Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-09-21
1ad won two and his opponent had NO,

Will dllttIb iAuEsil tSEtsNuL& ~ kO$S6ttkSz
the bill. Five games, twenty cents a
such sport; and he paid out the money
with grace md never once seemed TO
feel that he could not afford it. IVA
Have q cigar2 said Tom. s::s i
"Yes.'' = 7'@,s -
They lighted their cigars and then
sauntered down the hall to watch the
others play. @Gs gysz
Albert soon found himself seated over
against a table at which some Of his
friends were playing, and close by stood
two gentlemen, strangers to him, one of
whom was explaining to the other the
mysteries of the game. ;ss.: 49,
at is healthy pastime," said he
who had been making the explanations:
land certainly is one which has no evil
tendency # e+as#s>> s.s.$t.. -
Albert heard the remarks very plainly
and he had d curiosity 10 hear what the
other, who seemed .unacquainted with
billiards, would say. ..l NIP
II cannot, of course, assert that any
game which calls for skill and judgment,
and which is free from the& attendant
curse of gaming is OF itself an evil," re-
mark ed the second gentleman. "Such
things are only evil SO far as they excite
and stimulate men beyond the bounds
of healthy recreation" .....&. 49,.
That result can scarcely follow such
gam . "ssaiu the first speaker. w 49,.
But the other shook his head. u
"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 have not
money to spend, Whenever 7 visit
place of this kind am led to reflect up
on most strange and prominent weak
ness 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
children. I see by his face that he is
kind hearted and generous, and should
IS he can. He has been beaten and he
| pays onesdollar and forty cents for the
| recreation Of some two hours duration.
| II you observe you will see that he pays
! it freely, and pockets the loss with
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 trihing thing-some
household ornament, or some bit of
jewellery to adorn her persOn-and sup
pose 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 and five men have de-
clared that they had not the money to
spare for any such purpose? And, more
oyer, they would have said so, feeling
that they were telling the truth, Am
not right?
"Upon my word" said the man who
understood billiards. You must speak
to the point. I know that Young man
who has paid his bill, and you have not
misjudged him in single particular,
and what is more, happen to have
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
be felt obliged to discontinue it. His
wife was very anxious to take it, for it
had become genial companion in lei.
sure moments, but he could not afford it.
The club rate was one dollar and fifty
year." s@~
= "'Aye, and so it goes" said the other
gentleman. swell, that mans wife may
be wishing at this very moment that she
had her paper to read, while he Is pay
ing almost its full price fo~ a year-for
what? And yet how smiling he does it.
All! those poor, sympathizing wives!
them from the brows Of their husbands
when they ask for a tribe sum of money
and how grudgingly the mite is handed
over when it is given! What perfect
foods of Joy that dollar and forty cents
might have poured upon the children of
that unsuccessful billiard player. All it
is we'll 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 AL
bert 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 group
ing Of ideas. That very morning his
own true, faithful, loving wife had been
sad anu heart sick because he had harsh
ly and unkindly met her request for
small sum OF money. And his sweet
Lizzie had crept away to her home al
most broken-hearted for the want ola
simple toy, such as her mates possessed,
and yet the sum of both their wants
amounted to not as much as he had
played away that evening for billiard
playing. &s
Albert Landman wanted to be an hon
est husband and father and the lesson
W S not lost upon" him. On his way
home he stopped at Mr.. Grants and
purchased the best and greatest hoop to
be found, with stick painted red, white
and blue, and in the morning, when he
beheld his child's delight, and had re-
ceived her grateful, happy kiss, the
Question came to his mind which was
the best and happiest result--this or the
Eve games of billiards? The hoop cost
thirty cents. He could play two games
OF billiards less and be the absolute gain
er of ten cents by the pleasant opera
ton.
A few mornidgs after this, as Albert
arose from the breakfast table, he de-
tected an uneasy, wistful look upon his
kate, what is it," E#3s ( #@ $a.&
"Albert, could you spare me. nalf 3
dollar this morning" s
And out came the wallet and the
money Was handed over with q genial
smile. ~" 2f.st sss=.ss ... 5@s*.. 49,"
What! Tears at tlatl Was it possible
she had been so little use to such scenes
on his part, that SO simple an act of low
ing kindness thus affected her?
How many games OF billiards would
be required to secure such satisfaction
as Albert carried with him that morning
to the shop?. HI sts :z4s d &. /. :.s..
j a very simple lesson, is it not7 But
how many may gain iastlng p ont by CIV
ing heed to. the lesson - Home Gompan-
lou. . b. ..s 5s S.
Perry Visits the Circus
At half past eight O. cl lock Nj onday
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