Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-04-26
Gambling i'm Four Scenes.
BY REV. HENRY w. BEECHER.

SCENE FIRsT.--A gen,eel coffee house,
whose human screen conceals line of grena-
dier bottles, aed hides respectable bushes from
lmperinen, eyes. There is quiet little room
opening Ou, of the bar, and there sit four joyial
youths. The cards are out, the wines are in.
The fourth is reluctant hand he does not
love the drink nor approve the game. He an
licipales and fears the result of both. Why is
he horo He is hole souled fellow, and
Is afraid 10 seem ashamed of any fashionable
galely. He will sip his wine upon the oppor-
tunily of a friend newly come TO town, and is
100 polite TO spoil that friends pleasure by
part in the game. They sit, shuttle, deal The
night wears ON the liquor -fend has made il
safely dumb. The night is ge,lng cold /; It's
dark air grows fresher the cas-, is gray; the
gaming, drinking, aud hilarious laughter are
over, and the youhs vending homewsrd-
What says conscience? No matter what il
says; they will not hear, and we will not
Whatever was said 1t was very shortly an.
swered thus +: This has moi been gambling !;
all were gentlemen; there was no cheating,
simply convival evening no stakes except
the bills incident 10 the entertainment. II any
blames lille exhlllraiOn on a special occa-
sion, he is superslltous old croaker; let him
croak." Such garnished game is made the
text to justify the whole round of gambling
Let US look at
SCENE SEcOND--ln room so silent that
there is no sound except the shrlll cock crow
ing the morning, where the forgotten candle
burns dimly over the long heightened wick, sil
four men. Carved marble could no, have been
more moiionless, save their hands Pale
hf,1 -.
the cards, or furtiveIy read each others faces
Hours have passed over them thus. Al length
they rise without words some, with salts
faction which only makes theft faces bri. .hlly
haggard, scrape off the piles of money Others
dark, sulIen. fierce, move slowly away from
their los. money. The darkest and ferces; OF
the four is that young man who first sa, down
10 make out game. What says he 10 his con-
science now 81 have Alright TO gamble, hare
TO be damned, 100, if choose whose busi-
ness is it?"
SCENE HIRD--Years have passed on. He
has seen youth ruined, a, first, with expostua-
ion then only with silent regret, then con-
senling 10 take part of the spoils, he himself
has decoyed, duped. and stripped them with
out mercy. Go with me into that dlapddted
house, MOI far from the landing at New Orleans
Look into that dirty room, Around The broken
table, sitting upon boxes, keys, or rckety chairs,
see filthy crew dealing cards soiled with to-
bacco, greese and liquor. One has pirates
face, Furnished and burned with brandy, look
of grizzly, matted hair half covering his villain
eyes, Whch glare out like wild beasts from
a ,hicke.. Close by him wheezes white
faced dropsIcal wretch yermln- covered and
slenchfu scoundrel Spaniard, and burly
negro, the jol!iest of the four complete The
group. They have spectalors-drunken sailors,
and ogling, lheving, drunken women, who
should have died long ago, when all that was
womanly dled Here hour draws on hour.
sometimes wIlh brutal aug her, sometimes with
threat, and oath, and uproar The last few
stolen dollars lost, and temper TOO, each char
ges each with cheating, and high words ensue,
and blows, and the Whole gang burst out Of the
door, bealing. biting. scratching, rolling over IN
the dirt aud dust The worst, the fierces. most
drunken of The four, is our friend who began
by making up The game.
SCENE FOURTH Upon this bright day,
stands with me, if you would be sick OF human
i,y, and look over that multitude Of men, kindly
gathering to see murderer hung Al last
guarded cart drags on thrice guarded wretch.
AT The gaIIows ladder his courage fails. His
coward feet refuse 10 ascend dragged up, he
is supported by buslling officers; his brain
reels, his eyes swim. while the meek minister
6,lers final prayer. The moose is fixed. the
signal is given; shudder runs through the
crowd as he swings free. After moment his
convuised limbs stretch down and hang heavily
and sill and he who began TO gamble to make
up game, and ended by s,abbing an enraged
victim whom he had feeced, has here played
his Last game-hlm lhe stake. .--Americaa
photographic Journal.