Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-09-19
THE LOTTERY TICKET.

highest ambition was to gain a
comfortable home for himself and wife
to be thought well of by his neigh
and there still remained upon 1t a
mortgage of five hundred dollars: but
this sum he hoped to pay in a few
years il he only had his health. He
had calculated exactly how long it
would take him to clear off this incum-
brance. and he went to work with his
eyes open.
one evening James came home to his
supper more thoughtful than usual.
His young wife noticed his manner.
and she inquired its cause.
what is it, James," she kindly
asked "Why, never saw you look
SD sober before"
well, I'll tell you, Hannah" re
turned the young man. with a slight
hesitation in his manner. Il have just
been thinking that | would buy lot
terry ticket"
Hannah tanning did not answer i'm
mediately. She looked down and
which was chrping like robin in her
arms, and the shades of her hand
some features showed that she was
taking time to think.
How much will it COST she asked
at length. looking half tmidly up into
her husbands face.
Twenty dollars" returned James,
trying to assume confidence which
he did not feel.
and have you made up your mind
10 buy it,"
well. think shall. What do you
think about IT."
IF YOU should ask my advice,
should say not to buy it,"
But why soT'
For many reasons returned his
wife, in Il trembling tone.
She would not offend her husband
and she shrank from giving him ad-
vice which he might not follow
III the first place" she said, Il
think the whole science of lotteries Is
bad one; and then you have no
money to risk"
But just look at the prizes" said
James, dra wing a scheme" from his
pocket Here Is one prize of twenty
thousand dollars another Of ten thou
sand. another five thousand. and so on
Something tells me that If buy a tick
ct | shall draw large prize And
then just think. Hannah. how easily
could pay all up for my house and
perhaps have Il good handsome sum
left"
The young man spoke with much
e8rnnStneSS and assurance: but he saw
that there was a cloud upon his wifes
brow.
al seems to me that the chance of
drawing ii prize is very doubtful" said
Hannah as she took the scheme
Here are many thousand tickets to be
sod"
The babe tried hard to snatch the
paper, and Hannah laid it aside
II think | shall run the risk" re
sumed James, CHANGING once more over
the paper, aud resting with nervous
longing upon the figures which repre-
scented the higher prizes. There's Bar.
ney, he drew about eight hundred dol
lars Il year ago"
Yes, | know It," said Hannah, wirh
more warmth than she had before
manifested, land what has become of
the money? You know he has suuan.
dered it all away. All, James, money
Is of no use unless we come honestly
by it,
"Honestly?" repeated the young
man. Surely. there Is nothing dis
honest in drawing prize In a lot
tery?"
Il think there is" kindly but en-
phatically replied the wife "All games
of hazard. where money is at stake
are dishonest. Were you to draw
prize Of twenty thousand dollars you
would rob a thousand men Of TWEEN
ty dollars each; or. at least, you would
lake from them money for which you
returned them no equivalent. Is 1t not
gambling in every sense OF the word ?"
"Oh. no. You look upon the ma tier
In too strong light"
Perhaps | do; but yet so it looks
10 me. What you may draw. some one
else must lose; and perhaps it may be
some one who can afford the loss no
better than YOU can. | wouldn't buy
the ticket. James. Let us live on the
products Of our honest gains. and we
shall be happier"
James tanning was uneasy He had
no answer for his wlfes arguments;
at least. no answer that could spring
from his moral convictions, and he let
the matter drop. But the young man
could not drive the siren from his
heart. All the next day his head was
full Of prizes" and while he was
at his work he kept muttel1ng to him
self, Twenty thousand dollars" "ren
thousand dollars" Five thousand dol
lars" aud 50 on.