Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-07-26
A Card Party.


! AS with curls of an infants hair.
Card Party.
I 1t is related of Madame du Deffan, that three of
her friends brought card table to her bedside, at
her request, in her last Illness she taking hand.
AS she happened to die in the midst of an interesting
game, her partner played dummy for her and thus
the three quietly played out and settled the stakes
before they called the servants to notify them OF the
very important demise of their mistress. Shocking
as is this incident it is trivial in comparison with
one which is said to have occurred at Albany many
years since There at that time low-caved,
peak rooted. stone built inn situated in the upper
part of the city. known the Colonie y place
much frequented by Schenectady teamsters and Mo-
hawk boatmen, before the completion of Clinton's
grand canal had caused that dss pated mongre race
to be superseded in their vocation. At this inn one
day man by the name of Derrick Helfenstein, bet
ter known as Dirk He'll of German Flats had been
seized with commissions amid drunken frolic, and
expired during the tit, with his limbs all twisted and
knotted together by the fierce muscular action Incl
dent to his disease. In Albany at that time, the
Dutch custom of several friends of the deceased
naming all night in the same with the body,
and keeping their vigil until the moment of inter-
ment was always strictly observed coffee, and null
led wine with dote, dead cakes and other refresh
ments, being generally provided by the nearest rela
tves to cheer the gloomy duty of the watchers Dirk
He'll Cor Helldrk, he quite as often called)
though wretched vagabond, had still some whom
he called friends among the reckless and gambling
crew with whom he chiefly associated; and as the
landlord of the inn where he died could not we'll re-
| fuse the customary refreshment of liquor upon an
occasion like this three idle hangerson of the esab
| lshment readily consented to honor the obseques of
Dirk by the usual vigil The dead man in the mean
time duly laid out but the distorted shape which
his body had assumed in the death agony, made it
necessary great force in tightening the
corpse, and was had to cords to bind down
his limbs to the decent form it desirable they
should assume. The dsagreeable task being accom-
pshed the three friends of the gambler, when night
| Of he ghe he
was laid out With characteristic reckessness they
had brought pack of cards into the chamber of
death, and after taking glass of liquor all round
and drinking the memory of their comrade with
some unfeelng ausion to his sudden fate, the three
profgates sat down to game of cards upon the foot
of his bed. Four hands then dealt, that Of
dummy" falling almost upon the feet of the corpse
and the other three upon the opposite sides and
IRENE end of the bed around which the players
thus arranged. The game proceeded apparently to
the satisfaction of all parties each of them by turns
playing the hand of dummy until drinking and gam
bling had carried them deep into the middle watch
es of the night. Some slight dispute, however,
: occurred to who should play the next dummy
Words Raxed high and the two opposite players both
attempted to seize upon the vacant hand at the
time, while the third, impatient at the contention,
q exclaimed
= 81 wish that Helldirk would spring up and take
the cards from both of you!
- The wretch had hardly uttered the wish, before
3 the cords that bound the corpse gave way with a
sharp cracking noise, the struggle about the feet
= having probably disarranged them-and the distor
- ted body released from its igatures bounded for
! ward in resuming the form under which life had
left it. and seated itself upon its launches with knees
drawn up to its chin, arms akimbo, and hideousy
distended jaws in the midst of the appalled, and dis
concerted trio. The three worthless said never
= to have played game of cards afterwards.
If STEP FROM THE PALACE TO THE PR1soN.-The
lie Paris correspondent of the New York Commercial
Advertiser in his letter of the 18th ult, refers to
d President, and says:
D. He needs supply of funds before quitting his Of
fee, for he is in debt, his friends admit to
A. the amount of nearly million and half OF
is francs At the end of his term, he would be
Quoted straight from the Eysee National to the debt
ors prison of Clichy. His friends say that he has
exhausted all his private fortune. This is highly
m probable, for the private fortune about which SC
n much is said not sufficient to his obliga
tons. When he left London, all his property-hi'
n houses furniture, costly pictures and other OBJ
to jects of iuxury-sold for the immense of one
ne thousand pounds sterling. This has doubtless
in long ago disappeared.
a. a, THE TRIAL OF LrFE.-We have friend-an ex
= cellent husband and doting father-who came in
90 to Office the other day looking rather sleepy.
81 What is the matter with you 2" we inquired
~ "Oh--nothing- is to say" he replied in
b hesitating voice. babies trouble after all
~ amt they q
~ Of course nodded Indifferent assent, bu
~ could not help asking " how 2"
d. "Why, the fact isl said friend, "that litt
40 fellow of ours is getting to be very knowing, ant
will be humored now and then; so | get up, occa
on sonay and walk him to sleep but last night boil
m wife and self had to carry him alternately, and
oy Surely two not required-''
ar Hear me out. You the child wanted novel
IT'S ty, and so lighted candle, and my wife carries
~ him up and down the ROOM walked after her, ma
es king all sorts of queer maneuvres with the ight
10 "Well, did that pacify him O.
n; why yes, after fashion. It stopped his cry
as ing, but consumed whole candle and the hes
IL portion of the night before he fell asleep, and tn
nm consequence is feel wretchedly stale this morning
re Now, old bachelor, laugh if you feel like it, an
~ let this be caution to you.
)s-
a SUCCESS IN WooING.-There are a set of me
whose success in wooing it is unfailing I car
ed not comprehend. Grave emaciated, sallow divine
Is who never look the person in the face whom the
or address-who never speak above their breath-wh
sit the uttermost edge of their chairs full var
of distant from the dinner table. have know
ss of those scareerows fail of getting good On
id rich Wife How it is, Heaven knows Can it be tn
i