St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-31

your conscience excuses the slightest
departure from absolute right as a
"mere tritfe," that moment you have
let the enemy slip in his little finger.
1t will not he long before yoH are in
his grasp. When you lay down your
first stake, even if it is only '.in fun
you are actually gambling. Remember
that there is always first inch at the
top of every precipiee.
| am not addressing these ',plain
talks" to young men as an extremist or
a fanatic. What | said about the prev
alent impurity of the theatre has called
forth many confessions from the pub
lie press (even from apologists for the
stage) that my charges were quite too
true. ] do not affirm that every one
who ever plays game of cards is a
gambler, any more than every one
who drinks glass of wine is IA tippler.
But it is equally true that he who
neCer touches an intOxicant can never
become Il drunkard, aud he who never
plays a game of hazard can never be-
come gambler. My own personal
practice, at school, college, etc, was
one of entire abstinence from cards as
well as from wine-cups; and l. have
never repented Off, either. All games
of chance, when played in earnest,
have dangerous fascination. AS Can
ton Farrar well says, "there is gam
bling element in human nature" and
we have got to watch against it just
as we must watch against Unborn sen
sual appctites. With the excitement
of game of hazard comes the strong
temptation to risk IA stake Oh the game
as soon as the first stake is laid down,
conscience goes with it, and literally
the Devil has hand with you in the
game. SO strong is the fascination of
this spell of sorcerv that have seen
in the public "COnversazionhalle" of
Baden Badeu-wel dressed ladies
watch the rOulette-table until they be-
come SO bewitched with the play that
they would furtively toss gold Ma
pOleon over on the table from behind
the crowd /; the gambling element
i'll them had taken fire. Now Just here
lies the peril with you, my young
friend the excitement of games of
hazard sets YOU in flame; then comes
small stake then IA larger If you
win, you play to win more if you lose,
' Ou pay WI " NOul iOoSOCs
Before you know it, you are gambler.
The only safe and sure way is to stop
before goa begin.
But it is not only from card tables
and faro banks that mischief is to he
apprehended. Many young men are
tempted to "take small risk" in min
ing-stocks or other volatile stocks that
were playing up and down i'll the
market. | have known a half dozen
mere lads to "pooln their earnings or
their pocket money in venture on Il
share or two of stock. This rage for
dabbling in stocks turns hundreds of
respectable young men into actual
gamblers, although they would be
shocked if the ugly name were applied
to them. They are not shocked ut the
thing itself. Instead of feeling that
only the money honestly earned is
honestly got, they are sedueed into
hazardous ventures, which, in Gods
sight, are as genuine gambling rs any
that is perpctrated behind the locked
doors of one of those "hells" that
defy the laws.
The dangers to Young men are in
creasing from three causes. (Ist.)
mere is il growing passion IoI ScittuS
rich suddenly and easily. (2d.) The
gambling element is insinuating itself
more and more into the trade of the
country; the immense sudden gains or
losses 10y CORNERS" ''pools," etc, are
evidences of this. Old fashioned slow
and sure methods of business are
shifted mt and he is accounted the
smarteSt man who, hy IL sharp 'opera-
ton" wins in Il month what solid,
sensible men used to earn in IL life
time. (3d.) The rapid increase of
sclf-indulgent and luxurious living
breeds and intlamcs this gambling
spirit. That word luck is Il dangerous
word. Don't trust it. A life ordered
according to Gods laws is not Il game
of chance. Every dollar got by any
other method than inheritance or hon
est industry makes You poorer. Let il
| alone ; or it may eat into your soul
like fire. The awful tragedy described
mt the opening of tins article began
with the first dime laid down in a gamt
of hazard. - DIR. Theodore Cuyler in
! Iudepeudent