The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1848-04-15
Gambling ian -Four Scenes.


Gambling ian Eour Scenes.
SCENE FIRST.
A gentee coffee house, whose human
screen coucealS line OF glrnadicr bottles
aud hides respectable bushes from imper-
linent eyes There is quiet hllle room
opening out OF the bar, and here sill four jovi-
al youths. The cards are ont, the wines are
! in. The fourth is a reluctant hand: he does
not love the drink, nor approve the game
| He anticipates and fears the result OF both.
Why is he here? He is wholc->ouIed tel,
low, and is afraid to seem ashamed of an
, fashionable gaieiy. He will sip his wine
upon the opportunity Of a friend newly come
TO town. and is too polite TO spoil that friends
pleasure, by refusing a part in the game
| They sit. shuttle, deal; The night wears or.
the clock telling no tale of passing hours.
| the prudent liquor fend has made it safely
| dumb. The nloht is getting cold: It's dark
air grows ftesher; the east is cray; the ram
ing and drinking aud hilarious laUghle" are
over, and the youths vending homeward.
What says conscencel No matter what it
says: they did not hear and we will not
Whatever was said. ii was very shortly
answered thus: This has not been gamh.
ing, all were gentlemen: there was no cheat.
iur. simply Il convivial evening. No stakes
except the bills incident, 10 The entertainment
II any body bIaneS young man fora Little
innocent eXhlIraiiom on Il special occasion.
l. "A | L. l.
Such ganishIng came is made the text to
Justify The whole round OF gamLlimy. Let
lis then look at
SCENE SECOND.
In a room so silent that there is no sound
except the sErlI cock Growing the morning.
the forgotten candles burn dlmly over the
long and engthcning wick, SIT four men
Carved marble could not be more molonIrS-
save their hands Pale, wacltul though
weary-their eyes pierce the ca DIS, or tnr.
lively read each others faces. Hours have
passed over them thus Atlengih they rise
without words: some with a satisfaction
which Only makes their faces brightly bag
gard, scrape off the piles Of money; Others
datk. sulen, silent fierce, move slowly away
from their lost money. The darkest and
tercesl of the four, Is that young friend vino
first sat down 10 make ont game. He will
never sill down so innocently again. " hat
says he to hi, conscience now! 81 have Il
riga, TO gamble; | have Alright Ia be damned
TOO, if | choose; whose business is ih''
Sfr<r TIIpD
Years have passed on. He has seen
youth ruined. a, first with eXpo>ruAon, then
with only silent regret then col:stnlIng TO
take part of the spolI~; he has himself decoy-
ed, duped AND stripped hem without mercy
Go with me into that delapdaled house, not
far from the landing al New Orleans. Look
lnio that dirty room--Aronnd broken ia
bic, sitting upon boxes, kegs. or rlckely
chairs, 10 see filthy crew dealing cards
>mouched with tobacco, grease and liquor.
One ha, a pirate face, FURNISHED and burnt
with brandy lock Of grizzly, mated halr
hall covering his william eyes, wtlch elare
oul like a Wild beasts IRON thIrket Close
By him whepzes white faced, dropaIcal
,coundre >paniard and a hurIy negro: (the
IolIle>t OF the tonr) complete the group.
They have Specalors-drunken sailors, and
oYlng ,hlevlng, drinking women, who should
have died long ago, when all that was wo-
rnaaiy died Here hour draw, on hour
sometimes with brutal laughter, sometimes
with threat, and oath and uproar. The last
few stolen dollals lost, and ,empertoo, each
charges each with cheating, and high words
ensue, and blows, and The whole gang burst
GU, OF the door, beating, biting, scratching.
and rolling over in the dust The worst. the
ierce-t, the mosi drunken Of the four, is
our friend who began by making mp the
game.
scENE FOURTH.
Upon this bright dav, stand with me.
if YOU would be sick of humanity, and
look over that multitude of men kindly
gathered to see murderer hung. At
last guarded cart drags on a thrice
guarded wretch. At the gallows ladder
/ his COURAGE fails. His coward feet refuse
to ascend; dragged up, he is supported
by busting officials: his BRAIN reels, his
eyes swim, while the meek minister ut
tiers final prayer by bis lraden car The
prav~r is said, the moose is fixed, the Sig
nal is gwen: a shudder runs through III,
crowd as he swings free. After mo-
ment. his convulsed limbs stretch down
and hang heavily and still: and he who
began to gamble to make p a game, anl
ended with stabbing an enraged victim
whom he had lleeced, has here played
his last game--hiinseli the stake
H. w. Bcechcr.
George nj. Palmer,