Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-01-14
Selected Gales.
From The Baltimore saturday pisaer
THE SWINDLER
Or, Ill Gains never Thrive.
A Prize Tale.
BY J. Austin Sporry.

. A clear, bright February day, after a
heavy fall of snow ! Any one who has
visited the Great Emporium during
sleighing time, may imagine the brilliant
scene which Broadway presents on such
a day, Thousands Of sleighs Of every
shape, size and variety are dashing hith-
er and thither, IN such thick confusion
as to make it matter Of inexplicabe as
tonshment how they find room to pass
each other without coming into collision,
Here and there great omnibus sleigh,
piled up with human freight, gldes along
like an overloaded steamboat on, Of its
element, while glllering establishments
Of fairylike lighlness and beauty are
glancing by them and around them, like
birds upon the wing. The spray, thrown
| up from the heels of the foaming cour-
sers, flashing and cleaning and sparkling
in the bright atmosphere, resembles a
shower Of burning diamonds f; while the
jiDgle, jingle, jingle Of the bells floats
upon the breeze so merrily aud cheerily
that your heart leaps with JOY at the
sound. You might almost fancy that the
/ bright sunbeoms were all golden bell
wires, and that old Winter, with his
white fingers, was pulling them for very
fun. Then, too, the happy faces that
peep out from the warm, rich furs-the
gimpses Of beauty and glances Of bright
eyes that beam on you as they Hit by,
radiant as sunshine and transient as the
me'eor-hash Oh, what glee is there
in old Gotham in sleighing time
Such was the day and the scene. In
a magnificent little shell that glided along
Broadway, were seated lady and gen.
tleman, almost buried in costly furs.-
The lady's face was one Of rare lowell
ness ; and the gentleman, as he listened
to her animated words, seemed to be so
much absorbed in the contemplation Of
her charms, that he neglected the reins
and left his steed to trot along thro' the
throng at his own discretion. While the
lady chatted away in lively strain, her
glance was wandering over the crowd
that moved along the sidewalk Sud-
denly laying her hand upon the gentle
mans arm, she exclaimed
Look, George-what a sweet face
that poor girl has =
The object Of this remark was girl
apparently about seventeen, rather un-
comfortably clad for the season, with a
thin faded shawl over her shoulders, and
her light ringlets straying playiully from
beneath melancholy apology for bon
net Her features were pale and
thoughtful, but full Of sweet expression,
and her large, intelligent blue eye beam
cd with touching sadness. The gentle
man look ed in the direction indicated by
his fair companion but his eye no sooner
rested upon the girl than a shade of dis
pleasure or pain crossed his brow, and
giving the reins nervous jerk, his met
tlesomc stecd bounded heetly onward
bearing the sleigh quickly out Of sight
of the poor girl who had so interested his
companion.
'Why, George !! exclaimed the lady
whnt do you mean 1t was very disoblig-
ing in you TO start off at this rate, when
you knew wanted to observe that girln
Il The gentleman stammered out an
apology, laying the blame upon the i'm
patience OF his horse. The excuse, how.
ever, was too lame 10 convince the lady.
She was pqucd at having her humor
thus unreasonably thwarted, and poutod
during the rest Of the ride. When she
at length nlighled at the door Of her Ia
TIERS residence, in Bleecker street, she
thanked her lover (for such the gentle
man was) with cool civihty for the sleigh
ride, and entered the house in a pet, leav-
ing him to drive off, nnathematlzing the
incident which bad thus dampened the
mornings pleasure. He had another
source Of unpleasant feelings, too, than
/ the lady's frown. The sight Of the poor
girl on Broadway, whom he very well
knew, had given rise to reflections OF a
disagreeable nature, which will be ex-
planned in the sequel.
To return to the young lady. When sh,
entered her comfortable parlor, she
found young man standiag at the win