A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN THE DEVIL’S AGENT.
A YOUNG man in a Wisconsin town gave his heart to God, and was converted through and through. He was very bright, and before his conversion was very wild. There was a young lady in that town he had been wont to visit often. She said to a familiar friend of hers, when she heard of his conversion, "I wonder if he will come to our parties now?" That friend replied: "I don’t believe he ever will; and, after hearing what he said, I don’t think he will play cards any more." "I’ll bet I can get him to play," said she. "I’ll bet you can’t," said her friend, and they made some kind of a bet together. These two girls were both members of the church, tho they had no interest in religion. "Now, I’ll tell you," said the first, "I’ll give him two weeks, then report to you." A few nights after the meeting closed, he came down to spend the evening with the girl. He put his things on the rack in the hall, and stepped into the parlor. She invited him to a chair. By and by she said, "Well, let’s have a little game of cards to-night?" "No, thanks," said he, "I am not going to play any more." "You are not? What do you mean?" "I mean just that—that I am not." "Well, I know you are not going to play with bad men, or gamble any more, but you will play with me." This was his reply: "I played my first game in a parlor with a girl, and my last with a gambler in a gambling-den. Before I knew it I was gambling with all I could get. I don’t propose to start again, where I did the first time." A brave, kind, polite answer. He had turned out a miserable gambler, and he did not propose to be caught a second time that way. They talked on a few minutes together, and then she said: "O, pshaw! I am not going to let you be so particular. What will we do if we don’t play cards?" Continuing, she said: "There is such a thing as being really fanatical. I am glad you have changed, but I don’t want you to be fanatical. I wouldn’t have you fanatical for anything. And right here alone, just you and I—will you play a little game with me? I’ll never tell." She pulled out a little drawer, and from it took a pack of beautiful, enameled, gilt-edged cards, and, as she held them out to him, she gave them that quick snap—music to the player’s ear. "Come on! any game you say! your deal!" He looked at the cards; he looked at her; she was almost trembling with excitement. He looked into that eager face, and she smiled upon him out of those beautiful eyes; he saw those pearly white teeth, as they flashed out from behind coralline lips; she smiled at him again so temptingly; he thought the world of that girl. He stood for an instant, hesitatingly looking into her face, then he reached out, and took the cards from her hands, and—tossed them over into a corner of the room. He turned, and said: "I have a lesson to prepare to-night for to-morrow’s recitation; I guess I had better go home, and get it. Good evening," and he bowed, and walked out of the room. Young man, are you made of this sort?—Selected.