Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-12-30
SCENE FIRST.

/ A genteel coffee house, whose human
screen conceuls line Of grenadier bottles,
and hides respec table bushes from impe ri.
nant eyes. There is a quiet little room open.
ing out OF the bar, aud here sit four joyful
youths. The cards are out, the wines are
IN. The fourth is a reluctant hand he does
not love the drink or approve the game
lie antic lpates md fears the result of BOTH
Why 10 he here? lie isl whole .souled
fellow, and Is afraid TO seem ashamed Of any
fashionable gaiety. lie will sip his wine up
ca the importantly Of friend newly come TO
town, and is too polite to spoil tn at friends
pleasure by refusing part in the game
They SIT. shuttle, deal the night wears on +,
The clock telling no tale OF passing hours,
the prudent liquor fend has made il safely
dumb. The night is getting cold It's dark
air grows fresher ; the ebst is grey the
the gaming and drinking and hilarious laugh
ter are over, and the youths vending home
ward. What says conscience? No mnttor
what it says; they did not hear, and we will
not Whatever was SAID, it was very shortly
answered thus: "This has not been gsmb-
ling. oil were gentleman: there was no
cheating, simply a convlvlal evening no
stakes except the bills incident TO the enter.
,anment II any body blamcs a Young man
tor little innocent exhiaratioD on a special
occasion, he is supersiuious old bgot, let
him crOak." Such garnlshed game 10
made the text 10 Justify the whole round OF
gambling. Let US then look at
SCENE SECOND.
H In room so silent there is no sound ex-
cept the shrlll cock Growing the morning.
where the torgo,ten candles burn dmly over
the long and heightened wick, Sill four men.
a
save their hands Pale, wetchful, though
weary-then eyes pierce the cards, or fur
lively read each others faces. Hours have
passed over them thus. At length they rise
without words some with q satisfaction
which only makes their faces brightly hay
gard, scrape of the piles Of money others,
dark, sullen, silent, fierce, move slowly away
from their lost money. The darkest and
feTcest Of the four is that young friend who
first sat down to make out game. lie will
never sit down 50 lnnoCently again. What
saws he to his conscience now hnve
right to gamble; have right to be damn
cd, too, if choose whose business is II Z"
SCENE THIRD.
II Years have passed on. lie has seen,
youth ruined, at first with expostulati
then with only silent regret, then cOnsenling
to take part of the spoils: he has himself de-
coyed, dnped and stripped them without
mercy. Go with inc into the dilapldated
house no, far from the landing at New Or.
leans. Look into that dirty room. Around
a broken table, sitting upon boxes, kegs, or
rickety chnrs see a filthy crew dealing cards
smouched with tobacco, grease and liquor
One has a pirate face, FURNISHED aud burnt
with brandy, lock OF grizzly, matted hair,
half covering his william eyes which glaro out
like a wild beasts from q thlckct. Close by
him wheezes n white faced, dropslcal wretch,
vcrmin covered and stenchful. A scoundrel
Spaniard and a bury negro, (the jolllest Of
the four) complete The group. They have
spec ectators-drunken sailors, and ogliDg,
theying, drinking womeh, who should have
died long ago, when all that was womanly
died Here hour draws on hour, sometimes
with brutal laughter, sometimes with threat,
and oath and uproar TIE last few stolen
dollars lost, and temper 100, each charges
the other with cheating, and high words en-
sue, and blows, and the whole gang burst
out of the door, beating, biting, scratching,
and rolling over in the dirt and dust. The
worst, the fiercest, the most drunken OF the
four, is our friend who began by making up
the game.
SCENE FOURTH.
Upon this bright day, stond with me II you
would be sick of humanity, and look over
that multitude OF men kindly gathered TO see
n murderer hung Al last a guarded cart
drogs on a thrice guarded wretch. AT the
galiows ladder, his courage falls-hls coward
feet refuse to ascend dragged up, he ID
supported by bustling officials his brain
reels, his eyes swim, while the meek minis
ter utters a final prayer by his leaden ear
The prayer is said, the moose Is hxed. The
signal 10 given a sbudder runs through the
crowd as he swings free. After a moment
his convulsed limbs stretch down and hang
heavily and still and he who began to gam
BILE to make up a game, and ended with stab
bing an enroged victim whom he had flee
ced, has here played his last game himself
the stake Rev. H. ". Beecher.
TIMELY REBUKE.-On Sunday last,
lady residing at Boston called to her