the time. l used
to do everything | could to get him to
quit and be a good industrious boy agin,
but he used to get mad after awhile, and
once he struck me, and In the mornin'
/ found that he had taken what little
money there was left of the farm, and
had run Off After that got along rs
well as could, cleanin' house for folks
and washin', but didn't hear nothing
of him for four or five years, but when
he got arrested and was took up to Osh-
kosh for trial, he wrote to me-"
BY this time there was not dry eye
in the car, and the cards had disappear
ed. The old lady herself was weeping
silently and speaking in snatches. But
recovering herself she went on.
- But what could dop L sold the
house and lot to get money to hire
lawyer, and believe he is here some
where" looking around. "Oh, yes,
there he is, Mr.. -" pointing to
lawyer -- who had not taken part
in play "And this is the man, 1 am
sure, who argued agin him." pointing
to Mr.. -- the district Attorney
"Judge -, sent him to prison for
ten years; s'pose it was right, for the
poor boy told me that he did really rob
the bank, but he must have been drunk,
for they had all been playing keards
most all night, and drinking. But, oh
dear, it seems to me kinder as though if
he hadn't got to playing keards he
might been alive yet. But when
used to tell him it was wrong and bad
to play, he used to say, why mother,
everybody plays now. 1 never bet only
for the candy, or cigars or something
like that. And when we heard that the
young folks played keards, down to Mr..
Culver's donation party and that Squire
Ring was going to have a billiard table
for the young folks to play on at home,
L couldn't do nothing at all with him.
We used to think it was awful to do
that way when | was young, but it jst
seems to ME as if everybody nowadays
was going wrong into something or
other. But may be it isn't right
for me to talk to you Judge, in
this way, but it jist seemed to me as if
the very sight of them keards would
kill me, Judge; thought if you only
knew how L felt, you would not play on
so; and then to think, right here before
all these young folks. Maybe, Judge,
you don't know how young folks, es-
pecially boys, look up to such as you
and then l can't help thinking that,
maybe if them that ought to know bet
ter than to do so, and them as higher
larnt, and all that, wouldn't set sich
examples, my poor Tom would be alive
and caring for his poor old mother; but
now there amt none of my family left
but me and my poor little gram chile,
my dead darter's little girl, and we are
going to stop with my brother in IL
linoy."
Tongue of man or angel never preach
ed more eloquent sermon than that
gray withered old lady, trembling with
old age, excitement and fear that she
was doing wrong. L can't recall half
she said, as she, poor, lone, beggared
widow, stood before those noble looking
men, and pleaded the cause of the rising
generation.
The look they bore as she poured forth
her sorrowful tale was indescribable. To
say that they looked like criminals at
the bar, would he faint description. L
can imagine how they felt. The old
lady tottered to her seat and taking her
little grandchild in her lap, hid her face
on her neck. The little one stroked her
gray hair with one hand and said, don't
cry gramma, don't cry, gramma."
Eyes unused to weeping were red for
many n mile on that journey. And L
can hardly believe that one who wit
messed the scene ever touched card
again. 1t is but just to say, that when
the passengers came to themselves they
generously responded to the Judge, who,
hat in hand, silently passed through
her little audience.
Diamond Cut Diamond.