and monte players were in clover. Among them
was the most notorious and successful _thief_ who ever operated in
this country, Canada Bill. He was a _large_ man, with a nose
_highly illuminated_ by the joint action of _whisky_ and heat.
Bill squandered his money very lavishly, and _drank_ himself to
death in about a year after the incident I have related. He died
a pauper."

"But by all thy nature's weakness,
Hidden faults and follies know.
Be thou, in rebuking evil,
Conscious of thine own."

Is Mason Long converted? God and himself only know.

Was he fully converted when he wrote "The Converted Gambler"?

If the Bible be true, and it was left for me to decide, I would
answer in the language of St. Paul:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal."

A true Christian will exercise charity toward all offenders, granting
a boon of pity to the erring, and cast a glance of mercy upon the
faults of his fellows. He will cherish a recollection of his
virtues, and bury all his imperfections.

Is Mason Long a true Christian? Read his description of Canada
Bill. Then read a true description of Bill's personal appearance
on page 190 in this book. If Mason Long had never seen Canada
Bill, I would excuse him, but he said he capped for him once, or
at least he tried to do so.

Has he shown any Christian charity in speaking of a man in his
grave? Read what he says, and you will see that he or I are
mistaken.

Bill was not a thief, he was honest to a fault. He was not a large
man, for he never weighed over 130. He did not have a nose highly
illuminated by the joint action of whisky and heat. He did not
drink himself to death within a year of 1876, for he visited me in
New Orleans in 1877. He did not drink whisky at all. His great
drink was Christian cider, and it was very seldom I could get him
to drink wine. He did die a pauper, and God bless him for it, for
he gave more money to the poor than a thousand professed Christians
that I know, who make a great parade of their reformation.

The public put all sporting men into one class, called gamblers;
likewise they put all church members into classes and call them
Christians, etc.

There is as wide a difference between a true gambler and one who
styles himself a sport, as there is between a true Christian and
one who puts on the cloak of Christianity to serve the