Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-11-02
man Of whist keeps i up BY putting down

man Of whist keeps i up BY putting down
double stakes.
In short, every man has his kite to fly,
be il Of what shape It may, and the major
ity are led on to constant but unrelnc-
tant sacrifice ia the endeavor to keep il
up.
OF oil conceivable forms in which this
false strain can betray itself, the most pain
full and humiIiating, perhaps, is that which
is so commonly described by the express
ston, Keeping up appearances. The
judicious, to be sure, in many cases here,
prevails over the lamentable. The shifts
remind US too forcibly Of our farcical
friend, Caleb Balderstones, to carry with
them our grayer symPathies. or awaken
serious resentment.
We laugh for example. at the inpotent
attempt 10 make "pIain Bill" look like
"the psgs Adolphus," and to our immense
amusement, can see clearly through the
clever window-blnds carefully newspa-
pered up, to publish the false intelligence
that the family are out Of town for the
season. The display Of arisiocratic cards
on the little table in the passage, and the
occasional mention OF dear Lord Somebo.
dy, are nothing worse than a good joke
nor is it worth while, save for the sake Of
iun, to inquire too seriously iEto the bar
gain, by which The comfortable fly is to be
made to look as unhired as possible.
But If we should see this sort Of "kesp-
ing il up' in all its meanness and all its
misery, we must step inside become a
boarder, and be as one of the disguised,
the desperate, the forlorn family. Then
shall we witness q series of anxious, ago.
Anizing struggles, continued hour by hour
throughout the long day, compared with
which the life-and-deaih struggles Of ut
ter poverty itself are but as sports and pas
times under the will OF Paradise.
Of all fortunes, none can equal that
which is forced to hide the natural express
sion Of it's suffering under look Of ele-
giant and languishing repose and Of all
the pangs Of poverty, none can equal the
anguish of protracted and indeed end
less effort to mask wants under the appear.
ance Of ease and affluence. II is one Of
the peculiar miseries Of this condition, that
every attempt to conceal the cruel need
is sacrifice that adds to 1.-THE guinea
gratefully rendered to the superfuities is
actually stolen from the necessities, on pur-
pose TO show that they have no existence.
For the ends Of true comfort and dig
nifty, not a droit can be spared !; all, to the
very uttermost fraction is needed 10 keep
up the display Of whatever is comfortable
and dignifed in the eyes Of strangers. to
the increased stringency Of the hidden
won't within doors. Most melancholy and
degraded, yet widespread condition Of the
civilized lot! II is heart sickening 10 think
how many thousands, in every rank Of
life except the lowest Of oil. voluntarily
submit themselves to the false law and
give up their hearts TO the tearing and
grinding OF real suffering, suffering un-
speakable, for the sake Of keeping up
hollaw, laughing fction-that no body
cares straw about except in his own case
that excites neither respect nor envy,
but ever insults the misery it helps to
cause.
Is there tyrant named in any language
known TO man--fgured even in horrible
fancy by any mind existing since the gloo-
my and porientous birth day Of the first
Hypocrite, ga long time ago"-that ever
held or ever can hold, SO relentless and
crushing sway over all that is honest
and naked in our souls, as this dctestabie
and deadly tyrant. Appearances-this
masked monster, Of whom nine. tenths Of
the human race are in some shape, and IN
some degree. the slaves, the worshppcrs,
and the victims!
A story occurs 10 my recollection, Illus
trative Of another oneration Of this vari-
ously acting prnciple-keeping it up
that will be novel to most readers, and not
undressing to any. Many years ago it
made its appearance where it now lies bu-
rie6. amidst mass Of parliamentary news
and political dispositions but it is an ex-
cellen: story, and is related by pen which,
whatever may be its defects, never want
ed the English literary virtue of being
clear, homely and expressive. tits as
true and direct as Defoe.
al was once acquainted with famous
shooter--he was barrister Of Philadel-
pHrd, Out uCCdtHe Tar IHuIc ICuV"Gcu W
his gun than his law cases. We spent
scores Of days together a shooting, and
were extremely we'll matched; having
excellent dogs, and caring little about my
reputation as shot, his dogs being good
for nothing, and he caring more about his
reputation as a shot than as lawyer.
The fact which am going 10 relate re-
specting this gentleman, ought to be a
warning to young men how they become
enamoured of this species Of vanity. We
had gone about ten miles from our home,
TO shoot, where cartridges were said to be
plentiful. We found them so. In the
course Of November day he had, just
before dark, shot. and sent TO the farm
house, or kept in his bag, ninety.inne par
tridges. He made some double shots, and
he might have miss or two, for he some.
times shot when out Of my sight, on ac-
count Of the woods. However, he said
that he killed at every shot; and, as he
had counted the birds when he went to
dinner at the farmhouse, and when he
cleaned his gun, he, juet before n.set,
knew that he had killed xinety-nine par
,ridges, every one upon the wing, and q
greater part Of them ia woods very thick