The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-12-20


lie says he fears the Chancery affairs will
prove very tedious: and they are in suchs
state just now, that were ! to return into
the country,l should be summoned d to town
again in twinkling. Now | am here,
will get all this business fairly of nv hands.
So by this day six weeks, dearest coz, ex-
pect TO see at your feet yours, elernally,
III. B."
But, alas, that day saw Beauchsmp in
new and sterling chatacter--ihst of an in
fatuated gamestcr! = During that fatehsix
weeks, he had los. several Thousand pounds,
and had utterly neglected The business which
brought him up to t0wn-for his whole heart
was with French Hazard and Rogue ct Noir?
Even his outward appearance had undergone
a strange alteration. His cheeks and fore
head wore the salow hue of dssipaiion--his
eyes were weak and bloodshot--his hands
lremblcd--and every movement indicated the
highest degree of nervous irritabiity. He
had become vexed and out Of temper with all
about him, but especially with himself, and
never could "bring himself up TO par" till
seven or eight o'clock in the evening, st din
ner, when he was warming with vine. The
first thing in the mornings, also, he felt il me-
cesssry 10 fnriify himself against the agts-
tions Of the day, by smart dranght of brandy
or liquor IL The mere love Of Temporary ex-
element had been sufficient. in the first in
stance, TO allure him on 10 play, the desire for
retrieving his losses now supplied stronger
motive for perseyering in his dangerous and
destructive coreer--Ten thousand pounds,
the lowest amount of bis losses, wac . sum he
could not afford to lose, without very serions
inc onven nience. Gracious God!-- W hat ould
his aged motber-what Would Ellen say, it
they knew the mode and amount ofhis losses?
The thought distracted him! He bad
drawn out Of his bankers hands all the float.
ing balance he had placed there on arriving
in town and, in short. he had been at last
compelled 10 mortgage one Of his favori,e es.
tsies for SOtlO pounds sterling and how to
conceal the transaction from his mother, with
out making desperate and successful efforts
to recover himself at play, he did not know.
He had now got inex,ricahly involved with
Sir Edward and his set, who never allowed
him q moments time 10 come TO himself, bot
were ever ready with diversified sources OF
amusement. Under their damned iutelagc.
Besuchamp commenced the systematic life Of
"maD about town,"--in all except the fouier
and grOsrer vices, TO which, believe, he was
| never addicted.
His money few about in all directions.
He never went To the establishment in
- street, but his overnight's I. o. U.'s
stared him in The face the next morning
like reproachful fiends and he WAS dai-
y accommodating bills at the fashionable
tradesmens' whom he gave higher prices,
to ensure longer credit. While he was
compelled 10 write down confidentiaIIy
to old Pritcbard. his agent, for money
a'nast every third or fourth post, his
correspondence with !;:s mother and cous,
in gradually sIackened, and his letters,
short as they were, indicated effort and
constraint on the part of the writer. II
was long, very long, before Mrs. Beau
champ suspected that any thing was 90.
ing wrong. She was completely csjoled
by her sons accounts ofthe complicated
and harassing affairs in Chancery, and
considered that circumstance fully to ac-
count for the brevlty and infrequcncy of
his letters. The quicker eyes Of Ellen,
however, soon saw, in the chilling short
ness and formality Of his letters to her,
that even il his regard for her personally
were not diminishing, he lad discoyered
such pleasurable objects in town as ena-
bled him to bear, with great fortitude, the
pangs of absence So
Gaming exerts deadening influence
upon all the faculties of the soul, that
are Immediately occupied IN lis dreadful
service. The heart it utterly withers
and it was not long, therefore, before
Beauc hamp was fully aware of the alter.
cd state Of his feelings towards his cous-
in, and satisfied with than. Play-Play
PLAY, was the name of his new and
tyrannical mistress Need l utter. such
commonplaces as to say, that the more
Beauch halnp played, the more he lost /;
that the more he lost, the deeper he play.
ed and that the less chance there was,
the more reckless he became! cnnnot.
dwell on this dreary portion of my mar.
rative. A@
1t is sufficient to inform, the reader,
that, employed in the. way that have
mentioned, Benuchamp protracted Lis
stay in London to .tiUe mosfhs. During
this time he actually gambicd away
THREE FouRTHs Of his whole for;2ne.
He was now both ashamed and afraid of
returning home. Letters from his poor
mother and Ellen accumulated upon him,
and often lay for weeks unanswered.
Mrs Beauchamp had once demonstrated
with him on his allowing any of his
affairs to keep him so long in town, un-
der the peculiar circumstances in which
he was placed with respect to Ellen: but
she received such a tart reply from her
son as effectualIy prevented her future
interference. She began to grow very
uneasy---and to suspect that something
or other unfortunate had happened to
her son. Her fears hurried her into a.
disregard Of her sons menaces; and at !.