The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-12-15


pretty game, and the keeper of the hall al
lowed no rough scuffs on his premises.
They had played four games Albert had
won two, and his opponent had won two.
THAT'S two and two," cried Tom Piper
''What do you say to playing them right off,
Albert ?''
can right, go in, !" said Albert, full of an
imation.
So they played the fifth game, and he who
lost was to pay for the FIVE games. 1t was
an exciting contest. Both made capital
runs, but in the end Albert was beaten by
three points and with a little laugh went
up to settle the bill. Five games, twenty
cents a game-tust one dollar. Not much
foT such sport; and he paid out the money
with grace, and never once seemed to feel
that he could not afford it.
"Have a cigar? ?" said Tom.
Eyes"
/ They lighted their cigars. and then saun-
tered down the hall to watch others play.
| Albert soon found himself seated over
/ against table on which some of his friends
were playing, and close by stood two gen.
I tlemen, strangers to him, one of whom was
explaining to the other the mysteries Of the
game.
"It is healthy pastime,'' said he who
| had been making the explanation, Certain
/ ly it is one which has no evil tendency"
Albert heard the remarks very plainly
and he had a curiosity to hear what the 9TH
er, who seemed to be unacquainted with
billiards, would say.
81 cannot, of course, assert that any game
which calls for skill and Judgment and
which is free from the attendant of gaming,
! is of itself an evil" remarked the second
| gentleman. "Sueh things are only evil SO
/ far as they stimulate men beyond the bounds
of healthy recreation.
THAT result can scarcely follow such
game" said the speaker.
But the other shook his head.
''You are wrong here. The result oan fol-
low in two ways: First, it can lead men to
spend money, who have no money to spend.
/ You will understand me. | would not cry
down the game of billiards, for if under
stood it I should certainly try you a game
now; but / am led to reflect upon a most
strange and prominent weakness of human
ity as developed in our sex. For instan noe
observe that young man who is settling his
bill at the desk. He looks like mechanic,
and / should say from his manner, and from
the fact that he felt it his duty to 90 home
at this hour, that he has wife and children.
I see by his face that he is a kind-hearte
and generous man. and 1 should Judge that
he means to do as near right as possible
He has been beaten, and he pays one dollar
and forty cents for the recreation of some
two hours duration. If you observe you
viii see that he pays it freely, and pockets
bo vrif a mil Fsa DIT
how do you suppose it is in the young man:
home? Suppose his wife had come to him
and asked him for dollar to spend for some
trifling thing; some household ornaments
or some bit of jewelry to adorn her person
and suppose his little child had put in Piles
for forty cents to buy paper and picture
books with, what do you think he would
have answered? ? OF fifty men just like him
would not forty and FIVE have declared tha
they had not money to spare for any such pur
pose? And moreover, they would have sait
so, feeling that they were telling the truth
Am / not Tight?'
"Upon my soul" responded the man wht
understood billiards, "you speak to the point
I know that young man who has just paid hi
BILL and you have not misjudged him single
particular. And what is more, happen to
have fact at hand to illustrate your charge
We have a club for an excellent literary pa
per in our village, and last year that maj
was one of our subscribers. This year h
felt obliged to discontinue it. His wife wa
very anxious to take it, for it had become
general companion in leisure moments bu
be could not afford it. The club was on
dollar and fifty cents a year.
] 4
tleman. "Wen, that mans wife may b
wishing at this very moment that she ha,
her paper to read, while he is paying almos
its full price for year-for what? And We
, how smilinglv he does it. All those poor
sympathizing wives How many clouds of
ten darken upon them from the brows o
their husbands, when they ask for triflin
sums of money. and how grudgingIy the NIT
is handed over when 1t is given What per
feet floods of Joy that dollar and forty cent
,, might have poured upon that unsuccessful
billiard player. All tits we'll for such wive
and children that they do not know wher
the money all goes
They had finished at the nearest table. Th
two gentlemen moved on, and Albert Land
man arose from his seat and left the house
Never before had he such thoughts as nov
possessed him he had never dwelt upon tn
same grouping ideas That very mornin
: his own true, faithful loving wife had bee
sad and heart sick because he bad harshl
, !, and unkindly met her request for small SUI
: of money. And his sweet Lizzie had creI
: to her home almost broken hearted for war
of simple toy. such as her mates possessed
And vet the sum of both their want
amounted to not as much as he had pal
= away that evening for billiard playing
Albert Landman wanted to be an hone:
husband and father, and the lesson was NJ
lost upon him. On his way home he stoppe
! at Mr.. Grants and purchased the best an
prettiest hoop to be found, with driving site
painted red, white and blue, and in th
!, morning, when he 5eheld his child's deligh
and had received her grateful, happy kis
!, the question came to his mind which was th
: !. best and bappiest result, this or the fiy
= games of billiards? The hoop had cost thi
/, ty cents. He could have played two game
. OF billiards less, and be the absolute game
of ten cents by the pleasant operation.
!. A FEW mornings after this, as Albert ros
= from the breakfast table, he detected an VI
easy, wistful look upon his wife's face.
Kate, what is 1t 30
It ALBERT, could you spare me half dolls
this morning ?''
Ard out came his wallet and the none
q was handed over with a warm, genial smile
What Tears at that2 Was it possibl
n she had been so little used to such scenes o
his part that so simple an act of loving kline
ness had affected her.
n m IL k ~