Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-04-08


nous practices or took a short cut to
destruction across the murderer's scaf-
fold. Home has lost all charms for the
gambler How tame are the children's
caresses and 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, FLIP the blood
and fire the imagination. No home,
however bright, can keep back the
gamester. The sweet call Of love bounds
back from his iron soul, and all endear-
ments are consumed in the fire Of his
passion. The family Bible will 90 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
stake my crown Of heaven.
A young man in London, on coming
of age, received fortune Of sl2O, 600,
and through gambling in three years
was thrown on his mother for support.
An only son went to New Orleans. He
was rich, intellectual and elegant IN
manners. His parents gave him, on his
departure from home, their last bless
ing. The sharpers got hold Of him.
They flattered him. They lured him to
the gaming table and let him win al
most every time for good while, and
patted him on the back and said, First
rate player" But, fully in their grasp,
they feeced him, and his $50, 900 wero
lost. Last of all, he put up his watch
and lost that. Then be began to think
Of bis home and of his old father and
mother and wrote thus:
my beloved parents, you will doubt
less feel mOmentary JOY at the recep-
tion of this letter from the child Of
your bosom, on whom you have lavish
ed all the favors Of your declining years.
But should feeling Of joy for a mo-
ment spring up in your hearts, when
Won should have received this from me,
cherish it not have fallen deep never
to rise Those gray hairs, that should
have honored and protected, l shall
bring down in sorrow to the grave.
will not curse my destroyer, but, oh,
may God ayenge the wrongs and impo-
sitions practiced upon the unwary in
way that shall best please HIM Ihls,
my dear parents, is the last letter you
will ever receive from me- humbly
pray your forgiveness. 1t is my dying
prayer Long before you will have re-
ceiyed this from me the cold grave will
have closed upon me forever Life TO
me is insupportable. | cannot, nay,
will not suffer the shame OF having
ruined you. Forget and forgive Is t1o
dying prayer of your unfortunate sen.
The old father came to the postotiice'
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 "Aceldama, the field Of blood! -
When things 20 wrong at gaming
table, they shout, Foul, foul!' Over
all the gaming tables of the world | cIy
out: Foul foul Infinitely foulr'
Gift Enterprises.
"Gift stores" are abundant through
out the country. With book or knife
or sewing machine or coat or carriage,
there goes a prize. At these stores peo'
pie get something thrown in with their
purchase. 1t may be gold watch, or a
set of silver, a ring or a farm. Sharp
way to get off unstable goods. 1t has
filled the land with fictitious articles
and covered up our population with
brass finger rings, and despoiled the
moral sense Of the community, and Is
fast making US nation Of gamblers.
The church Of God has not seemed
willing TO allow the world TO have all
the advantage of these games OF chance
A church bazaar opens, and toward the
close it is found that some Of the more
valuable articles are unstable. Forth
with. the conductors Of tine enterprise
conclude that they will rattle for some
of the valuable articles, and, under pre-
tense of anxiety to make their minister
n present or please some popular mem
ber of the church, fascinating persons
are dispatched through the room, pencil
in hand, to solicit shares" or perhaps
each draws for his own advantage and
scores of people 60 home with their
trophies. thinking that it is all right,
for Christian ladies did the embroidery
and Christian men did the ratfilng, ana
the proceeds went toward a new COM
munion set. But you may depend on It,
that as far as morality is concerned, you
might as well have won by the crack OF
the billiard ball or the turn Of the dice
box. Do you wonder that churches built,
lighted or upholstered by such processes
as that come to great financial and spir-
itual decrepitude: The devil says, 1
helped to build that house Of worship
and have as much right there as you
have. =" and for once the devil Is rlght.
We do not read that they had a lottery
for building the church at Corinth, OF
at Antioch, or for getting up an en-
broidered surplice for st. Paul. All this
style ecclesiastical gambling. More
than one man who is destroyed can say
that his first step on the wrong road
was when he won something at church
fair.
This gambling spirit has not stopped
for any indecency. There transpired IN
Maryland lottery in which people
drew for lots in hurying ground. The
modern habit of betting about every
thing is productive of immense mis-
chief. The most healthful and innocent
amusements Of yachting and baseball
playing have been the occasion OF put
ting up excited and extrayagant wagers.
That which to many has been advan
tageous to body and mind has been tC
others the means of financial and mora
loss. The custom is pernicious in The
extreme where scores of men in respect
able life give themselves up to betting
now on this boat, now on that; nov
On this ball club, now on that. Bettint
that once was chiefly the accompani
ment of the race course is fast becominl
national habit, and in some circle'
any opinion advanced on finance OF pol
itics is accosted with the interrogation
"How much will you bet on that, slrF
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