Whijte-Melmlles Sermon. 103 



officers of regiments to set their faces against gambling and 

 money-lenders, at the same time encouraging all harmless 

 in-door amusements, such as cards and billiards for low 

 stakes, all openly played in barracks before all the officers, 

 how much good it would do. If it was thought '' good form " 

 to play in barracks, and " bad form " to play outside, what a 

 boon it would be too. We should no more see a boy, 

 almost, who knows no more of betting or races than I do, 

 with his betting-book, in the ring, ready for plucking ; and 

 we should not lose, as we do now, some of our most promismg 

 and dashing young officers who cannot go the pace. There 

 was one glorious instance during the Crimean war, of a 

 gallant young fellow who had gone through the London 

 ordeal to ruin, and who turned up in mufti at the battle of 

 the Alma ; saved the life of a former brother officer, when 

 badly wounded himself, and who was reinstated in the 



army. 



And all these remarks apply to a great extent to ci\4hans. 

 How is it that in every railway train a lot of young fellows 

 are playing shilling '' Nap," and losing a sovereign, or per- 

 haps two or three, in a half -hour's run ? How is it that, in 

 large public billiard-rooms, young fellows are playing pool 

 in business hours ? How is that in clubs the whist-room is 

 comparatively deserted in favour of " Nap," or " Poker," or 

 some other game ? How is it that in most club billiard- 

 rooms the haUtues never will consent to play pool for smaU 

 stakes ? The answer is, " Because the spirit of gambling and 

 fast living has seized all classes ; and the spirit of real sport, 

 for sport's sake, is comparatively dead." I know, I am 

 happy to say, many good houses where pool and pyramids 

 are played for mere" nominal stakes, with counters, and 

 where cards are played also for very trifling sums. Those 

 who are in favour of high stakes play for the money, and 

 nothing else. 



