Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-03-17
At one of the stores Albert Land
man met some of his old friends.
s'Hello, Albert! What's up?'
ssNotbinr in narticu1ar -

w hat do you say to game OF
billiards. Albert?' p
ssGood! I'm in for that
And away went Albert to the bill
lard hall where he had a glorious time
with his friends. He liked billiards.
1t was q healthy, pretty game, and
the keeper of the hall allowed no
rough scuffs on his premises.
They had played four games. Al
bert had won two and his opponent
two.
That's two and two,' cried Tom
Piker. aWhat do you say to playing
them off, Albert?''
s'All right go in said Albert full
of animation.
And so they played the fifth game
and he. who lost was to pay for the
five games. 1t was an exciting con-
test. Both made capital runs, but
in the end Albert was beaten by three
points and with a little laugh he
went up to settle the bill. Five games.
twenty cents a game-just one dollar.
Not much for such sport; and he
paid out the money with grace and
never once seemed to feel that he
could not afford it.
''Have 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.
''It is healthy pastime," said he
who had been making the explanation
''and certainly is one which has no
evil tendency
Albert heard the remarks very
plainly and he had a curiosity to hear
what the other, who seemed unac-
quainted with billiards would say.
Il cannot, of course, say that any
game which calls for skill and judge
ment, and which is free from the at
tendant curse of gaming is of itself
an evil,' remarked the second gen.
tleman. "Such things are only evil
so far as they excite and stimulate
men beyond the bounds of healthy
recreation
''That result can scarcely follow
such a game" said the first speaker.
But the other shook his head.
"You are wrong here. The result
can follow in two ways: First, it
can lead men away from their busi-
ness; it can lead men to spend mon
ey who have not money to spend.
Whenever [ visit a place of this kind
am led to reflect upon strange and
most prominent weakness of human
ity as developed in our sex. For IN
stance, observe that young man who
is just settling his bill at the desk.
He looks like mechanic, and /
should say from his manners and
from the fact that he feels it his duty
to 90 home at this hour, that he has
wife and children. | see by his
face that he is kind-hearted and gen.
erous, and that [ 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 du-
ration. If you observe you will see
that he pays it freely, and pockets
the loss with smile. Happy facul-
ty but how do you suppose it is in
that young mans home? Suppose his
| wife had come to him this morning,
and asked for dollar to spend for
some trifing thing-some household
ornament or some bit of jewelry to
adorn her person-and suppose his
little child put in a plea for forty
cents to buy a paper and picture
books with, what do you think he
would have answered? Of fifty mer
just like him, would not forty ano
five men declared that he had not the
: money to spare for any such purpose
And, moreover, they would have sale
SO, feeling that they were telling th'
truth. Am | not right?''
sUpon my word,'' said the maj
who understood billiards, s'You mus
speak to the point. | know tha
young man who has just paid hi
bill and you have not misjudged hin
in single particular. And what i
more, ] happen to have a fact a
hand to illustrate your charge. W
have club for an excellent literar
; paper in our village, and last yea
, that man was one of our subscribers
. This year he felt obliged to discor
+ tinue it. His wife was very anxiou
! to take it for it had become a genis
n companion in leisure moments, br
h he could not afford it. The club raj
was one dollar and fifty year.
f AYE, and so it goes" said tt
: other gentleman. "Well, that youn
9 mans wife may be wishing at tn
very moment that she had her papt
S to read, while he is paying almost il
full price for year-for what? An
+ yet how smillngly he does it. Al
!, those poor, sympathizing wives Ho
many clouds often darken upon the
Q from the brows of their husband
e when they ask for tfifing sum I