The Press., 1883-09-20
MY LOTTERY TICKETS.

It was Saturday night, and the little woman who bears my name and mends my stockings, was sitting in her low chair by the fire, zealously putting patch up on the knee of little Tom's trowsers, turn, ing the piece of cloth this way and that, and holding her head on one side to watch the effect. But the stripes would all run the wrong way, while the -colors were pro. vokingly bright, compared with the faded garment. al
 "Never mind that, Mary" said I, ''here's achance to throw away your patches. Hur- rah for lovely country seat on the Hud. son, fifty shares of bank stock, house in town or anything else you wish, and all for dollar p .....fg,s4Y:}s; r l~s,4l
 "Now Thomas," said she, and when she wishes to be particularly severe, she al ways calls me Thomas, "what are you talking about?"
 "A gift enterprise, Mollie tickets only 8 dollar, and sure to draw a prize" ] read the heading, and displayed the long list of prizes. "What do you think oi that ?" shouted I, triumphantly.
 II think" she said laughingly, ''that if the baby" Then seeing that looked an. noyed, she added 'but I do not think that lotteries are just right, especially fo1 church members. Do you?'
 "Oh, nonsense I never saw church fair in my life that did not have grab-boxes and lotteries. I shouldn't dare to say how many dollars [ have spent on them, and never drew anything either,"
 She looked roguishly at me. '"Don't you think, then, you are most too old to begin ?' --
 ''It may as well be I, as any one, and il is no great matter-only dollar. "
 s'I know, Tom" and the wise little wo. man looked grave, ''but we haven't many dollars to throw away ;" and she held up the baby's socks with good sized hole in each heel. "And little Toms school bill comes in next week." ;. s....~s..sf<s 7.
 I laid down my paper and tried to speak very convincingly. ''Now, Mollie,it is all very we'll for man to jog on day after day, earning and spending just 80 much, but he likes to make venture once in 2 while, just for the excitement of the thing, if nothing more. ,
 ''Yes but Tom, don't you remember the share in the oil well ?'' .,rs,s--.7 .
 "Y-e-e-es," said9I, slowly, for it was rather an unpleasant topic of conversation to me. I had invested the little sum left me by maiden aunt, in an oil company, against Marys good judgment. Capita, a million of dollars, more or less ; oil wells flowing day and night on the land of the next company, just over the fence. was very much elated, and promised Mary, among other things, 8 new black silk dress we had seen displayed in some show win: dow. We'll, they bored and bored, throw ing up great deal of dirt, and great deal of water, but not drop of oil and just as they were about to begin in a new spot, the treasurer, or some one else ran away with the funds, and that ended the whole affair. Mary, like good little woman, never reproached me, but when I came home one day and found her turning her old merino inside out and upside down, ] felt-well, I can't tsl just how. but ] thought of that black silk dress.
 "And oh p she continued, "don't you remember the patent for the flour sitter ?' andjshe laughed outright. So did I, when I thought of the spectacle I presented when I chanced to turn the crank the wrong way, and the four flew in every di. rection.
 But made up my mind to buy one of these tickets, so, though Mary sighed, she said no more. invested, on my way down town, Monday morning, and thought, while was about it, might as we'll buy one for Mary, and one for little Tom, too. l showed them to her when when I went home to dinner at noon.
 "Not thrse O Tom, how could you 9 and she looked really grieved, While I, thinking it pity if must account for ev cry penny I spent, assumed the dignifed air which the occasion seemed to demand and the meal passed in silence. I went home, at night, to find her sewing as usu al. My conscience gave an uncomfortable twinge as she looked up pleasantly, ano then turned to the great basket of work
 If she only had 8 sewing machine Per haps should draw one, and grew quite happy over the thought, imagining he1 surprise when I sent it home unexpected ly. She would not think me rnwise then in having bought the tickets.
 Little Tom interrupted my reverie witt 50 father, old Susan who used to work for us, has been here to-day. She has burned her hand so she can't do anything Mrs. Briggs gave her 8 dollar. Mother said she couldn't give her any money, but she put some salve on her hand and gave her something to eat" did not look al Mary, but contrived to turn Toms thoughts iato another channel ; 1s@4Bs@F4
 Nor was l any more comfortable on pass ing through the hall the next day, to over hear her conversation with afriend. ssNo.' she was saying. 1T shall not subscribe te the reading club this winter. I can't very well spare the two dollars
 Wei, the day went by without our say ing anything more about it. T grew lit tie nervous as the time for drawing the prizes drew near, and opened my morning paper with some trepidation. At length my eyes were greeted with long list o