The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-08-15

| ~ gave the alarm 10 her feelings
but in few seconds she throw hei
arms around me, and calculated "A
the tears ran down Ilel' cheeks
Forgive me, my dear Charles. par
don my Yehemenec, my lngratitude
! Lace present to ask: Il boon Il
implore---promise that you vii gran
1t me" Most willingly rejoin
ed, If II be IN my power Civ,
me your pledge never to play again.
CheerInlly,' continued /, Tor hat
already formed that resolution 49,
She Kissed me with many affection.
ate thanks, adding that I made hel
completely happy. believe it, ioi
at that moment | felt 50 myself.
Many men who are candid and
upright IN arguing with others, are
the most fa'thiess and jesoilioai ca
soists in choppiog logic With them-
selves. Let 10 one trust his head IN
contest with his heart the former,
supp esslnS or pervcrting whatever
IS disagreeablc 10 the latter. viii AS
same demuro and sincere con, ic-
ton, Mule it has all along leWi
playing booty, and furnishing Wca-
pons To its adversary. The will must
be honest ii he wish the Judgment to
be so. \ torment,ng itch Ton follow.
ing up my good luck, as termed it,
set me upon de,ismg excuses Tor VI
olating my pledge tn my wife, and
40 shuiilins or qnibbling was too
contemptlbie ior my purpose. | had
promised never In play again al
that house," o. il had not actually
said 80, meant 10 say SO: there
could be no forfeiture OF my word,
therefore, il went To another
Miserable sophistry yet, wrelched
a. it was, it satisfied my conscience
for moment--so easily Is "A weak
man deludcd into criminal indnl.
genLe. Fortified with such yaiId
arguments, my debut at the Salon
dos Etrangers, aud alter n two
hours sitting, had the singular good
luck To return home IL winner OF
nearly as much rs had gained on
the FIRST day. Success for once made
me modcratc--in the humility ol my
prosperous play, | resolved only ~
continue Ill l had won ten thousand
hounds, when | would communicate
my adventures tn my wile With a
solemn abluration oil the pursuit IN
future aud AZ ! considered my self
in the POSSESSION OF the certain Sc
crct OF winning whatever pleased,
| took credit 10 myself for my cx-
trcme moderation From Farseati,
the scene OF my third attempt, by "A
ldCky, or rather nnluCky fatality,
which my subsequent experience on
! y renders tho more wonderful, | re-
tired with IA sum exceeding Tire whole
OF my previous profits, when, like
the Tiger who Is rendered In5aiiate
by the taste of blood, | Instantly be-
came rasenUus for larger riches /;
aud already lanented the paltiy IL
mitatiun oil the day before, detcr,ni-
ned on proceeding TIL / had doubled
its amount. Another days iut k and
even this would have been sparneG,
Tor neither JDhn9on's sir Eplrure
Mammon, nor Massrugef'5 luke,
nor P0pe's Sir Balaam, underwent
a more rapid deveIoponent oil tho la
tent devils Of amJltIon. lndlstlnct
visions Of grandeur hoated before my
eyes my SENSES already seemed to
be stepped III vague niaghiiiccnce !;
and alter hesItatIhg, ~ "a sort oil wa
king dream, between Wanstoad
House and FontiIli, one Oh which
held to DC too near, and the other too
distant from London, | dweit com
placently on the idea of building Il
mansion at some intermediate sta
ton, which shoald surpass The splea-
dor OF both. Sleep presented TO nnc
the same images through magnI-
fying glass. L went forth the next
morning to the accomplishment OF
my destiny with an eXultatlon oil
mind little short OF dcliliun.
Weak and wicked reveries a sin
gle turn Of fortunes wheel reduced
me, not to reason, but To an opposite
extreme al modification and despOu-
dencc. \ run OF i'll luck swept away
in Que hour more than hall my gajns,
and unfortunately losing my temper
still faster than my money, | kept
doubling my stakes in the blindness
Of my rage, and quilted the table at
night, not only liShtencd OF all my
suddenly acquired wealth, but loser
Of considerable SUN besides. |
could now Judge by experience OF
the bitterness oi soul that | had late
ly inflicted upon those who had lost