Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-04-30
Lead Us Not into Temptation.

was an air of irresoluteness about him
that weakened the force of his negative.
"No, I guess not. I've got something
else on hand to see to this evening""
"Oh no, you haven't. Come along
with us. There's nothing to be afraid
| Of"
1t did not require very much coaxing
to induce the vacillating boy to part
with his objection and accompany the
party who were "off on lark" as they
expressed it. Harry knew that their
good times" were generally attended
with more or less serious consequences,
and that their sport was never health
full, innocent fun that he could speak of
before his parents. He knew, too, that
he was putting himself in the way of
temptation, even while he assured his
conscience that he was only going to see
what the boys were going to do, and
would have no share in it if anything
wrong went on.
Harry might have known that if he
had not sufficient resolution to refuse to
accompany the boys, in the first place,
he could hardly expect to have moral
courage enough to refuse to share in
their wrong-doing, but he did not think
of this. He soon found out what the
entertainment for this particular even
ing was to be. The boys had planned
card party, and intended to play for
money.
"You must take hand with us,
Harry" Charlie Saunders, the ring
leader of the party, said.
"But I don't know how" Harry
pleaded, remembering his promise to
his mother never to touch cards.
ooh, you'll soon learn. Come, you
and I will have a trial game, without
any stakes, just to show you how"
Harry hesitated and yielded, per-
suading himself that since he was not
playing for money there could be no
harm in the game.
"Now you beat me that time," said
Charlie, as they finished the first game.
IF we had put up stakes you see you
would have won them. Try once more
just with small stakes"
There was fascination about playing
for the silver coin that soon overcame
Harry's scruples, and as Charlie
watched the boys flushed cheeks and
shining eyes, he knew that he was in
infatuated with this new amusement, as
so many others had been.
Twice, three times, Harry won, but
then Charlie began to win, and soon
had not only regained his own money,
but had taken all his companions as
we'll.
'"Now, if you only had something else
to put up, may be luck would turn and
you could win everything back again,
and make lots more besides. I've often
known it to turn out that way" argued
the shrewd boy.
"But haven't anything" Harry an
swered.
eyes, you have. Put up your cuff
buttons for stakes"
The boy glanced down at the silver
studs, with a strange reluctance to run
any risks with them. They had been
the Christmas gift of favorite sister,
who had since gone to Heaven, and
Harry treasured them for her sake.
"No, can't put those up" he said
slowly, at length.
well, your watch, then. There isn't
more than chance in q hundred that
you will lose it."
Charles eyes glistened as Harry
took off his watch, and in few mo-
ments the game turned out as he was
quite determined that it should, and
the coveted treasure was in his posses
sion. 1t was in vain now that he urged
him to continue the game The charm
was broken and the fascination gone,
and as Harry walked home alone he was
angry at his weakness in yielding to
temptation, as he was at the loss of his
watch.
His mother noticed the flushed, per-
turbed face of the boy, as he bent over
a paper trying to read, and when he
went up-stair to bed she soon followed,
guessing that her boy would have some
thing to say to her.
He was only too glad to tighten his
burden by confessing his wrong-doing
and broken promise, and though lit was
very hard to meet his mothers look OF
grieved surprise that her boy should
have broken his word, yet it brought q
perfect feeling to his aching heart TO
know that she loved and forgaye him.
@This morning, dear" she said. 3you
prayed, LEAD us not into temptation,
but when you deliberately put yourself
in the way of it, you could not ask God
to keep you from yielding to sin. Il
you had not gone with bad company and
with boys whom you knew would try
to lead you astray, you would not have
been drawn into this wrong-doing. God
viii never lead you into temptation