Playing Fool | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 9, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 47.

"Playing Fool."

AN industrious young shoe-maker fell into the habit of spending much time at a saloon near by. One by one his customers began to desert him. When his wife remonstrated with him for so neglecting his work for the saloon, he would carelessly reply: "Oh, I've just been down a little while playing pool." His little two-year-old caught the refrain, and would often ask: "Is you goin' down to play fool, papa?" Smith tried in vain to correct this word. The child persisted in his own pronunciation, and day by day he accosted his father with, "Has you been playin' fool?" This made a deep impression on the shoe-maker, as he realized that the question was being answered in the falling off of his customers and the growing wants of the household.

He resolved again and again to quit the pool table, but weakly allowed the passion of play to hold him a long time. Finally he found himself out of work, out of money, and out of flour. Sitting on his bench one afternoon, idle and despondent, he was heard to exclaim: "No work again to-day; what I'm to do I don't know."

"Why, papa," prattled the baby, "can't you run down and play fool some more?" "Oh, hush! you poor child," groaned his father, shame-stricken. "That's just the trouble, papa has played fool too much already." But he never played it again, and to-day his home is comfortable and happy once more.—Temperance Review.