Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-09-21
~ HENRY LAWSON;
OR, THE LAST GAME.
By HORACE G.. wooD.
CHAPTER FIRST.

ming of July 7th, 1852, sat young
lady of uncommon personal beauty
evidently awaiting the arrival Of SOM
one who was unusually dilatory; fo
every now and then she would anxious
ly look at the house-clock that was tick
ing in the corner, and then turning he
gaze into the street, would hurriedly
exclaim, -
why don't he Gomez
At length the clock struck eleven.
He will be here soon, said she, al
the last vibrating sound died away, .h'
certainly will not stay longer But tn,
poor woman wes destined to disappoint
ment. The clock struck twelve, anC
still he was away. What can thi.
mean?' said she, anxiously. perhaps
some mischief has befallen him.
And as she ceased speaking, she bur.
ried her face in her snowy hands and
sat for several moments wrapt in deeI
thought. At. length a strange suspi-
cion seemed to cross her mind, and her
face lit up with a singular expression as
she arose from the richly caprisoned
sofa upon which she had been reclining,
and opened secret drawer of her Sec
retary.
yes, yes, he has gone to the gaming
house. o, merciful Heavenl why was
Ipermitted to live until now, to know,
to feel my husbands disgrace?' said
she, as she laid into the drawer roll
of bank bills which she had Just been
counting, at the same time sinking back
upon the sofa and bursting into a fit Of
weeping.
The agonized woman wept long and
bitterly under the tumult of emotions
that were raging in her breast. The
clock struck one, and before its last
echo had receded, the parlor door
opened, and Henry Lawson, the dilatory
husband, entered the room.
His eyes beamed with wild express
sion as they fell upon his wife, who,
pale, and weeping, still sat upon the
sofa awaiting his arrival Hurriedly
approaching her, in husky voice, quite
unusual to him, he said,
Ellen, why are you here?'
4 was awaiting for you, said she, as
she turned her eyes imploringly to his.
4 could not sleep when you were away
SO uncommonly late. Where have you
been?'
Henry who never concealed any
thing from his wife, frankly answered,
6At Raker's card saloon
'Oi Henry exclaimed the agoniEed
woman, can it be! Why did you go
there?'
For gOldi' answered he, in an excited
voice, at the same time bringing his
clenched hand forcibly upon the table.
Think of the disgrace, Henry said
Ellen, startled at the strange manner OF
her husband.
.Disgracei Why is it disgrace to
gain money from an individual who
consents to stake it upon a game at
cards, more than in the ordinary run OF
trade? Is not the world a gambling
shop, and are not all who are in it
gamblers?'
Henry said his wife, alarmed at
the philosophy which he had so recently
adopted, you look upon this matter in
its wrong light. Gambling, in and of
itself, may. not be SIN; but it is GER
tainly aaonstrous evl, and involves the
most horrid results. Think of the fami-
lies that are impoverished, the thou
sands that are almost daily ruined by
its fascinating charms. Led along its
gilded labyrianths has many noble
man step by step gone down to the
dark abyss of destruction; whereas,
had they avoided the fatal spell, and
been content to accumulate by honest
industry, they might have tued happily,
and died contentedly, mid wealth and
ease. a blessing to themselves and So
ciety. o! Henry, who knows but that
Here the poor wife paused. She
could not find voice to utter the words
that lay in her mind, but leaning her
head upon her husbands bosom, she
wept long and loud. The guilty hus-
band sat for some moments in silence.
At length he said:
Come, Ellen, we viii retire. saying
which, he arose, and, followed by his
wife, left the parlor.
Let us here pause, and for moment
take a glance at Henry Lawson's private
history. Tt-,-. so
Henry Lawson was the only son of a
man of wealth and influence in London.
At an early period of his life he ex-
hibited extraordinary talents, and was
placed under the tuition of the best
teachers IN England, by his idolatrous
father. Having received all the honors
of Oxford, he was placed at the Law,
and at the period when we find him was
in the midst of lucrative practice
His father watched his progress with
anxiety, and looked proudly forward to
the time when he should be at the head
of the bar. .s-.s.
When he commenced the practice Of
his profession he was married to Ellen
Hayden. a young lady of amiable dis
position and brilliant mind, and all who
knew them declared that it was the
finest match in an England. Alas
now little did they dream how soon the
even tenor of Henry's life was to be in.
terrupted BY the strange infasuation ol
gsnbling How often do we gaze with