Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-09-19
THE BILLIARD TABLE.
BY JUDGE HALL,


cember, when the cloudless blue sky
is studded with millions of brilliant lu.
minaries, shining with more than ordi.
nary lustre, a young gentleman was
seen rapidly pacing one of the princi-
pal streets of Pittsburg. Had he been
a lover ofnature, the beauty of the hea.
yens must attract his observation; but
he was too much wrapt up in his tho'ts,
or in his cloak, to throw a single glance
toward the silent orbs that glowed so
beauteously in the armament. A
piercing wind swept through the streets,
moaning and signing, as if it felt the
pain that it inflicted. The intense
GOODNESS Of the weather had driven the
usual loiterers of the night from their
accustomed lounging places. Every
4 door and shutter was closed against
4 the common enemy, save where the
'Blue spirits and red,
Black spirits and grey"
which adorn the shelves of the drug.
gist, mingled their hues with the sha-
dows of the night; or where the WIN
dow Of the confectioner, redolent of
light, and fruit, and sugar-plums, shed
its refulgence upon the half-petrifed
wanderer. The streets were forsaken,
! except by a fearless or necessitous few,
who glided rapidly and silently along
as the spectres of the night. Aught
else than love or murder would have
scarcely ventured to stalk abroad on
such night; and yet it would be hard
ly fair to set down the few, unfortu-
nate stragglers, who faced the blast on
this eventful evening, as lovers or as.
sassins. Pleasure sends forth her thou
sands, and necessity her millions, into
all the dangers and troubles Of this
world.
On reaching the outlet of an obscure
alley, the young gentleman paused,
cast a suspicious glance around as if
fearful of observation, and then darted
into gloomy passage. A few rapid
steps brought him to the front of a
wretched frame building, apparently
untenanted, or occupied only as ware
house, through whose broken panes
the wind whistled, while the locked
doors seemed to bid defiance to any in
gross but that of the piercing element.
1t was, in truth, a lonely back building,
in the heart of the town, but so conceal
ed by the surrounding houses, that it
might as we'll have been in the silent
bosom of the forest. A narrow flight
of stairs ascending, the outside Of the
edifce led to an upper story. Ascend
ing these, the youth, opening the door
with the familiarity of an accustomed
yisiter, emerged from the gloom of the
night into the light and life of the Bill
lard Room.
1t was large apartment, indiffe-
rently lighted, and meanly furnished.
In the centre stood the billiard table,
whose allurements had enticed so ma.
ny on this evening to forsake the quiet
and virtuous scenes of social life, and
to brave the biting blast, and the not
less "pitiless peltings" of parental OF
conjugal admonition. Its polished ma.
hogany frame and neatly brushed CO.
yer of green cloth, its silken pocket:
and party-colored ivory balls, present
ed striking contrast to the rude neg
ligence of the rest of the furniture
while large canopy suspended ovel
the table, and intended to collect anc
retract the rays of number of wei
trimmed lamps which hung within it
circumference, shed an intense brlllian
cy over that little spot, and threw {
correspondent gloom upon the sur
rounding scene. Indeed, if that gay
altar of dissipation had been withdrawn
the temple ofpleasure would have pre-
sented rather the desolate appearance
of the house Of mourning.
The stained and dirty floor wa
strewed with fragments ofsegars, play
bills, and nut shells; the walls blacken
ed with smoke, seemed to have wit
messed the orgies of many midnigh
revel. A few candles destined to illu
inmate the distant recesses of the room
hung neglected against the walls
bowling their long wicks and markin
their station by streams of tallov
which had been suffered to account
late through many long winter nigh
The ceiling was hung with cobweb
curiously intermingled with dens
clouds of tobacco smoke, and tinge
With the struggling rays of light whic
OCCASIONALLY shot from the sickly t,
pers. A set of benches attached
the walls, and raised sufficiently hig
70 overlook the table, accommodate
ihe loungsrs, who were not at pla.