Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-06-06

cayed youth and blasted genius what then are
the phantoms of misery that hover round his
reflections To have ruined one S self Is dole
ful consunmation; but add the remembered dis
traction Of those we have traduced, and there
is nothing equivalent to the recollection OF the
circumstances. | can easily imagine such
one before me picture him attempting to re-
pose within the curtained loneliness of his cham
Der. There is but little slumber to visit his eye
lids! He is haunted, like the murderer, by the
shadowy resembances Of the murdered. The
blossoming hopes he blghtcd, the promise OF
years that he wrecked, and the one light bosom
he burdcned with affection now felt by his own
all throw ghastly hue on his imagination,
and wake up the phrenses Of his brain. Per-
haps he was the elder, and once would have
shuddercd at the idea Of tempting TO destruc-
ton the cOunselled associate of his early days.
He may have beheld the mothers sainted fond
ncs for her son, the fathers united cares for
the welfare of their oilspring-what are the
horrors of his rccollcctions! Who was II, that
dcadencd by despair to the svmpathes OF hon
or an friendship, allurcd him from his princi-
pies, and charmed away the bashful regret on
his first appearance at the haunt Of the gam
blers Himself: and can he forget the drear-
ness of his aspect, the wildncss of his stare, and
the convulsions oc his person, when he last rush
cd, like maniac, from his presence stripped
Of honor, virtue, and happiness! Convictlng
conscience condemns him as the seducer OF
/ the inexperienced, and answerable for all the
unknown woes of his after-liic. Then, as for
himsclf-what is he the perpetrator of his
own dcstrucfYon-a reduced, degraded wreck
Of guilt and crime that seem too deep for pen-
tencc TO absolve. Ii is probable, too, he may
be The destroyer of domestic felicity, that de-
pended on his welfare for its continuance. He
may look round and meet the gaze of heart
broken wife-obscryc the clinging children
whose bcggary he has earned-a parent whose
hoary fondness claimed his most pious solic-
tudcs. Methinks can see the remorscful VIC
tim with the cold sweat Of anguish on his brow,
and hear his whispered groans as he turns rest
lessly OH his bed! There is nothing overdrawn
here: many are his rescinbances i'll the metro
polls at this hour.
And what can the successful gamcstcr pos
sess to create his happincss' If happiness, as
We arc told, arise from the mind, the gamcster's
is too inhulnan TO be of mental nature. Sup
pose him Il swindler--will not the dread Of de-
lection harrow his bosom and corrode his soul:
Will the gripping clutch OF hundreds from de-
frauded novice. repay him for his moments of
uncommunicatcd torture? The transi'ory flush
of Joy for fortunate guile, is succeeded by the
vengeance of conscience, that elicits torures
even amid his struggles of fancied delight
Then, what drcary shadows of remorsc are ever
floating before his imagination Miserable, in
deed, is pcntencc wrestling with fondncss for
crime. If virtue be pursued, the haunts of
guilt must be deserted; the dlce-box and long
! accustomed fellowshps are to be rclinquished, +,
! and the singing jccrs of insulting folly must be
! endured; nor is this all. Tears must be the
! precursors Of resolutions, and his plundered
victims must be repaid, or peace resides not in
! his breast. But where arc the thousands which
honour and justice are to rcstore?-lavished in
| dissipation, or rendered the puryeyors of crimi-
nal delight. The gambler, therefore, feels it
easier to practice than 10 forsake crime; and
thus his heart, after lowering, like the descend
ing eagle, between rcmorse and love for vice
returns to its dreadful propensites.
The idea Of human be 'ng extrac citing enjoy
mcnt from another's misery, is dreadful even
for consideration. High play is but savageness
refined. The barbarous can pierce his victims
with venomed arrows, or deliver them to the
dcvourment Of his native beasts; but in this
case, death speedily closes his agoncs. lie
that deliberately seats himself down with the
ardent hope Of rising on his advcrsary's down
fall, is, in principle, far more cruel than the
barbarian. True he plungcs no weapon into
| the fcsh but how deep and curelcss arc the
vulncrations Of the losers mind, while he
leaves him apturcd at his conquest and
splendid from the completed ruin! IL may be
objected, that both are equally in fault; since
they cpdcavour for mutual spoation; and, con-
scqucntiy, cruelty is too harsh an application.
But does the reciprocity Of the deed remove
lis attendant iierccncss? On the contrary, it
only renders it more lamcntably observable.
II should be remembered, that The finished
gancstcr seldom coinbas with his peer, but
10 Cor h., r,,tbi
gambling is an incxcusabe disgrace TO this
country, and an attempt to connect it with in
nocent amusement is only wretched pcrvcr-
sion of the term. A social game of cards is,
perhaps, not culpaple, where We suppose,
pleasure will not degenerate into excess, or
benevolence into sellishncss. But the routine
of the regular gambler, one who makes it his
profession, and braves ell consequences, de-
serves no ep;thct but greedy and mercllcss.--
There seems TO be living paradox in the pres
ent age: charity is the colloqulal subject of
the drawing room, sympathy and tcndcrest SEN
timents drop glowing from ready tongues, and
yet dinner parties retire from the feast for re-
cprocal cndcavours of plumber! The host will
frequently invite his guest, and repay the hos
pitality Of the table by sending. him purseless
to his abode! II is a notorious and sickenmg
fact, many Of the metropolitan resorts of
amusements often contain the daughters and
mothers quadrilling in the ball room, while the
father is running himself and their fortune at
the card table. This spclks volumes on the
moral degcncracy of the times. Even woman
now-they whose bosoms should he the sane
tuary Of none but soothing passions, arc be-
coming gamblers What arepu!svc spectacle,
TO observe a female face expressing all the
feelings of thorough blacklog!-To observe
eyes that were made for be lnllng iondncss,
darling glanccs of inward spleen and resent
ncut! lips, whence delicate tones should on
w be brcathcd curlcd M in anger and mascu-