The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-08-17

ITO this facetious event owe my life, for
sent for Dir. c., and he could nat come.
Undoubtedly his lordship was not very par
tial to the faculty; for once, when my broth
er Richard said What a wonderful eli
mate Greenland must be, since the natives
live there to the age Of one hundred years
syithont medical men; his lordship replied
Then what a much more wonderful Climate
England must be, since they live here one
one hundred years with them 7
"To recur to the subject of pockcting at.
fronts--My brother Jack, late one evening
in January, proceeding in his gis to South
barrow, was stopped OIL Bromley hili oy a
highwayman, who, presenting pistol, tu-
riously demanded his money Will NOT ny
that Jack took fright, but his horse dlt, ana
with a violent plunge gailoped on AZ iuil
speed. The highwayman 5 toot oeihg struck
by the wheel, he was Immediately unhors-
ed. and dashed on the ground, while his
horse, now left to his guild nee, mechanical
" followed the vehicle. Jack, in total ignc-
rance of the whole proceeding, hearing the
horse behind the gig, naturally concluded
the highwayman was in full pursuit and ex-
pected every moment to have his brains
blown out.-However, on entering the town
he discovered his error, to his great relief.
and stopping at the Inn, and desiring to
speak to the landlord, he related the citcum-
stance and then delivered the horse to him,
ordering it to be Immediately advertised &C.
cording to the usual form--'lf not owned,
nor demanded within ten days from the date
hereof, it will be peremptorily sold to detray
expenses AS may be supposed. the horse
was neither owned nor claimed, SO therefore
sold; and Jack. foeketing Tie afront, cleared
upwards of thirty pounds BY what he called
robbing highwayman.'
He relates the following extraordinary
circumstance
AT the hotel after supper Count Zcno-
bio related to me an incident that he had
witnessed here few years ago, which had
produced most uncommon interest ard Ell
feet. A short thin man whom nebody knew
but by sight, suddenly became a constant
attendant at the gaming tables. This man,
during whole fortnight, continued night
after night in the most extraordinary man
ner to win enormous sums of the faro bank
ers, as well as the surrounding betters. lie
wore spectacles, and appeared SO short sight
ed, that he was always obliged to touch tht
counters with his nose before be could DIS
tinguish the card. Such was his luck, tha
whatever card he backed was sure to win
On the last night Of his appearance in Spa
one of the gamcsters, young half-ntoNica
ted freshman, had lost a very heavy sun
His temper was quite gone, and he vitupc
rated his lucky opponent in style tha
might have edited the most abusive tishwo
man in Billngsgate. 'D-n you, you old dog,
he cried, 'and most particularly d--n you
spectacles By the powers, see il wont tr
my luck myself in your cursed spectacles
and snatching them from him, he put thcl
on his own face. At first he could distin
gnish nothing, but on approaching the card
within three inches Of his nose, he discover
cred that the spectacles were strong magni
fers. His suspicion and curiosity were i'm
mediatelv excited, and lie turned to deman
an explanation os the wcarer, but he wa
gone. An examination then commenced
and the cause of his wonderful continuity
luck was speedily discovered. The cards j
Spa are not bought Of shopkeepcrs, as
England, but every autumn the proprietor
of the gaming tables repair to the grand fai
at Leipzig, and there purchase their stoc
for the year Thither the spectacle gentle
man hied, not as buyer, but seller
cards; and at such reduced rate, and Of sue
excellent quality, that all the purchasers rt
sorted to him; and Spa and several oth1
towns were literally stocked solely with Ii
cards. At the back OF each of these, COZ
cealed amongst the ornaments, and SO sma
as to be imperceptible to the unassisted ey
was its number, with particular variatiG
to denote the suit. Then, the rogue cam
to Spa disguised-with biackcned hair an
spectacles; and there, as a gentleman gam
Ter, would have broken all the bank S in Sp
but for the fury of the cnraged Irishma
AS it was, he tecamPed with several thou
and pounds.