The Princeton union., 1880-01-21
A Gamblers Story.

A Gamblers Story.
Rev. w. J. Smith preached a sermon
in San Francisco on the text, "Thou
art weighed in the balances and found
wanting" he pictured, graphically,
Babylon and Belshazzar's feast, the hand
writing on the wall, the Kings oonster-
nation, the explanation by Daniel, and
his overthrow and death. After driving
home the practical lessons of the sub
ject, he closed by relating the following
incident: Just one year ago preached
from this text in the southern part of
California. At the close of the service,
as I walked to my hotel, a gentleman
said, "Your sermon tonight has awak-
ened in my heart some memories of the
past. If you will sit down I will give
you leaf from my history" will try
to give it to you, my friends, as nearly
as can in his own words, hoping God
may bless it to some heart in this audi-
ence. Said he: 81 knew every trick
and dodge of every game. I went to
San Francisco and paid out q large sum
of money for lessons from an expert,
until I was perfectly at home at any
game. It was on New Years eve. I had
played well and won heavily. Near mid
night Irose from the table to start home.
As reached the door an old farmer.
whom had known well, stepped up to
me and said, John, I wish you would
play my hand. They have feeced me
out of everything. I've just got $l7
left. I wish you would take it and
fhr0vr fny orh
some of it back; if not, lose the balance
It made me pity him in his sad de-
pendence, SO took his money
and sat down where heshad lost. There
were three of them, and they were
throwing dice. I took hand, and in
half an hour had won back the old
mans money and had quite q surplus
over. After handing over his amount,
amid profuse thanks, thought would
just play away the balance. We
changed to cards, and the luck seemed
to turn against me. I lost at every deal.
This nettled me. l staked larger sum
and lost again. Thus elated, they drank
heavily. I never drank. I dealt reck-
lessly; but the luck was on their side,
and they won every time. I say luck,
because it is simply such among players
who know the game and cannot cheat
I was dumbfounded. I had never
known my fingers to serve me 80 be-
fore. could see no trick in the game
but I was not to be baffled in that way,
SO determined to play one dodge and
sweep in the stakes. I went to the bar
tender for cold deck. He understood
me, for he was trained. He called their
attention to the bar, and, as he passed.
me, he dropped the deck on my lap,
slipping the others up his sleeve. As
they sat down again I shuffled the
cards, and knew every one they held.
The first man laid down his pile, the
second raised it, and the third went
still higher. When it came to me
doubled the highest. They each,
then, confident of success, brought
figures up to mine. As the cards were
lifted three hands were outstretched to
rake in the money; as foul play
rang through the room, I sprang
upon the middle of the table and drew
my revolver, saying: Gentlemen, You
touch that money at your peril. You
know the rules of the game; you have
fouled me, now prove it. Let the bar
tender hold the stakes and you search
me. If you find marked card about
me then draw your money. If not,
then the pile is nine They finally
agreed to that, and went through me
from head to foot, but of course found
no cards. swept in the pile of some
$500 or 5000, called up the roomful,
treated all around, and then said, in
tones of injured innocence: Gentle
men, have played long time; this is
the first time was ever fouled. IF I
cannot play without being called cheat
this is my last game Then they
cheered and laughed all around and
called it good joke. It was 3 or
o'clock now and I started to leave the
room. As I walked across the floor
under the dim light of the fickering
lamps form seemed to step across my
path that made me start. put my
hand to my eyes, for still it confronted
me-the form of my old father-and he
seemed as real now as years ago. when
the morning I left home he put his
trembling hand on my shoulder and
said, IN tones tender with feeling:
Dear boy, you're going out in the
world now. A new life opens to you.
Give me your promise that you will
avoid bad company and never touch
cards. Yes I gave that promise.
Long, long had it been forgotten !;
but memory brought it back. all