Year: 1870

IA IAAAAoNos


They played four games. Albert haC


won two. his opponent had won two.


'ThBt's two and twO,' cried Tom Piper


What do you say to playing them off


Albert p


AN right, go on said Albert, full o.
animation.


So they played the fifth game and he


who lost was to pay for the five games


1t was an exciting cOntest-bOth made


capital runs, but in the end Albert wa;


beaten by three points; and with lit


tie laugh he went up to settle the BILL
Five games, twenty cents a game-just
one dollar. Not much for such sport


and he paid out the money with a grace
and never once seemed to feel that he
could not afford it.


Have a cigar? SAID Tom.


Yes


They lighted their cigars, and then
sauntered down the hall to watch Others
play.


| Albert soon found himself seated OyeI
against a table at which some of his
friends were playing, and close by stood
two gentlemen, strangers to him, one OF
whom was explaining to the other the
mysteries Of the game.


1T Is a healthy pastime,' said he who
had been making the explanation; 'and
certainly it is one which has no evil ten
dency.5


Albert heard the remarks very plain
", and he had curiosity to hear what
the other, who seemed Unacquainted
with billiards, would say.


I cannot, of course, assert that any
game which calls for skill and judgment,
and which is free from the attendant
curse of gaming, is of itself an evil re-
marked the second gentleman. Such
things are only evil so far as they excite
and stimulate men beyond the bounds
of healthy recreation,


THAT result can scarcely follow such a
tgame,' said the first speaker.


Bat the other shook his head.


You are wrong here. The result can
follow in two ways. First it can lead
men away from their business; it can
lead men to spend money, who have not
1 money to spend. You will understand
me. would not cry down the game of
billiards, for if I understood it L should
certainly try you a game now: but
whenever I visit a place of this kind l
am led to reflect upon a most strange
and prominent weakness of humanity
as developed in our sex. For instance,
observe that young man who is just set
tling his bill at the desk. He looks like
a mechanic, and I should say from the
fact that he feels it his duty to go home
at this hour, that he has wife and chill
dren. see by his face that he Is kind
| hearted and generous, and should judge
| that he means to do as near right as he
can. He has been beaten, and he pays
one dollar and forty cents for the TecFea-
/ ton of two hours duration. If you OBJ
serve you will see that he pays it freely
and pockets the loss with a smile. Hap
| by faculty? But how do you suppose it
| is in the young mans home? Suppose
/ his wife had come to him this morning
and asked him for dollar to spend for
some trifling thing some household Or
lnaments or some bit of ieWelry to adOTn
| her persOn-and suppose his little child
had put in plea of forty cents to buy
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 not
money to spare for any such purpose ?
| And moreover, they would have said so,
feeling that they were telling the truth.
Am I not right


Upon my SOUL responded the man
who understood billiards, you speak to
| the point. I know that young man who
has paid his bill, and you have not mis-
! judged him in a single particular. And
what is more, happen to have fact
at hand to illustrate your charge. We
have q club for an excellent literary pa
per in your village, and last year that
man was one of our subscribers. This
year he felt obliged to discontinue it
| His wife was very anxious to take it, for
! it had become genial companion in
leisure moments, but he could not afford
| it. The club rate was one dollar and fif-
| ty cents year.


AYE, and so it goes, said the other
gentleman. We'll, that mans wife may
be wishing at this very moment that she
had her paper TO read while he is pay
ing almost its full price of a year-fOr
what? And yet how smilingly he does
it. All those poor sympathizing wives!
How many clouds often darken upon
them from the brOws of their husbands
when they ask for trifing sums of mon
ey, and how grudgingly the mite is
handed over when it is given! What
perfect floods of joy that dollar and forty
cents might have poured upon the chill
dren of that unsuccessful billiard player.
All! it is well for such wives and chill
dren that they do not know where the
money all goes


They had finished at the nearest table.
Two gentleman moved on, and Albert
Landman arose faOm his seat and left
the house. Never before had he such
thoughts as now possessed him, hOhad
never dwelt upon the same grouping of
ideas. That very morning his own
true, faithful, loving wife had been sad
and heart sick because he had harshly
and unkindly met her request for a small |
sum of money. And his sweet Lizzie !
had crept away to her home almost bro |
ken-heaTted for the 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 paid away that |
evening for billiard playing.


Albert Landman wanted to be an hon |
est husband and father, and the lesson !
was not lost npOn him. On his way
home he stopped at Mr.. Grants and
purchased the best and prettiest hoop to !
be found, and in the morning when he |
beheld his Child's delight, and had re-
ceived her grateful kiss, the question !
came to his mind Which was the best
and happiest result, this or the five
games Of billiards. The hoop had cost
thirty cents. He could play two games |
of billiards less, and be the absolute
gamer Of ten cents by the pleasant Oper-
alton.


A few mornings after this, as Albert |
rose from the breakfast table, he detect !
ed an uneasy, wistful look upon his
Wife's face,


kate, what is it?
ALBERT, could you spare me a dollar !
this mOrning%


And out came the wallet, and the |
money was handed over with warm, |
genial smile.
TTWhat! Tears at that! Was it possi-
bic she had been so little used to such |
scenes on his part that such a simple act |
of Kindness thus AFFECTED her


How many games of billiards would |
be required to secure such satisfaction |
as Albert Landman carried with him |
that morning to tho shop! 4 very sim
pie lesson, is it not. But how many |
may gain lasting profit by giving heed |
to the lesson!


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