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

/ WIIhIn. Ohc man, Il German, was
c0ntchdiny against run of i'll luck
, with dogged obstinaey that Vas
/, obviously making deep inraads upon
his purse and his peace for though
his face WAS invisible from being
bent over his perforated cards, the
! drops OF perspiratiOn standing upon
his forehead betrayed the inward. n
citation. All the losers were strug-
Cling To suppress emotions which
still revealed themselves BY the wor-
King OF some di5obcdient muscle, the
compression of The lips, the sardonie
grin, IN the g'aring wIatl al the
eye; while the winners belied their
; assumed indifference by flashed
cheeks aud an expression at anxious
trlumph--two or three lorlorn ope-
rators. who had been cleaned ont, as
the phrase Is, and condemned to idle
ness, were cycling their moro fortn-
nate neighbOrs with a leer of malig-
naDt envy while the bankers and
tbeir assistants, IN the certainty oil
their profitable trade, exhibited a
calm and watehlul cunning, though
their features, pale and sodden, be-
trayed the effect of confinement,
heated rooms, aud midnight yiglls.
! L Informed me that the iIeuueu-
ters OF these houses were authorised
! 10 call Tor refreshments OF any de-
scrIptI0n, but no one awaited himself
of the privilege the :. auri saera
James, the peryading appetite Of the
place, had swallowed up every other.
The very thought revolted me-
What eat aud drink in this arena
OF the hateful passions in this fatal
room, from which many suicide
has rushed out To grasp the selr-de-
slroying pistol, or plunge into the
darkness OF the wave in this room,
Which Is denounced to heaven by the
widows tears and orphans male
dlctIonst Revolving these thoughts
III my mind, | surveyed once more
the facts before me, aud could not
help explaining, what II hideoas stu
! dy oil human nature
" As we have employed SO much
! time" said E, - in taking the
latitude, or rather the longitude of
these various phiZzes, we shall be
expected to throw down something
| viii throw down Napoleon, as a
s0ptO Cerbcrus, and will tl,en convoy
you home" Nay, replied /, it was
f0r my instruction VIC came hitler
the lesson hs.uo -.'AnDisod ~ Wen
worth the money, SO put down this
piece Of gold aud let us BECOME -
Let us al least wait till we have LOST
it, he resumed and in the mean
time We will take our places at the
table | felt that blushed ~ | sal
down, and was about to deposit my
offering hap hazard, when my com
panion stopped my hand, and bor-
rowing a perforated card, bade me
remark, that the red and black had
zig Jagged, or Won alternately for
fourteen times aud that there had
subsequently been long run upon
the black, which would now pr0ba-
bly, cross over tn the other color
from all Of which premises hc dedu-
ced that | should senture upon the
red; which 1 accordingly did. SIR
Balaam's devil, who now ,empts by
making rich, not making poor, was,
| verify believe, lowering 0yer my
| devoted head at that instant my
deposit was doubled, and was pre-
pairing tn depart with my two Maps,
when my adviser insisted upon ny
not banking NY luck, as there would
probably be u run upon the red, and
| suffered my stake to remain, and
go Oh doubling until had Won ten
or twelve times in 9nceessi0n.--
Now cried F., Il should adj
wise you to pocket the aii'ront, aud
be satisfied Adopting this course,
l could hardly believe his assertion
/ or my eyes, when he handed me a.
YER bank notes to the amount Of
twenty thousand francs, observing
that | made tolcrable good debut
for a beginner
Returning home in some perturba-
ton and establishment OF mind, re-
solved to prepare little surprise for
my wife and spreading the bank
notes upon the table with az much
display as possible, | told her, upon
her "t'tering the room, how had
won them--and eimuiring whether
Aladdin via. his wonderful lamp
could have employed two or three
hours more p.oiitably, stated my
intens0n of appropriating a portion
OF &c to her use III the purchase oil II
+, handsome birth day present. In a