Year: 1868

never once seeming to tell that he cOul

 not afford 1t.

 Have cigar?" said Tom. , s'Yes''

 They lighted thelr cigars and sauntere down the hal to see others play.

 Albert soon found himself seated ove

 against a table at which some of his friend

 were playing, and close by stood two gen

 tIemen, strangers to him. one of whom wa explaining to the other mysteries of tn

 game.

 1t is healthy pastime," said he wh had been making the ex planation, ssant certainly it is one which can have no evi tendency

 Albert heard the remarks very plainly and he had a curiosity to hear what the oth CT who seemed unacquainted with billiards could say.

 ''I cannot of course, assert that an, game which calls for skill and iudgmen and which is free from the attendant curse of gaming, is in itself an evil," remarked the second gentlemen. 'sSucE things art only evil so far as they excite and stimu late men beyond the bounds of healthfu recreation"

 That result can hardly follow such 2 game, " said the first speaker. l But the other shook his head. 'You arc wrong there. The result can follow in two ways. First-it can lead men away from their business; and second-it can lead them to spend money who have | not that money to spend. You understand me. would not cry down the game o1 bi'liards, for if understood it, I would try you is game now; but whenever | visit a place of this kind, am led to reflect upon most strange and prominent weakness oi humanity as developed in our sex. For in- stance, observe that young man who is just settling his bill at the desk. He looks like a mechanic, and I should say from his manner, and from the fact that he feels it his duty to go home at this hour, that he has wife and children. I see by his face that he is kind hearted and generous, and I should judge that he meant to do about as near right as he can. He has been beat en and he pays one dollar and forty cents for the recreation of some two hours dura- tion. If you would observe, you would see that he pays it freely and pockets the loss with a smile. Happy faculty! But how do you suppose 1t is in that young mans home? Suppose his wife had come to him this morning and asked him for dollar to spend for some trifling thing house hold ornament, or some bit of jewelry to adorn her person; and suppose his little child had put in q plea for forty cents to buy a paper and picture books with, what do you think he would have answered? Of fifty men just like him. would not forty and five have declared that they had no money for any such purpose? And moreover they would have said so, feeling that they were telling tho truth. Am not right?"

 "Upon my soul," responded the man who understood billiards, ''you speak to the point. l know that young man who has just paid his bill, and you have not mis- judged him in single particular. And what is more, happen to have fact at hand to illustrate your charge We had 8 club for an excellent literary paper in our village, and last year, tho man was one of our subscribers. This year he felt obliged to discontinue it. His wife was very anx- ious to take it, for it had become q genial companion in leisure moments; but he could not afford it. The club rate was one dollar and fifty cents year."

 ''Aye so it goes, said the other gentle man.

 ''Well, that mans wife may be wishing at this moment that she had her paper to read, while he is paying almost it's full price for year, for what? And yet how smilingly he does it. Ah these poor sym pathizing wives. How many clouds often darken upon them from the brows of their husbands when they ask for trihing sums of money, and how grudgingly the mite is handed over when it is given! What per- feet floods of joy might that dollar and for ty cents have poured upon the children of the unsuccessful billiard player An! it is we'll for wives and children that they do not know where the money goes.''

 They had finished at the nearest table. Landman arose from his seat and left the halt. Never before had such thoughts as now possessed him; he had never dwelt up- on the same grouping of ideas That very morning his own, true-loving wife had been sad and heart-sick, because he had harshly and unkindly met her request for 8 small sum of money. And his sweet Liz zie had crept away to her home almost bro- ken hearted for want of a simple toy such as her mates possessed And yet the sum of both their wants amounted to not as much as he had thrown away that evening for billiard playing.

 Albert Landman wanted to be an honest husband and father, and this lesson was not lost upon him. On his way home he stopped at MT. Grants and purchased the best and prettiest hoop to be found, with driving hoop painted red white and blue and in the morning when he beheld the childs delight, and had received her grate- ful, happy kiss, the question came to his mind, which was the best and happiest re- suit, this or the five games of billiards? The hoop had cost thirty cents. He could play two games of billiards less, and he the ab- solute gainer of ten cents by the very pleas ant operation.

 A few mornings after this, as Albert arose from the breakfast table, he detected an uneasy, wistful look upon his wife'S face.

 l ''Kate what is it?"

 t'Albert could you spare mo half dollar this morning?"

 Certainly, my love. Anything in req son, to make you happy"

 And out came the wallet, and the money was handed over, with warm and genia smile,

 What tears at that! Was it possible tha she had been so little used to such scene. on his part, and that so simple an act O loving kindness thus affected her?

 How many games of billiards would bt required to create such satisfaction as Al bert Landman carried with him that morn