The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-04-06

IL 10 my uyHlb playSl' A|OhS N~
you will have received this from me
the cold grave will have closed upon
me forever. Life to me is insupporta-
Bile. l cannot, nay, will not, suffer
the shame of having ruined you. For.
get and 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. "Aceldama, the field ot
blood"
When things go wrong at a gaming
table they shout Foul foul" Over
all the gaming tables OF the world ]
cry out: Foul foul! Infinitely foulP
Gift stores" are abundant through
out the country. With book or knile.
or sewing machine, or coat, or carriage.
there goes prize, AT these stores
people get something thrown in with
their purchase. 1t may be gold watch,
or a set of silver, ring, or farm
Sharp way to get off unstable goods:
The Church of God has not seemed
willing to allow the world to have all
the advantage of these games OF chance,
A church bazar opens and toward the
close it is found that some OF the more
valuable articles are unstable. Forth
with the conductors of the enterprise
conclude that they will rattle for some
Of the valuable articles and, under pre-
tense of anxiety to make their minister
present or please some popular mem
Der 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 railing, and
the proceeds went toward 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 pro
ccsses as that come to great financial
and spiritual decrepitude? The devil
says: II helped to build that house ol
worship, and | have as much right there
as YOU have" and for once the devil
is right. We do not read that they had
lottery for building the church al
Corinth, or at Antioch, or for getting
I'D an embroidered 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. The gambling spirit ha!
not stopped for any indecency There
transpired in Maryland lottery il
which people drew for lots in buryini
ground! The modern habit OF betting
about everything is productive OF i'm
mense mischief The most healthfu
and innocent amusements OF yachting
{ and baseball playing have been the occa
sion of putting up excited and eXtrav
agant wagers. That which to many ha
been advantageous to body and mind
: has been to others the means OF finan
cial and moral loss. The custom is per
nicious in the extreme, where score
. of men in respectable life give them
: selves up to betting. now on this boa'
p now on that; now on this ball club, nov
on that Betting that once was chief
v the accompaniment OF the race course
2 is fast becoming national habit, and
+ some circles any opinion advanced 0
finance or politics is accosted with tn
interrogation, "How much will you be
: on that, sir?
t Shall l sketch. the history OF tn
D gambler? Lured by bad company, h
finds his way into place where homes
}. men ought never to go. He sits dow
e to his first game, but only for pastim
e and the desire OF being thought SC
c ciable. The players deal out the card
c They unconsciously play into Satan
S hands, who takes all the tricks and bot
a the players souls for trumpS-he bein
d sharper at any game. A slight stak
S is put up, just to add interest to tn
It play. Game after game is played. La
C ger stakes and still larger. They begl
S to move nervously on their chairs. The
c brows lower, and eyes flash, until no
it they who win and they who lose, fire
alike with passion, sit with set jaw
e and compressed lips, and clenched fist
It and eyes like hreballs that seem star
l. ing from their sockets, to see the I'M
n turn before it comes; if losing, pa
= with envy and tremulous with unuttere
e oaths cast back red-hot upon the hea
a or winning-with hysteric laugh
: "Ha ha! have it?'
Il A Jew years have passed. and he
e only the wreck of man. Seating hin
S self at the game, ere he throws the FIR
y card, he stakes the last relic OF his wi
L. the marriage ring which sealed II
d solemn vows between them. The gan
o is lost, and staggering back in e.
TT haustion he dreams. The bright hou
le of the past mock his agony and in h
t, dreams, tiends with eyes OF fire ar
ct tongues OF flame circle about him wi
n Joined hands, to dance and sing the
l. orgies with helish chorus, chantin
le Hail, brother" kissing his clamn
.r forehead until their loathsome lock
in flowing with serpents, crawl into h
lc bosom and sink their sharp fangs al
re suck up his life's blood, and coilir
around his heart pinch it with chills al
shudders unutterable.
x lake warning! lou are nO slolS
l. than tens of thousands who have
id this practice been overthrown. \
as young man in our cities can escape b
N ing tempted. Beware of the first b
as ginnings! This road is a down grad
n and every instant increases the m
e. mentum Launch not upon tn
g. treacherous sea- Splnt hulks strew t
" beach. Everlasting storms howl up al
lie down, tossing unwary craft into Z
st hell-gate l speak of what | have Sc,
ID with my own eyes. To a CANDLES
te deathbed there comes no hope. He W
~ probably die alone. His former ass