San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-06-15


with a grace, and never once seemed
10 feel that he could not afford 1t.
"Havo n cigar?" said Tom.
Eyes" -,
They lighted their cigars and then
sauntered down the hall to watch the
others play.
Albert soon found himself seated
over against table at which some OF
his friends were playing, and close by
stood two gentlemen, 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 explanation
"and certainly is one which has no evil
tentency."
Albert heard the remarks very plain
ly, and had the curiosity to hear what
the other, who seemed unexplained
with billiards, would say.
II cannot, of course, assert that any
game which calls for skill and judg-
ment, and which is free from the attend
ant curse of gaming, is of itself an
evil, 4" remarked the second gentlemen.
Such things are only evil so far as they
excite and stimulate men beyond tie
bounds of healthy recreation"
"The result can scarcely follow such a
game" said the first speaker.
But the other shook his head.
"You are wrong there. The result
can follow in two ways: First, it can
lead men away from their business; it
can lead men to spend money who have
no money to spend. Whenever visit
place Of this kind 1 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 is just settling his bill at the desk.
He looks like mechanic, and should
say from his manner, and from the fact
that he feels it his duty to go home at
this hour, that he has wife and chill
dren. I see by his face that he is kind
hearted and generous, and 1 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.
If you observe You will see that he
pays it freely, and pockets the loss
with a smile. Happy faculty.! But
how do you suppose it is in that young
mans home? Suppose his wife had
come to him this morning and asked
him for dollar to spend for some tri-
fling thing-some household ornament,
Or some bit of jewelry to adorn her
person-and suppose his little child put
in plea 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
md five men have declared that they
nave not the money to spare for any
such purpose? And, moreover, they
would have said so, feeling that they
we're telling the truth. Am 1 not
.ight?"
"Upon my work." said the man who
Understood billiards, "you speak to the
1oint. I know that young man who
las paid his bill, and you have not mis-
judged him in a single particular. And
What is more, I happened to have fact
It hand to illustrate your charge. We
AVE a club for an excellent literary
,aper in our village, and last year that
nan was one of our subscribers. This
ear he felt obliged to discontinue it.
lis wife WAS very anxious to take it,
or it had become q genial companion
n leisure moments, but he could not
ford it. The club rate was one dollar
nd fifty cents a year."
CAY, and so it goes" said the other
Gentleman. Well, that mans wife may
70 wishing at this very moment that
he had her paper to read, while he is
aging almost its full price for year
or what? And yet how smilingly he
.oes it. All! those poor, sympathizing
7ives! How many clouds often darken
pom them from the brows of their
husbands when they ask for a trifing
um of money. and how grudgingly the
lite is handed over when it is given!
What perfect floods of joy that dollar
I'D forty cents might have poured upon
he children of that unsuccessful bill
ard player. ALI it is well for such
ives and children that they do not
now where the money all goes"
They had finished at the nearest
able. The two gentlemen moved on
nd Albert Landman arose from his
eat and left the house. Never before
ad he such thoughts as now possessed
i'm; he had never dwelt upon the same
rouping of ideas. That very morn
lg his own true, faithful, loving wife
adj been sad and heart-sick because he
ad harshly and unkindly met her re-
uest for a small sum of money. And
is sweet Lizzie was almont broken ;;
earted for the want of simple toy,
lch as her mates possessed, and yet
lie sum of both their wants amounted
not as much as he had paid away
lat evening for bilhard-playing.
Albert Landman wanted to be an |.
4 IL a., L. .l