Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-04-07

tno tapleg prcdu0e fbeir pistols, n $ho
uproar 40 stleaoeds and the bank has won
9 ~ sou e&,Ms this i gatBe Of
nhanoap SSTheye AZ 20 g ttsrca a!,2ss
Notice also the effect OF this orimol
apcS domestic hHp;,.inbsa. 1t mas sent
its ruthless 3plowshare through hun
dre6s OF families, rntil the wife sat In
rags aud the daughters were disgraoed
and the sons. grew mp to the same infa.
nous PRACTICES OF took q short out to
destruction au2oss tie mufderer's scat
fold. Home has lost all charms for tho
gambler. How tame arc the ohildron's
oaresses and q wife's devotion to the
gamblerl How 'drearily tho fire burns
on the domestic hearthi There must be
louder laughter end something to win
and something to lose, an excitement to
drive the heart faster, FLIP tho blood
and fire the Imagination. No homo,
however bright. oan keep back tho
gn,neater. The sweet call of love bounds
taok from his iron soul, and all endear-
ments nre consumed in the fire Of his
passion. The family Biblo will go after
oil other treasures are lost, and IL his
Drown In heaven were put into his hand
no would Org: "Here goesl Ono moro
Bane, my boys. On this one throw I
stake my Drown Of heaven"
A young nan in London, Oh coming
Of age, received O fortune Of $40, 900,
and through gambling In three years
Was th:o%a Oh his mother SSur support.
An only son went to New Orleans. Ho
was rioh, intellectual and elegant ii
manners. His parents gave him, on his
departure from home, thois last bless
ing. The sharpers got hold Of him.
They hattered him. They lured him to
the gaming table and lot MIN via III
most every time for a good whilo, and
patted him Oh the bnok and said, ''Firat
rate player" But, fully in their grasp,
they hooced him, and his $50, 00U wore
lost. Last OF uii, nc put up his watch
and lost that. Thon he began to think
Of his homo and Of his old father and
mother and wrote thus:
"My beloved parents, you will doubt
loss feel q momontary joy at tho recop-
ton Of this lotter from tho child Of
your bosom, on whom you have lavish
cd oil tho fayors Of your declining years.
But should II Soeling Of joy for a mo-
mont spring up in your hearts, when
you should have received this from mo,
oherish 1t not. Ihayo fallen deep, nover
to rise. Those gray hairs, that I should
have honored and protected, / shall
bring down in sorrow to the grave. 1
will not curse my destroyer, but, oh,
may God avenge tho wrongs and impo-
sitions praotiood upon tho unwary in u
way that shall bost please himl This,
my dear parents, is tho last lottor you
Will oVG. receive from me. ! humbly
pray your forgiveness. 1t Is my dying
prayer. Long before you will have ro-
coiyod this from mo tho cold grave will
have closed upon mo forever. Lifo to
me ia inCupportablo. 7 cannot, nay, I
will not, suffer tho shame Of having
ruined you. Forgot aud forgive is tho
dying prayor Of your unfortunate son."
The old father cnmo to tho p~ostof1ioo,
got tho lottor and foil to tho floor. They
thought no was dead at first, but they
brushed back the white hair from his
brow and famed him. He had only
tainted. "Aoeldama, tho fold Of bloodr'
Whom things go wrong at q gaming
table, they shout, "Foul, foull' Over
oil the gaming tables Of tho world I DRY
out: "Foul, FOUL Infinitely FOUL"
Gift Enterprises.
"Gift ~stores' are abundant Though
out the county. With O book or knife
or sowing machine Or coat or carriage,
thoro COOS q prize. At those stores pco-
pie got something thrown In with their
purchase. 1t may BIO a gold watch, or q
set Of silver, q ring or q farm. Sharp
way to got of unsalnblo goods. It has
filled tho land with fictitious articles
and covered up our population with
brass flngor rings, and despoiled the
moral sonso OF tho community, and is
fast making us q nation Of gamblers.
Tho church Of God has not seemed
willing to allow tho world to have all
tho advantage Of these games Of chance.
A church bazaar opens, and toward tho
close 1t Is found that some of tho moro
valuable articles arc unsuitable. Forth
with, the conductors Of tho enterprise
conclude that they will rafflo for somo
Of tho valuable articles, and, undor pro-
tense Of anxiety to make their minister
q prosont OK please some popular NOM
Der Of tho church, fascinating persons
are dispatched through tho room, pencil
In hand, to "solioit shares" or perhaps
each draws for his own advantage and
SCORES Of people go homo with their
trophies, thinking that it Is all right,
for Christian ladies did tho embroidery
n Christian men did the rafting, and
tho proceeds went toward d now COM
munion sot. But you may depend on It,
that as far as morality Is concerned, you
might as vol have won by tho crack of
Tho Billiard ball O" tho turn Of tho dico
box. DO you wonder that churches built,
lighted or uDhOlsterod nv suoh nrocnssos
as that como to great financial ind Rnir-
ituni deoropitude7 Tho dovil says, ~
holped to build TINT house of worship
and 1 have as much right thoro rs you
hnve," and for once tho dovil is right.
We do not read that they had q lottery
for building tho church ct Corinth, or
at Antioch, Or for getting up an om-
broiderod surplico for st. Paul. All this
l style ecclesiastical gambling. Moro
than n man who IL destroyed can say
that his first step on tho wrong road
was whom no won something at u church
fair.
Tho gambling spirit has not stopped
for any indeoenoy. Thore transpircd In
Maryland a lottery in which people
drow for lots In q burying ground. Tho
modern habit Of botting about oyory-
thing Is productive of immense mis-
chief. Tho most healthful and innocent
amusomcnts Of yachting and baseball
playing have been tho occasion Of put
ting up excited and ~oxtravngant wagers.
That which to many has been advan-
tagoous to body and mind has boon to
othors tho means of financial and moral
f0Qu Uhn auction, Ia ,orn,;,,n,o l., kln