The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-11-24

Him. Ihls, my dear parents, Is tne iast ioV
ter you will ever receive from me. hum
bly, pray your forgiveness. 1t is my dying
prayer. Long before you will have received
this from me the cold grave will have
closed upon me forever. Life to me Is in
supportable. can not, nay, will not, SUI
fer the shame Of having ruined you. For
get and forgive Is the dying prayer OF your
unfortunate son."
The old father came to the post-Offlce, got
the letter and fell TO the floor. They
thought he was dead at first, but they
brushed back the white hair from his brow
and famed him. He had only tainted.
wish he had been dead, for what is lie
worth 10 q father after his son is destroyed!
"Aceldama, the field of blood"
When things go wrong at gaming table
they shout: "FouL foul" Over all the
gaming tables of the world l cry out;
Soul, foul, infinitely foul"
'AGift stores" are abundant throughout
tho country. With book or knife, or sew
ing machine, or coat, or carriage there goes
prize. At these stores people get some
thing thrown in with their purchase. 1t
may be o gold watch, or set Of silver, Q
ring, or farm. Sharp way to get on un-
8AlhDlc ROOuS. ~ udb ullCu thC idiiu WV
fictitious articles, and covered up our popu.
lation with brass finger rings and despoiled
the moral sense Of the community, and 10
fast making US nation Of gamblers.
The church of God has not seemed will
ing 10 allow the world to have all the 3D.
vantage Of these games of chance.
church fair opens, and towards the close II
is found that some Of the articles are IN
salable. Forthwith the conductors Of the
enterprise conclude that they will rafne
for some Of the valuable articles, and,
under pretense Of anxiety 70 make their
minister present or please some popular
member Of the church, fascinating persons.
are dispatched through tho room, pencil in
hand, TO "soGcit shares" or perhaps each
draws for his own advantage, and scores OF
people go home with their trophies, think
ing that it is all right for Christian ladies
did the embroidery and Christian men did
the rafting and the proceeds went toward
q new communion set. But you
may depend on it that, as TAR as
morality Is concerned, you might
| % we'll have won by the crack Of the bill
lard ball or the turn Of the dice box. Do
you wonder that churches built, lighted or
upholstered by such processes "a that come
TO great financial and spiritual decrepti-
tudei The devil says: ~ helped to build
that house Of worship, and have % much
right there - you have" and for once tho
devil IL right We do not reed that they
had lottery for building the church Of
Corinth or at Antioch, or for getting up ~
embroidered surphce for st. Paul.
All this l style ecclesiastical gambling.
More than ono man who is destroyed caA
say that his first step on the wrong road was
whom he won something at church fair.
Betting, that once was chiefly the accom-
paniment Of the race- course, 10 fast boom
| ing National habit, and in some circles
any opinion advanced on finance or politics
Is sccosted with the interrogation: "HoW
much will you bet On that, sirl"
| This custom may make no appeal To slows
lethafgic temperaments, but there srs IN
tho country tens Of thousands Of quick,
nervous, songuine, exCitable temperament
ready 10 DO acted upon, and their fest will
soon take hold on death. For some month";,
and perhaps for years, they will inger In
the more polite and elegant circle Of game
sters, but, after awhile, their pathway will
come 70 the fatal plunge Finding them
selves in W. rapids they win Try TO back
out, and, hurled over the brink, they will
clutch Tie SIDE Of the boat, until their iii.
ger nails, blood-tipped, win pierce the
WOOD, end then, with white check and
sgonised stare, and the horrors Of the
lost soul lifting the very hair from the
scalp, they viii plunge down where NO
graphing hooks can drag them out
Shall sketch the history Of the gambler
Lurod BY bad company, he Ands his way
into . place where honest men ought never
10 70. He sits down to his hrst game, but
only for pastime and the desire Of being
thought sociable. The players deal out the
cards They unconsciously play into
Sstan's hands, who takes all the tricks md
both players souls for trumps-he being .
sharper ct any game. A slight stake Is put
up, just 10 add interest to the play. Game
after game Is played. Larger stakes and
still larger. They begin TO move nervously
on their chairs Their brows lower and
eyes fash, until now they who win and
they who lose, fred alike with passion, cit
with set jaws, and compressed lips, and
clenched fists, and eyes like hreballs, that
seem starting from their sockets, to see tht
final turn before 1t comes--if loo
ing, pale with envy and tremulous
with unuttered oaths cast back red
hot upon the heart; or winning, with
hysteric laugh, "Ha, ha, have it." A few
years have passed and he Is only the
wreck Of man. Seating himself at the
game, ere he throws the first card, be-
stakes the last relic Of his wife-the mar
risge ring which sealed the solemn vows
between them. The game is lost, and
staggering back In exhaustion he dreams.
The bright hours Of the past mock his
agony, and IN his dreams fsnds with
eyes Of fire and tongues Of fame circle
about him with joined hands, TO dance and
sing their orgies with hellish chorus,
chanting "hail, brother" Kissing his
clammy forehead until their loathsOme
locks, flowing with serpentA, crawl into
his bosom and sink their sharp fangs and
suck up his life's blood, and coiling around
his heart, pinch 1t with chills and shud.
ders unutterable.
Take warningl You are no stronger thas
tens Of thousands who have by this practice
been overthrown. No young mau in our
cities can escape being tempted. Beware
Of tho frat beyinnings. This road is q
down grade, and every instant increases
the momentum. Launch not upon this
tre0cherous sea Splint hulks strew the
beach. Everlasting storms howl up and
down, tossing unwary crafts into the hell
gate Ispeak Of what have seen with ny
own cyea. have looked Oh into the abyss
and have seen tho foaming and tbs hisainS
and tho whirlng Of the horrid deep in which
the mangled victims writhed one upoa IN
other, and struggled, strsngied, blasphemed
md died-the deathstare Of eternal despair
upon their countenances e the water
gurgled over them
To Q gamblers death bed there comes no
hope He win probably die alo0a His
former associates come not nigh his dwell.
ing. When the hour comes his miserable
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