The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-01-25

WHAT'S THE ARM

lizards? Most all the boys are leaning to
play, and they say faint any worse than
croquet. Roy Webb's father has bought
him a splendid billiard table, cause he
don't want him to play IN the saloon,
you know, and the boys go up there every
chance they can get, and they wanted me
to CONS over to see them play this evening.
Roy Webb and Seth Leech are going to
play a match game. Oh, | do want to
go SO badly!can't I?n
Mrs. Horizons face was grave and troub-
led as her precious boy and only son waxed
earnest in his entreaties.
willie, ! will tell you a story, a true
one; then you may answer your " ques-
ton. Once there was a bright boy, an
only son and brother of fond parents and
sisters. He learned to play this game, as
you 0 would, on a friends table, and
became a wonderful player, an expert,
they called him. When he was about
fourteen years of age his parents moved
to a country village in which there was no
billiard tables outside of the saloons,
where, of course, he was not permitted to
go. But be had become so passionately
fond Of the game that be would stop, sur
reptitiously now and then, to play with his
companions. He scorned the idea of play
ing for money. but it was customary to
play for drinks, and as nothing stronger
than lemonade was taken, he saw not the
harm. Ere long a fixed habit, which neith-
er parents nor sisters entreaties could ov-
ercome, caused him to frequent the saloons,
where so much evil in various forms exists.
From playing for drinks. he soon play
ed for money, almost always winning; his
successes fascinated and lured him on to
destruction. The willy saloon keeper often
put something stronger than water in his
lemonade, for he complained that the home
made article tasted insipid and fiat, and
he refused at length to touch it. Well, in
drunkard. His downward course broke
his mothers heart. Indeed, the happi-
ness of the whole family was wrecked by
his career; which in his boyhood promised
so much"
eWhy. mother, what's the matterss Why
do you cry so? I don't want to go.
/ won't tease you any more if it makes you
feel SO badly
willie, "said his mother with suppressed
emotion, 81 have been telling you about
your own Uncle Charley, my only brother,
who died last year you know, such a
fearful death. Oh, it breaks my heart, my
son, to think Of it. But l tell you his sad
history
Don't mother, say more about it, said
Willie with choking voice, II can now see
what's the harm Perhaps the boys will
get to gambling over this very game, and
if was there, I'd be as bad as any of them
in betting over the matter, I'm SO excit-
able. I wish. mother, | wasn't so easily
led into temptation"
"I'm glad my son, that you know -FOUR
frailty. Reach my Bible from the shelf;
here are two verses which I would have
you commit to memory: Wherefore let
him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall. There hath DO temptation
taken you but such as is common to all
men. But God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that We are
able to bear, but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that We may be
able to bear it, And now, perhaps, / had
better tell you another bit of family history,
which is and will be for some time to come
a living sorrow-all caused by wicked COM
panions. You know, Willie, that your fa-
Their took a hasty journey, some time ago,
to the state of W., and you may have OBJ
served how sad he has been since then. He
went, my sou, to see if something could
not be done to keep his youngest brother,
your Uncle William, from going to state
prison, the just penalty FOR the crime he
had committed. 1t, however, was not his
first ~offense, and his employers were bound
that the Law should take its course. Hence
they would not allow any settlement of
their claims, from your father or grand
father. At his trial, last month, he was
sentenced to three years in the p~eniten-
tiary.n
Mrs. Horton in anguish covered her face,
and Willie cried out:
what, my uncle go to prison. Why,
mother, I'm named after him. Oh, how
terrible. How he has disgraced US ALL"
Yes, my son, we cannotdo evil and only
suffer ourselves"
'sOb, mother, what was he thinking of;
why did he do this wrong?"
"Ah Willie, twas so gradual he did not
realize his danger. He told your father
that it never would have happened had he
let evil companions and gambling alone.
You know they 60 hand in hand"
Mother, I'm glad you wouldn't let me
go with the boys. And now III learn
these verses; they are just what ! need,
I'm so easily persuaded to do wrong"
'sYes, Willie, you have a very impulsive
nature, but you annot except the Divine
aid, mentioned in the verses, unless YOU
ask for it. "-Fannie L. Faachsr, IN Union
Signal.
Ladies' Who Bloaf.
What a great number there are; how un-
comfortable it makes them; it is almost i'm
IL - = - -