The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-05-01


much longer will you continue to lure
innocent young men to their ruin by
throwing out this DEVILS net of gambling
and rum drinking"
This frantic appeal was made by beau
tiful young girl and the man to whom it
was made was her father. The scene was
not many miles East of Elkton, hut many
long years ago. John Miller and his lovely
daughter had but recently removed from
New Jersey to their present home, and
Miller had opened a low grog shop where
card playing, dice throwing and nearly all
other forms OF gambling were carried on.
Violet May Miller, who had made this
pathetic appeal, was her fathers only child.
He passonately loved his beautiful daught-
er and would have done almost anything
in reason to have honored her except to
desist keeping this gambling hell.
Living near the Milers was family by
the name of Upton. Tobias Upton was
Methodist minister, or local preacher is
what they are called today. He had three
sons, William Edward and Tobias, but for
the sake OF Authorization we will call them
Will, Ned and lobe Their loving old
mother was an invalid and that dread
monster consumption was slowly but surely
eating her life away. She loved her three
handsome boys with a true Christ-like love
that none but Christ and true Christian
can. Don't forget young men, that the
one thing that rises above the clouds, the
thing constant that never dms, the star
that darkness never quenches, is mothers
love-it is perennial. A mothers love is
the perfume of the heart, it is Il love that
gives music from the cradle, song to the
requiem dirge that bears the soul away to
God who gave it. 4 love that is greater
than power sweeter than life and stronger
than death, and just so long as the scent Of
the lilies is yet fresh in the City of God, so
long should the love of loving mother
hold sway over the comngs and goings Of
her children. Mrs. Upton was in hlissful
ignorance Of the gambling ranch which had
been set up near her peaceful home. She
did not know that at that very moment
two of her once noble boys We're in that
terrible gambling hell engaged at playing
cards and drinking from the cruel cup
which is part of the paraphernalia which
belongs to this gambling hell. Oh! poor
dying mother, it is better that you should
enter the pearly gates; it is much better
that you should be safe with your Saviour
before the terrible storm breaks over the
heads Of your darlings. The awful black
cloud which came in the shape Of Miller's
gambling hell was the forerunner Of the
terrible downpour which is to follow. You
have your duty dear mother; you have
taught them the blessed Lords Prayer at
your side; you have always sent them with
their God-fearing father to church to hear
him preach the Gospel Of Christ.
Lovely Violet Miller was her fathers
housekeeper Her father kept her two or
three servants who did the house work, and
she had every thing that her heart could
wish. But still she was not happy. She
was very much opposed to the business he
was engaged in. She was as beautiful as
the June rose, and as graceful as the lily of
the valley. Hergreat dreamy black eyes were
study to every one who had the pleasure
to look into them. Her complexion was
shaded creamy, and her cheeks resembled
red roses after having been dipped in sherry
nd bar In y,r;out bnaI of ,rItssv hair
was as black as the traditional ravens
wing, and hung in lovely ringlets far below
her swan-like neck. Surely she was as
beautiful brunette AS ever came into
Elkton in the long-ago.
The dear old lady got an inkling that all
was not right in their once peaceful and
happy neighborhood and that her boys
whom she had taken so much pains to
train for Christ, were actually attending
the gambling hell, which had recently been
set up in that once moral neighborhood.
She knew that they were nearly always
absent from home. She was sure that
something was wrong, because her favorite
Edward had not read Gods Holy Word to
his dying mother for more than three
weeks. He always knew where to open
his mothers book for it was carefully
marked, and the fourteenth chapter of st.
John was always the first that Ned would
select, because his mother always preferred
that beautiful past first because it eased
her suffering on earth, and also assured her
that if faithful her dear ones should meet
and dwell with her in the City Of God.
And when he would reach the third verse
which reads thus: "And if 20 and prepare
place for you, | will come again, and
receive you unto myself that where am
there we may be Also and oh! how her
eyes would light with new hope. And she
would say "Neddie that means you, and
receive you he means dear father, William,
Tobias and Edward. Ga. know you will
all come to your loving old mother and
father"
Tney had all three promised that trusting
old Christian mother to meet her on the
golden Dayed street of the CITY of the New