The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-01-29

expect me to regard her feelings ?"
"True, sir, true. l have been too guilty
to deserve any clemency at your hands.
But if / am sent to prison, let my father
and mother answer themselves. Let them
bear equally with me the guilt and the
degradation ~ he sal with warmth, and
in accents of bitter reproach.
"Why do you thus speak of your
parents Have you lost all filial respect
and love 20 demanded Mr.. Hawley with
surprise and displeasure. -.
"No, sir, no! IF have done evil-lf
I have gambled and stolen, and then lied
to you, / am not utterly lost. Your par
don I am sure would save me from ruin.
But do not speak of them as do with
out cause"
s'What cause can be so great as to lead
you to condemn them in such severe
termsi"
{" But for their example I should never
have played cards and to cards | owe
my fall, My father was very fond of play
ing whist and being skillful player, we
had the wbist-table rolled out, when was
a boy at home, on every winters evening.
My mother also played, my father having
taught her, that he might always be able
to make up hand. / and my brothers
used to ask to play, but were always ex-
cluded with the answer that whist was for
grown people But one Christmas, am NJ
the presents my father brought home to
us was small pack OF beautifully manu-
factured playing cards, about one-third the
size of the usual cards for gaming.
There, my sons,' said my father to
me, as he laid them before me and my
brothers, as you are anxious to play whist
with us, there is miniature pack for
yourselves so play when you will by
yourselves. Your ma or l will teach you
when we have a leisure hour of an evening.
You looked surprised, sir "
sI do" answered Mr. Hawley; and he
remembered what his son had little while
before told him. 81 am surprised that
parents should place cards in their child
ren's hands They had better have fed
you on poisoned bread"
"You see now, sir, why have reflected
upon them. From that time became
fond of my little cards and was taught by
my mother and father the more advant-
ageous points of the game and a show
ed great aptitude, they were proud of my
skill and readiness. AS | grew up b.
came whist player Other games !
naturally learned, and gay company after
I came to the city opened the way to
gaming. The result is that [ am now
arraigned before you for robbing you OF
five hundred dollars to pay debts to
gamblers, lest 1 should be exposed to the
world. Therefore, sir, did | say, Let
my parents bear equally with me the guilt
and degradation. - .
"l am sorry for you, Proctor. 1 pity
you, though blame you, and do not ex-
culpate you from the full weight of your
guilt. Your parents were guilty, and it
is meet they should see the fruits of their
folly and sin. L shall let the law take its
course. shall lock you in this room while
/ 90 for an officer"
The young man made no answer. lie
stood silent and gloomy as if overwhelmed
with horror. The closing door reused
him.
Then am to be sent to prison. The
crisis has arrived, and I am felon. BE
it sop
That night the cmbezzler was conveyed
to prison. The next morning when the
keeper entered his cell he found him
hanging by the neck-dead. He had
strangled himself with his pocket hand
kerchief The feelings Of his parents,
when they received the intelligence of his
suicide, we leave to the imaginations Of
our readers, to whom we submit the whole
> subject for serious consideration for we
fear there are still to be lound both fathers
and mothers equally guilty with the
parents of Frederick Proctor. We have
only endeavored to show the evils of card
playing, under the guise of T." Whist, u
being taught under the paternal roof to
the juvenile members of the family.
pG- The american Raiiray Times says
there are l3 railroads in the State of Con