Savannah morning news., 1886-03-23
TIE G1Er CoNCERr GAVE.
A warning Against Taking Chances In
Lotteries-How Boy WAS Lured Into
Betra5i ing Trust aud Rewarded by
Sorrow and Bitter disappointment.


sorrow and Bitter disappointment
from the Aew York Times.
whats that? You are selling chances
IN a carriage for the benefit Of a hospital
Well, don't want any. ! weakened on
that sort of thing long ago. / don't in
aorse any of them from the big state
lotteries down to the smallest swlndle oI
church fair, had the fever once, out
Rot cured and have never had a relapse
Shall tell you abOuti il?
odd you ever hear OF gift concert
The kind that shows In country toWns On
Saturday afternoons, aud adYertl7es
list oil prizes 10 be given away aIteT Ihe
performance? The kind that s"inuies
children and eimple-hearied country
folk our OF hardly earned money, that
plays upon their ignorance and creduiIy
with lead coffee urns and brass rings ana
tinsel brooches. and a sewing machlne
that is drawn by member OF the COM
pany. and a cabinet organ that is never
drawn at allY Well, 1t was one OF that
sort that came to our town away Dack IN
the time when [ was q boy in round
abouts, And ] went to il, / and my SIS
Ter. who was 10 years Old and two years
mv'iunlor. Mother had been very glad to
lei us 90, Sic thought we didn't have
verv much fun those days. We did, how
ever, although / didn't md this cut till
long afterw ard. My father was sick.
didn't know how sick, but he was very
sick, dying, in fact, with consumption,
the end of brilliant misguided life, and
mother was meeting that grief and the
empty future with two helpless children
every hour Of the day and night. But
my sister and l felt very little OF this
anxious burden. We knew we couldn't
have dime for every show, aud that
gave an added Zest 20 those we did attend.
This particular gift concert stands out in
bold relief as promising extraordinary
enjoyment because Of the painful sus-
pense Which preceded the decision in our
tav0r. There had been a church festival,
which we had taken in only the evening
before the gorgeous posters appeared. 1t
seemed a glut Of dissipation TO 90 twice
In one week. But we went. When
mother came 10 supply us with the needed
funds she found only a dollar in her easily
emptied purse. / know now nat dollars
were as scarce as black tulips with mo-
ther then, vet when / begged to take the
bill, promising TO count the change very
carefully and bring home the 50 cents
intact, she yielded with smile at my
boyish pride in liking to handle money
and let me have it.
$50 we went to the grand gift concert.
bought the tickets at the door, tossing
out my bill in an easy, off-hand manner
that felt must impress the man who
sold them, and duly passed in my checks
at the door, retaining, Is | was hidden,
The small envelopes, in which might or
might not be a gift number. IL was
might not as it hsppe ned. Both our
envelopes held blanks. ! was terribly
disappointed, and the fact that boy
next me had a - on his ticket did not
lessen nv chagrin.
''The stage was brilliantly lighted, and
at the back part was displayed table
loaded with gltiering siVerware-the
gifts in which alasl | was to have no
share. My lucky neignbor surveyed all
this magnfcence in a calm proprietary
sort Of way that was very provoking. He
didn't care for a castor, he said; they had
q castor at home; but be would like a
cake basket. Yes, he decided, he would
really ike cake basket.
MY eyes were glued to a coffee urn,
large and respeDdent. which was a sort
of piece de resistance az one end of the
table. l had heard mother speak about
needing a new coffee pot, and | reflected
upon the delight | snould feel to march
home with this superb specimen.
81 whispered 10 my sister:
'''I guess Pll buy another ticket. ]
might get the big coffee pot.'
"She was timid and prudent, but l
OYercame her scruples and went out,
telling the man at the door my errand.
"He cheerfully encouraged me. "All
right. my little man, and good luck to
yOu,' he said, and bought the extra tick
{ only to find the accompanying envelope
.eld still a blank.
''Buy one for your sister, suggested
tn man who had seen me come in.
1 did so. Another blank. Then l
wet back into the hall and dolefully re.
ciid my i'll fortune. My sister was
Higtened at the money L had Vainiy
spei and began to wbimper.
"lndured a pretty bad quarter of an
hour atween her snitiles on one side and
the u mphant anticipation Of the boy on
my lei who had veered from the cake
basheS1d was considering my coffee
urn, pee the temper was at me again.
WIN tEallacious wisdom OF an older
gan moied argued to myself that l had
kpeht nd got nothing; it would be
wise 70 II 1Oc. for surely fifth attempt
must Ve ,Rcessiul. Facilis descensus
AVerm, l -'red out without telling my
SISTER VIZ VIZ should do. l tore open No.
rs b1,5l aefOre / turned away from
,oth;,1e IN 1t was a blank But
Jesnarst,o 80 top me now. In reckless
S0c Srew down my remaining
vorrdaI GdEe nm. me y said. and my voice
81 80 tbe,., nd unnatural.
4beir y,s,'ll,5nl .ne. Id fever silly scattered
nyD,borP ~ he last one contained
o1orio,s rol;nc =. my suspense became
back and displayt y,,v ,ryy.. M sSs,ar
dried her tears; sh.id ~, IN, ny 1iSVei 1..5
spent all the money "a III ~, ,leH n,u
merhorn, the hold os % bnJ,,',o ~ ~.
tremely friendly and 49,, il.o,.,-., "a.
felinquished the idea eeSo'e. ~ ~ re even wen
when l told him we res. @ ene c9uee !. Urn utn
i, not to be outdone, heueu ~ +" E,le
vouchsafed the hope ina, mag ,Llli nani llIy i,
basket-the one at the NJ nv sest cake
eo handle-might go to b. "i'H '"i''
but was not altogeth' h.- c..
the concert began. / ha NSPpy. SooI 'll
oYeriond OF music, but v .II''N I've. -l Oeen
mat no musical programe " say
since been r. ndeied in my y nas g 1e.
gwen me quite the exquisite t.,,siN' Has iss
that one conferred. For m y I uIe ', !" @ ulcn u
was putting in some lively wa etieS ,l,. ),
spent all OF mothers money - nau
BOW with prescience wlt6hei "a, sViile 'iiny
seemed to realize ;or the FIRST NliI tuell ti,l
Nefy precious those so lacking ee ue y NV uOr
Toner. Then the breach OF frnsn9y Wei l 4 Z
tili iltleu against her! even the gG,oo,,s =
honee . POT iailed at times TO biuc ~
st'.. nness on my agony over that. .,d n
tne urn should TAIL me, II T.. pprbap, y y
not dIaW ii-that thought chilled h, ~ -
tne Done. 80 the performance draogeAWt " W
IN these alternate moments of homo 1,i 'on l
peclancy and black despair. a minor a, y
" complete misery keeping tine with X