The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-07-27


child caught her fathers hand Gag
erly.
"Not now, Lizzie-not now. II
think of it"
Sobbing again the child moved OF
toward home, dragging the old hool
after her.
At one of the stores, Albert Land
man met some of his friends.
Hello, Albert What's upw
Nothing"
"What do you say to game @
billiards, Albert?"
. Good, I'm in for it.
And away went Albert to the bill
lard hall, where he had a gloriou
time with his friends. He .likeC
billiards it was a healthy and pret
ty game, and the keeper of the bal
allowed no rough scuifs on his pre-
mises.
They had played four games. Al
bert had won two and bis opponen
had won two.
"That's two and two" cried Ton
Piker. "What do you say to playin:
them of. Alberta"
"All right, goin,' said Albert, full
Of animation.
And so they played their fftl
game, and he who lost was to pay
for the five games. 1t was an excit
ing contest. Both made capita
runs, but in the end Albert was
beaten by three points and with q
little laugh he went up to settle the
bill. Not much for such sport; and
he paved out the money with a
grace, and neve; once seemed to feel
that he couldn't afford it.
Have cigar? ?" said Tom.
"Yes."
They lighted their cigars, and then
sauntered down the hall to watch
the other players.
Albert soon found himself seated
over against a table at which some
of his friends were playing, and close
by stood two men, strangers to him,
one of whom was explaining TO the
other the mysteries of the game.
1T is a healthy pastime," said he
who had been making the explana-
ton; "and certainly it is one which
has no evil tendency"
Albert heard the remarks very
plainly, and he had curiosity to
hear what the other, who seemed
unacquainted with billiards would
say.
II cannot, of course, assert that
any game which calls for skill or
Judgment, and which is free from
the attendant curse of gambling, is
of itself, an evil, remarked the sec
ond gentleman. Such things are
only evil so far rs they excite and
stimulate men beyond the bounds
of healthy recreation" )"
"That result can scarcely follow
such a game said the first speak
er.
"You are wrong here. The result
can follow in two ways: First, it can
lead men away from their business;
it can lead men to spend money,
who haye not money to spend.
Whenever / visit place of this
kind / am led to reflect upon a most
strange and prominent weakness of
humanity as developed in our sex.
For instance, observe that young
man who has just settled his bill at
the desk. He looks like a mechan-
ic, and / should say from his man
ner, and from the fact that he feels
it his duty to be home at this hour,
that he has a wife and children. l
see by his face that he is kind heart
ed and generous, and l should Judge
that be means to do as near right as
he can. He has been beaten, and
he paws one dollar and forty-five
cents for the recreation of some two
hours duration. Ifyou observe, you
will see that he pays it freely, and
pockets the loss with asmile. Hap
py faculty. But how do you sup
pose it is in the young mans home
Suppose his wife had come % him
this morning and asked him for
dollar to spend for some trifling
thing-some household ornament,
or bit of iewelry to adorn her per-
son-and suppose his little child
put in plea for forty cents to buy
a paper and picture book with,
what do you think he would have
answered? (? OF fifty men just like
him would not forty.fiye have de-
clared they had not money to spare
for any such purpose? And, more
over. they would have said so feel
ing that they were telling the truth.
Am | not right ?"
Upon my word" said the man
who understood billiards, you
speak to the point. know that
Young man who has just paid his
bill, and you have not misjudged
him in a single particular. And
what is more, happen to have at
hand a fact TO illustrate your charge.
We have a club for an excellent
literary paper in our village, and
last year that man was one of our
subscribers. This year he felt OBJ
liged 10 discontinue it. His wife
was very anxious to take it, for it
had beccme a genial companion in
leisure moments. but he could not
afford it. The rate was one dollar
and fifty year.
"Aye, and SO it goes,8 said the
other gentleilan. swell, that mans
wife might b, wishing at this very
moment Tat she had her paper to
read, while he is paying almost its
full price for year-for what :?
And vet how willingly he does it.
All those poor, sympathizing wives
How many clouds often darken
upon them from the brows of their
husbands, when they ask for trifling
sums of money, and how grudging-
inely the mite is handed over when
it is givenl What perfect floods OF
ioy 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