Daily Republican., 1886-03-22
A FRANK CONFESSION.
HARRY meDERMOTT TELLS In TEE
sRABTORAL"
How He Was First Led TO Drinking
Through Professed Friends and
Then to Gambling.

Through Professed Friends and
Thon to Gambling.
The Pastoral" is the name OF little
church paper published by the sons oI
Rev. A. N. Keigwin, pastor OF West
Presbyterian Church. The March mum
Der OF this interesting little paper con,
tains the confession OF Harry McDer.
mett, who sometime ago turned infor
mer against the proprietors OF a well
known gam bling establishment al
which he was well nigh ruined and from
which he has suffered intensely. The
kind christian people of the West Pres.
byterian Church have taken McDer
mott In hand, and have thrown around
| him the strength of strong christian
influence which is leading him to o
permanent reformation. McDermoti
says:
No doubt every one of you have heard
in the last few days the various reports
from the daily newspapers about the
| I"Gambling" in this city, but feel II
my duty TO give q special warning tc
every one of you. To show you how
easy 1t IL 70 be led sstray, 1 will try &C
tQiveyouT my personxl experience. .--E'
1 i am n taller by trade. Twelve
months ago came TO this city, and wai
EN- ployed as foreman in the tailoring
department of j. T. Mullin & Son. and
boarded with my wife at the Bulls
Head Hotel. The 6rst ten months we
we're happy and contented; the only
drawback was the many temptations
had to resist IN that very place,as had
been total abstainer for many years.
felt myself strong enough to resist all,
bus in q weak moment l took one glass
Of beer.
Now, here Is the point, one glass OF
beer. There are many Of you who would
like to argue about it and perhaps say
"Oh! glass of beer will hurt nobody. !"
give in, and say 30 myself One glass
of beer will hurt no one, but think o
the consequence It may have. 1t may
be the ruin of many q good man, and Il
has been without dispute the ruin o.
myself. made the first step to il tha
very day. The next day 1 had another
offer to drink with one who called him
self a friend. had no excuse now Il
refuse it. SO agreed TO his proposal.
Now this time did not stop with
lone, but took three, and was at tn,
same time invited to . game of cards
not understanding the game / only
looked on. After the game was ovel
Imy friend asked me II ever played.
said no, and told him that even didn'
know the meaning of it.
Il He told me that it was a game o
lchance, and asked me II it would b.
pheasant for me to go with him to se
what It was like, but / refused.
"Well," said he, take another glas
Iof beer with me, and then just com
with me; you need not play, only lool
Ion." "All right" said L. "Lead th'
way, there can hArdly:be any harm ii
looking on" so in we went.
looked on for some time till at last
tried my luck with ten cents, now Their
Twas another wrong step. commences
with only ten cents, but in about fiv
hours time found myself the loser Q
$l8. Not satisfied, started for home
took another supply OF money and wen
! back to play again. About O'Clock 1
i the morning found myself wit
smpty pockets. On my way home
tried to get In unobserYed. / was su,
cessful in 1t so far, but rs came to m
room my wife was awake waiting fc
me.
The poor woman had not slept for
moment. Now not only had 1 cheate
myself out ef the rest needed 30 muc
for myself but even had taken all th
: slumber from my wife's eyes for th
whole night. The other day my con
! science pricked me, and resolve
3 never 70 do so again, but give the dev
Iyour little finger and he will take th
B whole hand. The same thing bappene
: to me few days ago. Afterwards
took some beer again, and all my goo
4 resolutions went TO the wind. To n
: cover, il possible, my loss / sustaine
before, started TO play again, but loi
more and more till in q few monti
v time / found myself con siderably
), debt. My employer heard Of 1t an
after a good warning from him and frol
lothEr friends left of but soon fell
). the old habit again.
Y l lost my situation. After many RI
= fiections came to the conclusion thu
lthose places are only the ruin of man
d a good man, not only in this world, b,
;. in the next also, and every effort shoul
be made to close those places of viz
lup. For this reason turned informe
r 1t Is not very choice name, but sti
!. lust as good as to be called q "gan
bIer;" now the rest l think you kno
, from the daily papers, and If God Civ,
II
r against them in the court in May.
conclusion let me say this: husband
=. shun those places like the devil hin
= u self, and after your days labor stay !
= home, and make your home true an
:, your presence happy, bright and cheer
y ful. And to you, young man, take a
: example from me.
s Not only am I reduced to povert
and shame in this world, but what
8 worse than anything else, neglecte
= also to provide for the world to com
o pray from all my heart, and may Il
whole community pray with me, thi
the Lord Jesus Christ may give I
o strength to resist all temptations an
L shun those evil places; also those wi
Icall themselves friends and try to il
q Iduce the unwsry to enter those vi
% sdens.. Let us give those friends up an
n seek new ones; the best Of all, OF
% friend the Lord Jesus Christ. II al
l. of You who are present frequent tho
ri Iplaces, give them up at once and sta
,r with me for better future, and 1t vi
10 give me great pleasure to know that
10 was the means of saving some from 81
st destruction that soon would follow
they yield to the same temptation tn
did. FRANK MCDERMoTT.
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