The Osceola times., 1886-11-13

| A. oto AuNndhnt throughout
.oe country. With = book or knife, or sew.
ing machine, or coat, or carriage there goe,
sprize. AT these stores people get some.
ehlng thrown in with their purchase. II
may De gold watch, or a set Of silver.
rlng' or farm. Sharp way to get of un.
salaoie goods. II has filed the land with
hctltous articles, and covered up our popu.
Htioh with brass finger rings and despoiled
the moral sense OF the community, and b,
iast making US nation Of gamblers.
| Inc church OF God has not seemed will
ing 70 allow the world 20 have all the aa.
vantage OF these games Of chance. A
| church fair opens, and towards the closs a
Is found that some Of the articles ara nm.
salable. Forthwith the conductors of the
enterprise conclude that they will raole
Tor some OF the valuable articles. and
under pretense Of anxiety 10 make theii
minister present or please some popular
member OF the church, fascinatin persons
are dispatched through the room, pencil in
nand, to solicit shares,n or perhaps each
draws Tor hls own advantage, and scores OF
people go home with their trophies, think
ing that 1t is all right, for Christian ladies'
uid the embroidery and Christian men did
the Railing and the proceeds went toward
new communion set. But you
may depend on ii that, as far as
morality is concerned, you might
as well have won by the crack Of the bill
lard ball or the turn Of the dice box. Dc
you wonder that churches built lighted or
upholstered by such processes as that come
to great financial and spiritual decrepti
tudei The devil says: ~ helped TO build
that house of worship, and have as much
right there as you have,n and for once the
devil is right. We do not read that they
had lottery for building the church at
Corinth or at Antioch, or for getting up an
embroidered surplce for st. Paul.
All this / style ecclesiastical gambling
More than one man who is destroyed can
say that his first step on the wrong road wa.
when he won something at a church fair.
Betting, that once was chiefly the accom-
paniment Of the race course, is fast becom-
ing a National habit, and in some circles
any opinion advanced on finance or politics
is accosted with the interrogation: "How
much will you bet on that, sirl"
This custom may make no appeal 10 slow
lethargic temperaments, but there are in
the country tens of thousands of quick,
nervous, sanguine, excitable temperaments
ready TO be acted upon, and their feet will
soon take hold on death. For some months,
and perhaps for years, they will linger in
the more polite and elegant circle Of game
sters, but, after awhile, their pathway will
come to the fatal plunge. Finding them
selves in the rapids they will try to back
out, and, hurled over the brink, they will
clutch the side of the boat, until their fin
ger nails, blood-tipped, will pierce the
wood, and then, with white cheek ana
agonized stare, and the horrors Of the
lost soul lifting the very hair from the
scalp, they will plunge down where nc
graphing hooks can drag them out.
Shall sketch the history Of the gamblerl
Lured by bad company, he finds his way
into place where honest men ought never
TO go. He sits down TO his first game, but
only for pastime and the desire Of being
thought sociable. The players deal out the
cards They unconsciously play into
Satan's bands, who takes all the tricks and
both players souls for trumps-he being a
sharper at 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 flash, until now they who win ana
they who lose, fired alike with passion, SIT
with set Jaws, and compressed lips, and
clenched fists, and eyes like fireballs, that
seem starting from their sockets, to see the
final turn before it comes-if los
ing, pale with envy and tremulous
with unuttered oaths cast back red
hot upon the heart; or winning, with
hystcric laugh, "Ha, ha, have it," A few
years have passed and he is only the
wreck of a man. Seating himself at the
game, ere he throws the first card, he
stakes the last relic of his wife-the mar
riage ring which sealed the solemn vows
between them. The game is lost, anc
staggering back in exhaustion he dreams
The bright hours Of the past mock his
agony, and in his dreams fiends will
eyes of fire and tongues of flame circle
about him with Joined hands, to dance ant
sing their orgies with hellish chorus
chanting 'hail, brother" Kissing hi
clammy forehead until their loathsom'
locks, flowing with serpents, crawl int
his bosom and sink their sharp fangs anC
suck up his life's blood, and coiling erount
his heart, pinch 1t with chills and shud
ders unutterable.
Take varningl You are no stronger thai
tens of thousands who haN by this practice
been overthrown. No young man in on
cities can escape being tempted. Bewar'
of the first beginnings. This road is
down grade, and every instant increase
the momentum. Launch not upon thi
treacherous sea. Splint hulks strew th'
beach Everlasting storms howl up an'
down, tossing unwary crafts into the hel
gate. speak of what have seen with m.
own eyes. have looked of into the abyss
and have seen the foaming and the hissinl
and the whirling Of the horrid deep in whicl
the mangled victims writhed ono upon an
other, and struggled, strangled, blaspheme'
and dod-the deathstare of eternal despai
upon their countenances as the water
| gurgled over them.
To gamblers death-bcd there comes n,
hope, lie will probably die alone. Hi
| former associates come not nigh his dwell
| ing. When the hour comes his miserabl
soul will go out of miserable life into
miserable eternity. AS the poor remain
pass the house where he was ruined, oil
companions may look out q moment an
say: There goes the old carcass-dead o
last;n but they will not get up from III
| table. Let him down now into the grave
| Plant no tree TO cast its shade there, 70
the long, deep, eternal gloom that settle
| there is shadow enough Plant no forge,
me-nots or cglantines around the spot, TO
flowers were not made to grow on such
| blasted heath. Visit it not in the sunshine
| for that would be mockery, but in the d.
nal night, when no stars are out, and tn
spirits Of darkness come down norsed o.
the winds, then visit the grave Of tn
gambler.
THE GOOD OLD WAY.