. T. DeWitt Talmage : his life and work : biographical edition . rument, or game or time or place, or think the principledepends upon whether you play for a glass of wine or one hundred shares ofrailroad stock. Whether you patronize auction pools, French mutuels, or book-making, whether you employ faro or billiards, roulette and keno, cardsor bagatelle, the very idea of the thing is dishonest; for it professes to bestowupon you a good for which you give no equivalent. He gives a remarkable word-painting of the gambler. Shall I sketch,he says, the history of the gambler? Lured by bad company, h
. T. DeWitt Talmage : his life and work : biographical edition . rument, or game or time or place, or think the principledepends upon whether you play for a glass of wine or one hundred shares ofrailroad stock. Whether you patronize auction pools, French mutuels, or book-making, whether you employ faro or billiards, roulette and keno, cardsor bagatelle, the very idea of the thing is dishonest; for it professes to bestowupon you a good for which you give no equivalent. He gives a remarkable word-painting of the gambler. Shall I sketch,he says, the history of the gambler? Lured by bad company, he finds his wayinto a place where honest men ought never to go. He sits down to his firstgame, but only for pastime, and the desire of being thought sociable. Theplayers deal out the cards. They unconsciously play into Satans hands, whotakes all the tricks and both the players souls for trumps—he being a sharperat any game. A slight stake is put up, just to add interest to the play. Gameafter game is played. Larger stakes and still larger. They begin to move. BROADMOOR CASINO AND CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN, COLORADO SPRINGS 192 T. DE WITT TALMAGE HIS LIFE AND WORK nervously on their chairs. Their brows lower, and eyes flash, until now theywho win and they who lose, fired alike with passion, sit with set jaws, andcompressed lips, and clenched fists, and eyes like fireballs that seem startingfrom their sockets to see the fatal turn before it comes; if losing, pale withenvy and tremulous with unuttered oaths cast back red-hot upon the heart—or,winning, with hysteric laugh— Ha, ha! I have it! Take warning! You are no stronger than tens of thousands who have bythis practice been overthrown. No young man in our cities can escape beingtempted. Beware of the first beginnings! This road is a down-grade, and everyinstant increases the momentum. Launch not upon this treacherous sea. Splin-tered hulks strew the beach. Everlasting storms howl up and down, tossingunwary crafts into the Hell Gat
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectclergy, bookyear1902
