The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-09-06

tenants than to fail The old woman.
Siss%sss ~ young psopI k 5'G Now ii Fer ss
I'D, you ndaysrest assured that you will not
ne doAsS ON mslhexPnd the amount
Pcommissiopssapd 81 think that
liz ! Il thess |slks, for in several
ease str1 161ne; but that which
trodBed him be NJ Vas the old mans alu-
zion to the possibiI{tF of Widen's failure
hhlest on which he had not allowed his mind
10 lat Xeuld indeed be terrible
ssui asrys uncle" inquired Ferdi-
falt bne, "that"-7
g. ounds for any supposition,"
u kssor, reading Ferdinand's
3 19sx thl4that there is storm
ewing. Inay be mistaken but 1 have had
= dealsG experience in such matters in my
Lad vou consulted me, when you thought
Hsh away and make your proposals
Ais Zen, / should have dissuaded you !;
it H1nmanly to despair, when one bas-been
nghf II a trap of his own setting. Perhaps
VIDA Eng at least save enough to afof6 his
daa5Ehter handsome dowry. Keep good
lookout. Your betrothal does not bind you as
if you were married. Be cautious, therefore !;
perhaps the evil exists only in mybvh imagi
nation. I have always been accustomed to
look at things in an unfavorable4ight. But it
is time for bed, Ferdinand sQ5EpQ}ni9ht." 2
Ferdinand shook his uncle babe
him good night in halfclN = he
sought hfs own apartment, e4SV himself
upon sofa IN no enviable state Of mind. Sud
denly he arose, and paced the room with rapid
strides and at length sat down to his writing
desk, and proceeded to indite the following
letter 10 one of his friends:
any DEAR T: My mind is so much
exercised about this accused affair." that am
fit subject for lunatic asyl um. | fear have
made an awkward step, in endeavoring to clear
myself Of my difficulties. Listen, my dear
Gustavus. You may wish me joy, if you choose
to do So but | think coincidence would be
more fitting. But do as you please. This has
been an unhappy night for me. First, this
evening, my betrothal with Rosa Widen, the
rich heiress, was celebrated by brilliant
party. Second, with heart full of Hilda,
and a head full of the recollections of that
miserly old Jew who has me in his power, l
PLAYED the. part of an ardent lover to my Rosa,
who was as cold as aniceberg. Third, had
the folly to address Hildakapa she treated me
with the contempt which I fa 1870. And
fourth, after arriving home, WAS compelled to
listen to long lecture from my old, covetous,
wearisome, yet much beloved uncle, who, after
almost driving me frantic with his pointed sar-
casm, finally completed my misery by advan-
cling suspicious about the frmness of my future
father-in-law's financial basis. What do you
think of these four miseries? Well, here /
am, writing to you, to cool myself down to my
usual temperature but my heart burns, and
my brain whirls. Thus far, at least in outward
appearance, / have kept my reputation, as a
man of honor, untarnished. But now / fear
this inestimable jewel will be wrested from me.
Surprising this grasping miser should cause my
arrest, could ever look an honest man in the
face, after had regained my liberty? What
would my uncle, my. betrothed my future ia
ther-in-law, and lastly my lost Hilda, say and
think of me? They would condemn me with
one voice. No, no this must not happen, it
|zoannot, it shall NOT happen.
" But what follies am | writing! had for
gotten that | destroyed my last letter to you,
instead of posting it and that, therefore, you
are unacquainted with anything regarding me,
except that which you knew when last we met :
that am reckless, frivolous man, who, under
a himsy mask of refinement and gentility con-
cealed many blot which l dared not bring to
light in the presence of my gay associates
Well, Gustavus, have little patience, and
will relate to you why am changed from a
pleasant and agreeable comanion, to an anxious
and sickly being, whose cheerfulness is merely
an effort of Discrimination.
1.-TWO months ago, received from my uncle
the sum necessary to purchase my commission,
and promised, solemnly, that so long as / lived,
| would never trouble him with requests for
money, great or small. My income was sufi-
cient to maintain me respectfully, and to enable
me gradually to pay off all debts that l had
contracted. / assured him that l would now
become a steady and respectable young man,
an honor to himself and his money. And when
| made these promises, | intended to keep
them, for my heart was full of Hilda, and little
pictures of the domestic peace and happiness
that we should enjoy together. But, Gustavus,
there are few men indeed who can prove true
to such promises, when circumstances change
and the tempter presents himself. l went to
Stockholm to arrange the purchase of my COM
mission and here let me say that possessed
only enough money to pay my travelling ex-
penses to the city, and my hotel bills after had
arrived there. On the evening of my arrival
several officers with whom | was acquainted
politely invited me to wine party at Hickar's
Hotel. l accepted gratefully. We drank free
ly, l assure you; and after we had become
weary of singing and hallooing cards were
proposed. A false sense of honor forbade me
from refusing to join them, though was we'll
aware that high stakes were contemplated
The package which contained the money that
my uncle had given me to purchase my cap
taincy reposed in my breast pocket; it seemed
to burn into my very heart, and my passion for
gaming sent the blood through my veins like
liquid fire. l hoped might win. The tempt
er whispered in my ear to sacrifice fifty dollars,
and then, if l did not win, to stop. Enough;
tore open the package, and placed my stake on
the table, but my old ill fortune haunted me
still. One note after another was staked, and
lost. had ten dollars still left.
"Stop," whispered my conscience.
"But no, no." l replied, not until the last
silver of the allotted sum has vanished. or un.
til have redeemed my losses" / played-I
lost-my heart barned-then came the last
stake-I breathed hard-I won-I had won
fifty dollars. o, if had only ceased playing
then, but fortune made me bold again enter
ed into the game, and most wofully did / pay
tor my rashness. But, my dear Gustavus /
will not give you-who are so well acquainted
with such scenes-a detailed account of nv
terrible struggles and feelings on that night.
There were several protested gamblers in the
company, and am certain that they allowed
me to win, for fortune favored me until had
won two hundred dollars. Excited by my sue
cess, the fumes of tobacco, and the wine had
drank, played on in spite of the efforts of sew
eral of my friends, who entreated me to cease.
Madness had entered my soul. / staked and
lost, staked and staked again, and lost and
lost, until my comrades forcibly dragged me
from the room.
ooh, the night that followed ! shall not at.
tempt to describe my sentiments and my suffer
ings. l had lost seven hundred dollars The
morning came, and found me still meditating
unon INV misfortunes Eipbt O'Clock struck