St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-11-14

scriptiOn, or friends advice to take
little cider or beer for the health's sake,
is the bait. The appetite once formed
becomes prison, wherein the victim is |
kept, ready for the devils convenience.
Not every one, only here and there one,
is caught in the commission of deeds of
violence or crime in fit of intoxication,
as sometimes among prisoners taken in
war every tenth man is shot.
Another trap is the appetite for gam
bling. lin it are caught and ruined an
nually, thousands of young men,-some
one has estimated as many as one thou
sand in the city of New York alone. A
low estimate would give that city more
than six thousand gambling saloons
New Orleans, before the wal, several
thousands; Cincinnati, one thousand.
On the great routes of travel, the
steamers and trunk railway lines, this
evil prevails to an alarming extent.
The vice begins in small bets, playing
for the cigars, an oyster supper, and so
on. When grown, it becomes mania,
that swallows up wages, savings,
fortune, manliness, friendships, hope,
heaven. Such disastrous results might
be expected from so wrong principle
as underlies the practice, which is TAX
ing the property Of another aUithout rem
dering an equivalent. 1t does not pre-
tend to give a just remuneration for
what is received. 1t differs from Ordi-
nary robbery only in that the design to
fleece the other party is mutual, and
each takes the risk of being robbed for
the chance to rob the other. The lot
terry is a branch of the same evil. 1t
has the same evil principle at its root.
The difference is that in this case the
other player at the game is legion, and
: invisible. 1t also has its little begin
niugs, in prize packages, gift book
stores, and other such enterprises.
When grown it is an insanity, an intOxi-
cation like that from ardent spirits. 1t
} is fearful current, that not only sweeps
; into the Golfers of nonresident thieves
and swindlers the hard earned savings
of the poor, but also swallows up hope,
faith in man, courage and ambition.
Another trap is the theater itself. 1t
is baited with brilliant scenery, ravish-
ing music, rich apparel, romance and
sparkling wit, but they lure to ruin. 1t
steals money, not for the ticket alone
but for countless extras; destroys bust
ness habits; introduces to unsafe COM
pauions; nay, into the presence of pro-
fessional and experienced destrOyers of
youth. Its plays, in order to please
the mass of its patrons, are spiced more
or less with profane and unchaste sug-
gestions. Whatever influence emanates
from the private character of its per-
formers will seldom make for piety or
for virtue. Indeed it is a recruiting
station for dram-shops and brOthels,
the place where they are likeliest to
find youth ready to listen to their
solicitations. Christian public senti-
it ment has ever been hostile to this in
stitution. Notwithstanding the good
character of some actors, and of some
of the plays presented, and the efforts
that are made in every generation to
purify the institution, the church views
it as an enemy, and warns against it.
He who frequents it expects to leave
his religious companions behind, and
r ventures alone into the enemy's com-
, try. The Buttes Chaumont, unique
and beautiful park of Paris, was once a
! woody and rocky wilderness of robbers,
but now, lighted, and patrOled by
policemen, it may now be walked in
J daylight or evening with safety. But
if thirty years ago one anticipating its
present condition had presumed, on his
own strength or that of an order-loving
public which his example would bring,
TO attempt evening promenades there,
it would have gone hard with his money
and his life. What the theater may be-
, come hereafter, is one thing: whether
:, it is safe to 90 there as it is now, is
. quite another. The mass of Christian
people and of serious minded and pru-
n dent ones besides say, 1t is not safe.
t Personal
= Mrs. III. r. Fuller has returned from
IS her European trip, reaching her home
d in this place last week. The steamer
+ had stormy, rough passage. Mr.. Full
: Ter will spend the winter abrOad and