Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-05-13

OliCC ONuC
In gaming-house in San Francisco,
a young man having just come from
the mines, deposited large sum upon
the ace and won S22, ,00G But the tide
turns. Intense anxiety comes upon
the countenanccs of all Slowly the
cards went forth. Every eye is fixed,
Not sound is heard until the ace is
revealed favorable to the bank There
are shouts of Foul FOUL" but the
keepers at the tables produced their
pistols, and the uproar is silenced, and
the bank has won $95,0 900. Do you call
this game of chance? There is no
chance about it.
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 law
ished all the favors of your declining
years. But should feeling of JOY for
moment spring up in your hearts,
when you should have received this
! from me, cherish it not. l have fallen
deep, never to rise. Those gray hairs,
that | should have honored and pro-
tected, l shall bring down in sorrow to
the grave. | will not curse my
destroyer, but oh, may God
avenge the wrongs and i'm
positions practiced upon the unwary,
in way that shall best please Him!
This, my dear parents, is the last let
ter you will ever receive from me.
humbly pray your forgiveness. 1t is
my dying prayer Long before you
will have received this from me the
cold grave will have closed upon me
forever. Life to me is unsupportable.
l can not, nay | will not, suffer the
shame of having ruined you. Forget
and forgive is the dying prayer of your
unfortunate son."
The old father came to the post of
fee, got the letter and fell to the floor.
They thought he was dead at first, but
they pushed back the white hair from
his brow and famed him. He had
only tainted. "Aceldama, the field OF
blood"
The gambling spirit has not stopped
for any indecency. There transpired
in Maryland lottery in which people
drew for lots in a burying ground! The
modern habit of betting about every
thing is productive of immense mis-
chief. The most healthful and limo.
cent amusement of yachting and base
ball playing have been the occasion
of putting up excited and extrav.
agant wagers. That which to many
has been advantageous to body and
mind has been to others the
means of financial and moral loss. The
custom is pernicious in the extreme,
where scores of men in respecta.
BILE life give themselves up to bet
ting. now on this boat, now on
that; now on this ball club, now on
that. Betting, that once was chiefly
the accompaniment of the race-course
is fast becoming n national habit, anC
in some circles any opinion advanced
on finance or politics is accosted with
the interrogation: How much will
you bet on that, sir?"
Shall | sketch the history of the
gambler? Lured by bad company, hi
finds his way into place where hones
men ought never to go. He sits dowr
to his first game, but only for pastime
and the desire of being thought socia
1 bic. The players deal out the cards
They unconsciously play into Satan,
hands, who takes all the tricks ant
both the players souls for trumps-
he being a sharper at the game
A slight stake is put up, jus
to add interest to the play Gam,
after game is played, Larger stake.
and still larger. They begin to move
nervously on their chairs. Their browl
lower, and eyes flash, until now they
who win and they who lose, fred alike
with passion, sit with set jaws, ant
compressed lips, and clinched fists, ant
eyes like freballs that seem starting
from their sockets, to see the final turI
before it comes; if losing, pale will
envy and tremulous with unutteret
oaths cast back red-hot upon the hear
or winning-with hysteric laugh
"Ha, ha! have it,"
A few years have passed, and he i
only the wreck OF man. Seating him
self at the game, ere he throws thu
first card, he stakes the last relic o
his wife-the marriage ring which
sealed the solemn vows between
them. The game is lost, anc
staggering back in exhaustion ht
dreams The bright hours of tht
past mock his agony, and in hi
dreams, fiends with eyes of fir
and tongues of flame circle about hin
with joined hands, to dance and sim
their orgies with hellish chor is, chant
ing: Hail brother!" kissing his clam
my forehead until their loathsom
locks, flowing with serpents, crawl in
| to his bosom, and sink their sharI
fangs and suck up his life's blood, an
coiling around his heart, pinch it wit
chills and shudders unutterable.
Take warning You are no stronge
than tens of thousands who have b.
, this practice been overthrown. n
young man in our cities can escape bt
, ing tempted. Beware of the first bC
/ ginnings. This road is down grade
{ and every instant increases the momer
tum. Launch not upon this treachel
, GUS sea. Splint hulks strew the beacl
Everlasting storms howl up an
down, tossing unwary craft into til
hellgate. speak of what have see
| with my own eyes. To gambler
, death-bed there comes no hope. II
, will probably die alone. His forme
| associates come not nigh his dwelling
} When his hour comes his miserable sou
will go out of miserable life int
, a miserable eternity. AS his poor RI
| mains pass the house where he wa
: ruined, old companions may look OH
{ for moment and say: There goa
: the old carcass-dead at last" but the
g will not get up from the table. lie
| him down now into his grave. Plan
e no tree to cast its shade ther,