Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-09-22
The Gambler.
By WILLIS GAYLORD CLARK.

One stormy evening, in the month of October,
1913, was defending the little hill that wound
It's circuItous path into my native village. Phe
arapery OF the declining year was hung upon
the woodlands, and the blast rustled among the
popars On either side of the way, with
boding and melancholy sound The thoughts
of my mind were colored by the ASPECT of the
scene around me; and grew pensiye and alb
stractiye.
Never does the thoughts of mans dissolu
ton, and foretaste of the world to come
press so ntently upon the mind as in the
autumn season. 1t is not, perhaps, difficult to
account for the coming of these reflections in
as much the decay of nature speaks forcibly
and audby to the heart of man-reminding
him of his own frail nature, and expressing in
its mute Jeoquence what the Scripture has re-
corded for the eye and heart. "We do not
fade as leaf Man cometh forth like flower
and is cut owa>:he feeth also as shadow
and continueth not"
Like many villages in the country, my native
town extended two or three miles; the houses
were not joined together, but each domicil was
surrounded with capacious garden well stocked
with fruit trees; so that the vale presented
the aspect of continuous row of farm houses.
The village green was held sacred; and the
tall spire awoke a pleasant music on Sabbath
morn. as the well-dressed inhabitants fastened
across the lawn to the house of prayer.
Among the young men who had been my
companions in youth, and my fellow travellers
in manhood, was Charles Everts He was
handsome and accomplished: had received
fine education; and on the death of his father,
a wealthy merchant, succeeded the prospects
of success that could gather around the path of
any pilgrim on earth. His affections were ar
IDENTIFY devoted to Juliette Howard, the daughter
of the village clergyman: fair girl, who in
herited beauty from her mother, little short of
angelic; and whose heart was the sanctuary of
the purest principles, and the most ennobling
virtue.
During the last year of his stay at college,
where he only went to receive the benefits of
education, without the design of applying it to
a profession, Charles unfortunately contracted
a habit of gaming. On his return he aban-
doned it for while, aud then pursued it covert
ly, "just," as he said, 'to kill the time of an
evening-make a little money, and feel a
pleasant excitement" By degrees he became
more involved; and determined on moving to
another village on the sea-shore, q few miles
distant, where trade was more brisk and profits
more lucrative. He was still, notwithstanding
his losses, in good business. He sold his house
and store, both with the proviso that he was to
occupy them until the ensuing spring. He then
disposed of his goods by auction, and went to
purchase a large stock in one of the great COM
mercial cities. A part of this stock it was his
design to dispose of during the winter; and in
the beginning of the ensuing year, to open with
great display in his new residence.
On the evening mentioned in the beginning of
this tale, stopped to rest my jaded horse, for
a few moments, at the village inn, as well as
to get my newspaper from the city, for the
village post-office was in the inn.
While l was seated by the stove, the stage
from the East drove up to the door, and
Charles Everts entered the barroom. His
looks were carey worn and haggard. He gazed
at me for moment without recognition: stalked
up to the bar and demanded glass of brandy.
l accosted him, but he stared at me with a
vacant look; and asked the bar-keeper for a
private room.
He had scarcely closed the door before we
heard the report of pistol. We entered the
room. He had committed suicide. The purple
| current of life was ebbing from his mouth, and
the paleness of death was on his brow. In his
hand was clasped scrap of paper-it contained
a statement of the loss of his whole property in
money, at a gaming table in New York. Not a
penny was saved : and he was indebted to the
kindness of the black-legs who robbed him, for
the money which brought him home to die by
his own hand
Who shall describe the terror, the agony OF
his kind, lovely wife, with her lovely boy
Why should it be described when they both are
at rest in the grave? But shall not voice rs
of trumpet arise from the tembs of the victims
of gaming and say, "turn We at my reproof !!
earthly hopes are blasted, thou gamester
Awake, before despair shall drive thee to that
sleep, whose resurrection is uncheered by the
sunbeams of hope?"
A REMAnkABLE MANA correspondent of
the Kentucky Statesman gives the following
sketch of an old citizen living in Pulaski
county, named Elijah Denney, who is perhaps
the oldest man in Kentucky:
He will be one hundred and eighteen years
of age on the 10th of September, and he is as
active as many men at forty. He works daily
upon farm, and throughout his whole life he
has been an early riser He informed the
writer that he had never drank but one cup of
coffee, and that was in the year 1848. He
served seven years in the war of the revolution,
and was wounded at the siege of Charleston; he
was also at the siege of Savannah, and in the
battle of Eutaw Springs He was also present
at the battles of Camden, Kings Mountain, and
Monks Corner. He served under Colonel Hor-
ray and Colonel Marion, and was an eye-wit-
ness of the sufferings and death of Colonel
Isaac Hayne, of South Carolina, an early VIC
tim of the revolution. He is very sprightly and
active, and would be taken at any time to be a
man of middle age. He is strict member of
| the Baptist Church, and rides six miles to every
regular meeting of his church. He has four
sons and five daughters-all living-the eldest
being now in his seventy-eighth and the young
est in his fifty-hrst year. Such is brief sketch
of this aged soldier and republican, who is,
perhaps, the only surviving soldier of Francis
Marion, Sumpter, and Horray."
CRoPs ABRoAD-The London correspondent Of
the National Intelligencer, in reference to this all
important subject, says:
The harvest moon has brought harvest weather
all that was needed to secure as fine crop as
perhaps ever stood on the soil of England. Reap
ing would commence pretty generally last Monday.
There has been in some places considerable injury
done to the wheat by the heating rains Of the pre-
ceding week the whole of it will, however, be
saved though in such cases it may be dark in color
and deficient in quantity. 1t is too soon to make
any useful calculation respecting the quantity of
breadstufs which it may necessary to import; but