The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1891-05-22

the letter and fell TO the floor. They thought
he was dead at first; but they brushed back
the white hair from his brow and famed
him. He had only faintef / wish he had
been dead, for what is life worth to father
after his son is destroyed When things 90
wrong at gaming table they shout: Foul
Foulg' Over all the gaming tables Of the
world I cry out: Foul FOUL Infinitely
foul.n
Shall sketch the history OF the gambleri
Lured by bad company he finds his way
into place where honest men ought never
to go. BE sits down to his first game, but
only for pastirne and the desire of being
thought sociable. The players deal out
the cards. They unconsciously play into
Satan's hands, who takes all the tricks and
both the players souls for trumps-he being
q 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
fash, until now they who win and they who
lose. fired alike with passion, sit with set
Jaws, and compressed lips and clinched fists,
and eyes like fire balls that seem starting
from their sockets, TO see the final turn be-
fore II comes; II fysiIsg, pie with envy and
tremulous with unuttered oaths cast back
red hot upon the heart-or, winning. with
hysteric laugh-"HP, hal I have i'll have
A few years have passed and he is only the
wreck of man. Seating himself at the game
ere he throws the first card, he stakes the
last relic Of bis wife, and tine marriage ring
which sealed the solemn VOWS between them.
The game is lost, and staggering back in ex-
haustiou he dreams The bright hours of
the past mock his agony, and in his dreams
fends with eyes Of fire and tongue Of flame
circle about him with joined hands TO dance
and sing their orgies with hellish chorus,
chanting Hail brotherP' kissing his clammy
forehead until their loathsoms locks, flowing
with serpents, crawl into his bosom and sink
their sharp fangs and suck up his LIES
blood, and coiling around his heart pinch 1t
with chills and shudders unutterable.
Take warming You are no stronger than
tens of thousands who have by this practice
been overthrown. No young man IN our
cities can escape being tempted. Beware Of
the first beginnings This road is a down
grade, and every instant increases the mo-
mentum. Launch not upon this treacherouS
sea- Split hulks strew the beach. Everlast-
wary eraIrs INTO the hellgate. 1 speak os
what have seen with my own eyes. 1 hav
locked of into the abyss, and / have seem
the foaming, and the Kissing, and the whirl.
ing Of the horrid deep in which the manpIed
victims wrlthed, one upon another, and
struggled, strangled, blasphefned and died
the death stare of eternal DESPAIR upon their
counteuances as the water gurgfed over
them.
To a gamblers deathbed there comes no
hope. BE viii probably die alone. His for
mer associates come not nigh his dwelling.
When the hour comes his miserable soul viii
60 out OF miserable life into miserable
eternity. As his poor remains pass the houss
where he was ruined, old companions nav
lookout a moment and say, There goes the
old carcass-dead at last but they will not
get up from the table. Let him down now
into his grave. Plant no tree to cast its shade
there, for the long, deep, eternal gloom that
settles there IS shadow enough. Plant no
''forget-me-notn or egiantines around tbe
spot for flowers were not made to grow on
such blasted heath. Visit it not in the sun
shine for that would be m0ckery, but in the
dismal night, when no stars are out and the
spirits of darkness come down horsad on the
wind, then visit the grave Of the gambleri