Year: 1875

| himself and wife, and to be thought We


OF by his neighbors. He had built hin


self a house, and there still RENAME
upon it mortgage of $500; but this sur


he hoped to pay in few years, if he ha


only his health. He had calculated eS


actly how long it would take to clear Of


this encumbrance, and he went to worl


with eyes open.


One evening James came home to hi


supper more thoughtful than usual. Hi
young wife noticed his manner, and sh
! inquired its cause


| what is it, James p she asked kindly


WHY, l never saw you look so sober be
| fore"


wait, I'll tell you, Hannah" replied


the young man with a slight hesitation
| in his manner; 81 have just been think
ing that would buy lottery ticket.
Hannah Lanning did not answer imme
diately. She looked down ard srnoothec
the silken hair Of her babe, which wa
chirping like little robin in her arms
and the shades in her handsome features
showed that she was taking time tc
think.


How much will it cost ?" she asked a
length, looking half timidly up to hel
husbands face.


Twenty dollars" returned James, try
ing to assume a confidence which he did
not feel.


And have you made up your mind tc
buy it 2"


"Well, think I shall What do you
think about it p


"If you should take my advice, should
say not buy it.


But why so? p


"For many reasons, returned the wife
in trembling voice.


She would not offend her husband and
she shrank from giving him advice that
he might not follow.


In the first place" she said, 81 think
the whole scheme of lotteries is a bad
one, and then you have no money to
risk"


But just look at the prizes" said
James, drawing a scheme" from his
pocket "IIere is one prize of $4,000,
another of $4,000. another of $4,000, and
so on. Something tells me if l buy a
ticket l shall draw a large prize. And
then, just think, Hannah, how easily |
could pay up for my house, and perhaps
have good, handsome sum left"


The young man spoke with much
earnestness and assurance; but he saw
that there was q cloud upon his wife's
brow


alt seems to me that the chance of
drawing a nrize is very doubtful said
Hannah, as she took the scheme. Here
are many thousand tickets to be sold.


The babe tried hard to snatch the pa
per, and Hannah laid it aside.


Il think shall run the risk, resumed
James, glancing once more over the pa
per, and resting with q nervous longing
upon the figures which represented the
higher prizes. There is Barney he
drew about $500 a year ago"


Yes, 1 know it, said Hannah With
more warmth than she had manifested,
and what has become of the money? =?
You know he has squandered it all away.
Ah, James, money is of no use unless we
come honestly 10y it.


Honestly! !" repeated the young man.
Surely, there's nothing dishonest in
drawing u prize in a lottery"


Il think there is, kindly, but emphat-
ically, returned the wife. All games OF
hazard where money is at stake are dis
honest. Were you to draw a prize OF
$40, 900, you would rob one thousand men
OF $50 each or at least, you would take
from them money for which you return
ed them no equivalent. Is it not gam
bling in every sense OF the word 2


''Oh, no! You look upon the matter
in too strong a light.


Perhaps | do; but just so it looks to
me. What you draw some one else must
lose; and perhaps 1t may be some one
who can afford the loss no better than
you can. | would not buy a ticket,
James. Let US live on the product OF
our honest gains, and we shall be hap
pier"


James Lanning was uneasy. He had
no answer for his w;fe's argument, at
least, none that could spring from mis-
moral convictions, and he let the matter
drop. But the young man could not
drive the syren from his heart. All the
next day his head was full of prizes, and
while he was at his work he kept NUT
tering to himself, $4,000, $4,000,
S.. 900, and so on.


When he went home the next night
he was almost unhappy with the nervous
anxiety into which he had thrown him
self The tempter had grasped him
firmly, and whenever he thought of the
lottery he thought Of nothing but piles
Of gold and silver. In short, James Lam
ming had made up his mind that he
would buy the ticket. Hewent to the
little box where he already had $l20 laid
lp toward paying off the mortgage from
his house. The clock clicked with a
startling sound. and when he drew back
the cover he hesitated. He looked at
his wife and saw that she was sad


"Oh, I'm sure | shall draw prize p he
said, with a faint fading smile.


He took four eagles from the box, and
put them into his pocket. His wife said
lothing. She played with her babe to
aide her sadness. for she did not wish to
;ay more on the subject She had seen
he little pile of gold gradually accumu-
ating. and both she and her husband |
1ad been happy in anticipating the day
when the pretty cottage would be their
own. But when she saw those four pieces
IF gold taken away from the store, she
'elt foreshadowing of evil. She might i
nave spoken again against the movement, |
,ut she saw that her husband was sorely |
ender on the subject, and she let the |
,ffair 90 to the hands of fate.


A week elapsed from the time that |
James bought his ticket to the drawing OF
he lottery, and during that time the
foung man I'd not Il moment of real
enjoyment. He was alternating between
nope and fear. and therefore, his mind |
vas constantly on the stretch.


At length the day arrived. james |
vent to the Office and found that the
drawing had taken place, and that the |
list of prizes had been made out He |
seized the list and turned away, so that |
those standing around should not see his |
face. lie read the list through, but he
searched for his number in vain 1t was |
not there. He had drawn blank lie |
lett the office an unhappy man. Those
500 which he had lost had been the say
ngs of two months of hard labor, and |
lac felt their loss most keenly.


When he returned home that night he
told his wife he had lost. She found no
fault with him. She only kissed him,
and told him that the lesson was a good