Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-17

generous, and | should Judge that he means
TO do as near right as he can. He has been
beaten, and he pays one dollar and forty
cents for the recreation of some two hours
duration. III you observe you will see that
he pays 1t freely, and pockets the loss with
a asmile. Happy faculty But how do you
suppose 1t is in that young mans homer
Suppose his wife had come to him this
morning and asked him for a dollar to spend
for some trifing thing-some household or.
naments, or some bit of jewelry TO adorn
her person-and suppose his little child put
in a plea for forty cents TO buy paper
and picture-books with, what do you think
he would have answered 2 OF fifty men
just like him, would not forty and FIVE men
have declared that they had not money TO
spare for any such purpose Aud more
over, they would have said 20, feeling that
they were telling the truth. Am | not
right Z"
upon my word" said the man who un.
derstood billiards, you speak to the point
| know that young man who has paid his
bill, and you have not misjudged him in
single particular. And what is more hap
pen to have a fact at hand to illustrate your
charge. We have club for an excellent
literary paper in our village, and last year
that man was one of our subscribers. This
year he felt obliged to discontinue it. His
wife was very anxious TO take it, for it had
become genial companion in leisure mo-
ments, but he could not afford it. The club
rate was one dollar aud fifty cents a year"
"Aye, and so it goes" said the other gen.
tlemanss" Well, that mans wife may be
wishing at this very moment that she had
her paper to read, while he is paying almost
its full price for ayear-for what And yet
k.. - "a
| sympathizing wives How many clouds Of
ten darken upon them from the brow of
their husbands when they ask for trihing
sums of money, and how grudgingly the
mite is handed over when it is giveni What
perfect floods of joy that dollar and forty
cents might have poured upon the children
of that unsuccessful billiard player. All
it is well for such wives and children that
they do not know where the money all goes"
They had finished at the nearest table.
| The two gentlemen moved on and Albert
Landman arose from his seat and left the
house. Never before had he such thoughts
as now possessed him he had never dwelt
upon the same grouping of ideas. That
very morning his own true, faithful loving
wife had been sad and heart-sick because
he had harshly and unkindly met her re-
quest for small sum of money. Aud his
sweet Lizzie had crept away to her home al.
most broken-hearted for the want of sim
pie toy such as her mates possessed. And
yet the sum of both their wants amounted
to not as much as he had paid away that
evening for billiard playing.
| Albert Landman wanted TO be an honest
husband and father and the lesson was not
lost upon him. On his way home he stopped
at Mr.. Grants and purchased the best and
prettiest hoop TO be found, with driving
stick painted red, white and blue and in the
morning, when he beheld his child's delight,
and had received her grateful happy kiss,
the question came to his mind Which was
the best and happiest result, this or the five
games of billiards The hoop cost thirty
cents. He could play two games of billiards
less and be the absolute gamer of ten cents
by the pleasant operation.
| A few mornings after this, as Albert arose
| from the breakfast table, he detected an un-
easy, wistful look upon his wifes face.
"kate, what is it p
Albert, could you spare me half dollar
this morning?"
And out came the wallet, and the money
was handed over with warm, genial smile.
What Tears at that Was it possible
she had been SO little used to such scenes on
his part that so simple an act of loving
kindness thus affected her
How many games of billiards would be
required to secure such satisfaction as AL.
bert carried with him that morning to the
shop?
| A very simple lesson, is it not but how
many may gain lasting profit by giving heed
| to the lesson ?-Selected.