Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-20
Fashionable Gambling.
(By Mrs. Joseph Cook


The Womans Christian Temperance
Union. as leaders in much needed re-
form, have once more earned the thanks
of those conservative Christians who
have viewed with alarm that menace to
deep spiritual life and interest in things
which pertain to Christ's kingdom in the
modern rage. not only for card playing.
but playing for prizes, which the women
of the Temperance Union denounce as
fashionable gambling" There was pro-
test even in the ranks of the Union. on
the ground that many Christian women
thought ii no harm to have card playing
as an evening amusement in their own
homes" This shows how widespread Is
the evil and how deep a hold it has on
Christian women. No one can visit vari-
Gus cities and towns TO meet the women
of the churches in the interest Of mis-
sons as it has been my fortune TO do to
some extent, without hearing Of the alb
sorption of many Christian women in
card playing, and this, not simply as an
evening amusement in their own
homes" but good, honest daylight hours
are squandered in this way. No wonder
that only one-sixth of the women Of the
Congregational churches tMrs. Cook was
the wife of a distinguished Congrega-
tionalist clergyman are interested in
missions and that five-sixths are utterly
indifferent and affirm unblushingly that
they haven't the slightest interest in
missions"
In view of the importance and inmen-
sity of the work there is to be done for
the salvation of our own country, and
for millions Of our contemporaries who
have never heard of Christ, it seems in
credible that there is this host of Chris
tian women who feel al liberty to waste
their time in what our Puritan fore
| fathers would call vain recreation.
| l think il was Catherine Beecher who
said that she was going to postpone card
| playing until she got to Heaven! II it
really would add greatly to her happi-
ness she could take it UP in that world.
but in this world she thought she could
use her time to better advantage.
| 1t requires not a little moral courage
and strength of character for a young
woman to set her face and use her in
| f1uence against such a popular idol Of
the hour. You can spell it either way
you please-idol or idle. But have Chris
tians in this most favored land become
SO pleasure-loving and self-indulgent
that they cannot do as much as this for
His sake? There may De a certain
amount of social scorn and even ostra-
cism, but the sense of making some sac
| rifice for the Master will give deep and
sweet serenity Of spirit undreamed Of
before.
| And how do Christian mothers dare to
engage in such a questionable amuse-
ment with any expectation Of keeping
| their sons away from the gambling
tables?
! Only yesterday / heard the story Of q
mother demonstrating with her son who
| had been winning money at poker. His
only reply was to point significantly to a.
pair of vases on the mantel and say.
Mother, how were those vases OBJ
tained?' 'fOh,' said the mother. some
what embarrassed, those were prizes I
| won at whist" Very weil,' said tho
son, You play for prizes I play for
money. The principle is the same
! 1t is needless to add that the mother de-
| cided then and there to quit her FASH
ionable gambling"