Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-02-27

or hundreds of thousands of dollars from
the gaming table will not be content with
slow work. He will say, ''What is the
use OF trying to make these fifty dollars
IN my store when I can get five times
that in half an hour down at sBilly's?"'
You never knew confirmed gambler
who was Industrious. The men given to
this vice spend their time, not actively
engaged in the game, in idleness or in
toXlcatlon or sleep. or in corrupting new
Victims This sin has dulled the carpen-
tors saw and cut the band of the factory
wheel, Sunk the cargo, broken the teeth
OF the farmers harrow and sent u strange
lightning to shattcr the battery Of the
philosopher. The very first idea in gaming
Is at war with all the industries of society.
This crime is getting it's lever under
many a mercantile house in our great
cities, and before long down will come
the great establishment, crushing rcpu-
tatlon, home, comfort and immortal
souls. How it diverts and sinks capital
may be inferred. from some authentic
statement before us. The ten gaming
houses that once were authorized in Paris
passed through the banks, yearly, three
hundred and twenty-five millions of
francs. Where does all the money come
from? The whole world is robbed! What is
most sad. there arc no consultations for
the loss and suffering entailed by gaming.
Ii men fail in lawful business, God pitics
and society commiserates: but where in
the Blble or in society is there any con-
ISOLATION for the gambler? From what
tree OF the forest ooZes there balm that
can soothc the gamester's heart? In that
bottle where God keeps the tears of His
children are there any tears of the gam
bier? Do the winds that come to kiss
the faded check of sickness, and to cool
the heated brow of the laborer, whisper
hope and cheer to the emaciated victim
of the game of hazard? When an honest
man is in trouble he has sympathy. "Poor
fcllow"' they say. Butno gamblers come
to weep at the agonies of the gambler?
Notice the effect of this crime upon do
nestle happiness. 1t has sent it's ruth
less plowshare through hundreds of fam
| lies until the wife sat in rags, and the
daughters were disgraccd. and the sons
| grew up to the same infamous practices
or took q short cut to destruction across
the murderer's scaffold Home has lost
all charms for the gambler. How tame
are the childrcn's caresses and a wife's
devotion to the gambler! How drearily
the fire burns on the domestic hearth!
There must be louder laughter, and
something to win and something to lose,
! an excitement to drive the heart faster
and FLIP the blood and fire the imagina-
! ton. No home, however bright, can
| keep back the gamester. The sweet call
of Love bounds back from his iron soul.
and all the endearments are consumed IN
the flame of his passion. The family
Bible will go after all other treasures
are lost, and if his crown in Heaven were
put into his hand he would cry: "Here
goes one more game. my boys! On this
one throw j stake my crown of Heaven -
A young man in London. on coming of
age. received u fortune of one hundred
and twenty thousand dollars, and.
through gambling. in three years was
thrown on his mother for support. An
only son went to a southern city: he was
rich, intellectual and elegant in man.
ncrs. His parents gave him on his de-
i parture from home their last blessing.
The sharpers got hold Of him. They
stlattcrcd him. They lurcd him to tho
gaming table, and let him win almost
every time for q good while, and patted
him on the back and said, ''First rate
player" But fully in their grasp they
tleeccd him. and his thirty thousand dol
lars were lost. Last of all he put up his
watch and lost that. Then he began te
think OF his home and his old father and
mother, and wrote thus:
my BELOVED PARESrs-You will doubtless
feel Il momentary joy at tho reception of this
letter from the child of your bosom, on whom
you have lavished all the fuvors of your declin
ing years. But should IL feeling Of joy for q
moment spring up in your hearts when you
should have received this from me, cherish il
not. have fallen deep-.nover to rise. Those
gray hairs TINT should have honored and pro-
tected shall bring down with sorrow to the
grave. 1 will not curse my destroyer, but oh
may God nvenge the wrongs and impositions
best please Him. This my dear parents, is the
last letter you will ever receive from me.
humbly pray your forgiveness. 1t is my dying
ter from me the cold grave will have closed upon
me forever. Life to me is insupportable. can
not, nay, will not, suffer the shame of having
ruined you. Forget aud forgive is the dying
prayer OF your unfortunate son."
The old father came to the postoffice,
got 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
tainted. wish he had been dead, for
what is life worth to a father whose son
has been destroyed? When things 60
wrong at gaming table they shout,
'TOul! 1Oll! over all inc gaming Ia
bles of the world / cry out: "Foul!
foul! Infinitely foul"
Shall l sketch the history of the gam
bier? Lured by bad company he finds
his way into a place where honest men
ought never to go. He sits down to his
first game, but only for pastime and the
desire of being thought sociable. The
players deal out the cards. They I'M
consciously play into Satan's hands, who
takes all the tricks and both the players
souls for trumps-he being sharper at
any game. A slight stake is put up just
to 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 flash, 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 before it comes; it los
ing, pale with envy and tremulous with
unuttcred oaths cast back red-hot upon
the heart-or, winning, with hysteric
laugh-'Ha! ha! / have it! have it,"