The L'Anse sentinel., 1908-06-27


opened It's eyes. A disposition to
steal somethin' was born just few
moments before, but man may gam
BILE and not be Q thief. There is
such thing as an honest gambler
that is, gambler who is willing to
give q man fair chance-to lose his
money. The gambler wants your
money, and It amt much trouble for
him to accommodate his conscience as
to the way he gets 1t. II he is sharp
or than you are he compliments him
self with the fact that he understands
his business, and every man that has
q trade likes to know its details better
than the other man does"
Thus spoke old Limuel to few
friends who were gathered about the
fireside in the Jucklin home. The
wind was bowling and the snow, like
shredded sheets, was flying past the
windows.
But you don't believe that all
gamblers are thieves?" remarked old
man Brizintine.
II said I didn't. But there amt
esty more than gamblin' will"
That's been preached on many a
time" Brizintine spoke up. But /
never gambled in my life, and"
"And you don't know just how far
you are honest" Linn broke In
II don't know that / understand
you"
Didn't think you did," replied Juck-
lin. But l can explain. The man
that CANDLES has more temptations to
steal than any other man. When he
has lost everything strong resent
ment arises against life. It Is almost
impossible for him to believe that he
has been fairly beaten. and IL he is
broad enough to acknowledge this he
then questions Fate for her one
sidedness. He wants to know what
right SHE'S got to discriminate SO
against him.
Unfortunately for man. work was
put on him as curse. The fact is,
It ennotles him, but he accepted 1t IS
committed crime, not grave enough
to hang him, he says: I will SEN
tence you to work In the olden times
q man that worked want respected as
much as the highwayman. They
hanged the robber, 1t is true, but they
respected him more than they did
the mao that handled the hoe. And
the gambler is sort Of social high
wayman. l don't say he is bad fel-
Ter. in many instances he per-
suades himself to believe that
his profession is right. He puts up
his money, takes chances. and II he
wins ne has come by the money as
honestly as II he had dug in the
ground for it-he thinks. And az long
as he wins he may be honest. But
his principles undergo change when
he begins to lose. Then he can't
help feelin' that he Is givin the
other feller too much show. When he
has lost all he must have money in
order to carry on his business. Sup
pose he is employed to collect money
suppose he is in a bank. II he
refr aims from takin' money to gam
BILE with he Is honest-desperatel
honest, you might say. And he may
refrain day after day-for years: but
some day he may find himself weak.
rkls weakness may consist OF an over
. confidence In self-in an overabun-
. dsnce of hope. in faith that he will
: win and can pay back. Right there
he is gone. Think you are strong
enough to stand such temptation as
that, Brother Brizintine"
Il would not use any mans money"
Brizintine answered. Il surely have
sense enough to know what is my
cwp. and knowing what is not my own
II have honesty enough not to take it,
Yes" replied Jucklin. "and what
you have said is the answer that nine
out OF ten men would make-and hon.
estly, too. But the fact is, you don't
know"
What! do you mean to say l don't
know whether or not I'm honest?"
II mean Just what say-you don't
know. II Is all very well for the un-
tried man to believe himself strong,
but unless he has been severely tried
he does not know"
do you know Brother Jucklin?
We'll, III tell you just how far l
know. Many years ago l was workin
at a mill that took in a good deal OF
money. Finally they gave me charge
of It. Along about that time party
Of us used to meet two or three times
a week to play social game Of poker
1t got to be so sociable that 1t kept
me broke. knew that It was largely
game OF luck and that the cards
would break even after awhile. and
that may be true, in the long run,
but the run is too long. In the course
of thousand years they might have
broke even, but as It was, they broke
with just enough promise to hold me
tied In fascination to the game. i
began to borrow money-and 1t took
all OF my wages to pay It back. One
night went over to meet the boys.
didn't have . cent Of my own, and
wouldn't have gone II hadn't
thought that some one would lend me
enough TO get into the game. But
everyone hemmed and hawed and
spoke Of the extreme need for money,
OF hard times and the like-the very
men who had week after week got