The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-02-03
Our letter BOX.
a TaIk oar Gambling.

~ gaiA On GAMBLING.
wonder if put my thoughts on paper
any ono " i'll stop to read them | viii tell
them to you, friend MONITOR, and perhaps
some viii be standing idly by and hear
what ! say. hope SO, any way, so won't
talk very low. | said sometime since to
friend that Woodstown, or the people in it.
were growing worse and worse all the time.
but she only smiled and said didn't know
about other places Well. If they are as
bad or worse, (the latter ] am sure cannot
be-, am glad ! don't. [ have heard so
much Of late have asked myself the ques-
ton what can | do? Won't everybody
else ask themselves the same, and then go
10 work and do what they can to stop some
Of the evils that our little village is cursed
with. Night after night is spent By some
over The card table, and, Heaven forgive
them, rot only nights but The Sabbath dag.
the only one in seven God appointed for
His own is desecrated in the same manner.
gambling ying cards for money. Wei,
You say If these young men Will do so we
are not responsible. Listen, these are not
all young men. Some Of these are heads
Of families. wives and children in need nf
tie money they are wasting. Let me ask
you, gentlemen, where are the cunscienee's
God has given you ? Have they become
so scared and blackened that you have for
gotten the vows you pledged to her before
God that you would cherish and
protect. Are you protecting her when
you leave her all night to the mercy of the
world I? She at home alone nervous and
sick sometimes over your long absence,
hours seem like days when waiting at
night for familiar footsteps What is in
the future for these little ones whom God
has blessed you WITH What il you
should sometime be summoned from
gambling den" to the bed side of some of
these loved ones taken suddenly i'll while
you We're away? Wouldn't the sleeping
conscience awake then, especially il God
had sent his angel after them? Oh, bnt
you say that these things do not happen
FL tell you what does happen
Yen are slowly but surely breaking hearts
innumerable. Many a wife of only a
few years already wears the haggard looks
and has the sunken eyes that only be-
speaks what the heart feels. The cause Of
this is easily guessed. You are busy pro
baby all the week. How do yen suppose
she feels when yon leave her ON the sab
bath to eOngregate in some place to .play
cards. Gods commandment to you is TO
remember the Sabbath day and keep it
holy" Can a man have a heart that will
in my mind now man who has two love
ly daughters, good and true and pure.
| wonder If he wants the husbands Of
these girls TO he the type of HIMSELF
Stop and think, yon men who have children,
can you with clear conscience look for
ward 10 their future and see the boys gam
blers and the girls broken-hearted wives of
gambling mem One night not long ago,
four men went To A house in Wood
stown TO play cards; three out Of
the four were married men, True,
they didn't all live right ia Woods
town, but they are right around US. All
OF these wives possibly home watching
and waiting for the husband and father
Some Of fhe children of these same GENTLE
men are lovely little ones. | have seen
them and heard them talking and laugh
ing Willie at play, and they are too pnre
and innocent to ever become what the
father IS before them. These are facts;
something We do not always like to hear,
but true, nevertheless. But you say what
harm in social game OF cards. Do you
always stop there3 Isn't it little more
interesting 10 play for money? Are these
social games always with people whom
you would like to be considered associates
Of? Does not The mysterious -four bag
often accompany these games2 Do you
not sometimes find yourselves ashamed to
admit you gamble, thus deceive those
around you by telling a deliberate false
hood about it? Can You not afford to de-
priTe yourselves Of the so-called social
games when you know the ones at home
are worrying over your absence? This
awful snspense-' Where IS he?'' How
often do We read Of persons being killed by
some enc during u fit Of anger over "a
social game OF cards. Yon 90 not know
but snch Will be your fate. Terrible
thought-from card table into the pres
ence OF Sod Young men dragged down
to ruin and disgrace by this irresistible in
fatuation for cards Mothers and wives
broken hearted ever the boys Stop be-
fore it is toe late Gambling leads tolying.
drunkenness murder. WIN you be a
gambler? y.
Woodstewu. Feb fst, 1855.