The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-11-13

1
known among jockeys as "Skinfint," and who
advertised his stables as " the Rffraff Stables,
having given his little brown felt another
smash, the playing was renewed. And While
they are shutting and cutting and Sealing,
while they snake bridges" and 50 1t alone"
and count up" and "rake doy-a" and dispute
and swear and exchange rilaidry, we Will take
the opportunity of ne-er survey OF the forces
in which the minds construction has worked
The m;ddl[aged man, known by his comrades
ga q .Iud,1," but whose real name is Forbs,"
frowp> necessarily, speaks little, and in an i'll
ns1dred tone; his front teeth are gone, and his
mouth fallen, so as to make his gray chin the
prominent feature of his face a wooden leg
slants stiffiy from one knee and the right hand
has lost two of its fingers his long neck is
wound with width of gray flannel, round-and-
round and his thick heavy coat falls open, as
does the clothing beneath it, showing bosom
as rough as the swine amongst which he lives;
for Mr.. Forbs is grinder of knives in one of
the slaughtering establishments of Bone Town.
When he goes near the fire, there rises about
him cloud of vile steam, as from some refuse,
widowed bundle not even fit to burn. He was
once a very good cooper, but he fell into bad
ways, and became a hod-carrier, then doer of
chance jobs, and lastly a loafer and knife
grinder. His daughter, so big and 80 coarse
that she seems neither woman nor man, is laugh
ing in shorthaired ugliness, and rafting her
chain, in one of the sitting prison-rooms of the
city hospital; and under three of the nameless
mounds of the valley lie his other children.
She that was his wife is not there-better if she
were.
The old man-his partner in the play to-
nights very old man, looking like one of
those puff. balls we find in meadows, which
hraa hro ,,t<
strings of white hair under his full wig; his
mouth is rooted with gold and his teeth, that
look so white and so strong, are the invention
of the dentist; the ruies of his shirt are snowy
white, and fastidiously crimped and white
| horse, prancing on q ground of brown, and set
in heavy gold, pins them together; a chain an
| inch thick crosses his red vest, and highly.
ornamsnted eye-glass descends from his neck
A white handkerchief, with a blue border, is
partly tucked beneath the red vest, and partly
hangs over the glittering buttons and with one
corner of this he frequently dries the water that
overruns his little, sunken eyes. His fingers
shine with rings-some of them very broad and
very snowy; and his thin legs are encased in
pantaloons of a bright and large-checked pat
tern. His boots are stylish and shining he
smiles blsndly; and singles his cards with an
aptitude unerring as instinct. So appeared
William Black, proprietor of the Rifraf Sta
/
bles of Bone Town, on the night where begins
our story.
David Wardel, proprietor of the First-rate
| Family Grocery Store" is straight as an arrow
and handsome as he can be-hs black hair
and beard full and curling, eyes of sleepy ndo
lence, and a mouth of rare and exquisite re-
fnement-more's the pity such bad words should
proceed from it. He is not absolutely lost to
good, and yet he is good for nothing-lazy, dis
Ioha IL
mixture of the loafer and the gentleman, and
his manner a hodge-podge between vulgarity
and profanity.
Youngest of all, and he toward whom our
heart turns IN spite of where we find him, ia
Charles Highway. He examines his cards
more closely than the others, and bends nearer
the light, as if he did not readily distinguish
one from another; and as he does so, his soft
brown hair falls over a smooth, white forehead,
and about eyes, down through whose halfmel-
ancholy depths you think there must be some
thing good. The hand with which he now and
then pushes back the fallen hair is brown and
hard, with honest work, you believe. The nails
are cut close, and not a ring is to be seen. His
cheek is beardless, and he is by no means reg.
ulsrly handsome. His dress is blending of
boyish fancy and careful motherly providing
the collar seems to have been used to lying
down on his neck, and will not stand upright
and he catches his fingers, now and then, in
the chain that crosses his vest as if he were
not well used to it. He says little, and his
thoughts seem to be not in that little.
"How came he here!" you say, as you see
the look of discomfort in his face, when his
partner exclaims, 4" Devil take you, Blindstreet;
what did you trump my ace for?"
Charley bites bis lips, while the red and white
tangle themselves in his cheek then he shakes
back his hair, and takes up the cards, slipping
one from another, to see the bad play he has
made
"What an awful thing" continues Wardell !;
"trump an ace! Why, ding my buttons, If you
know beans when the bag is open. Charley
says he don't know how he CHANGED to trump;
he plays badly, at the best, and ought not to
try to play with such good players; he don't
know what is the matter tonight, but he thinks
there is something wrong about his head; and
he pushes his chair away from the table, and
says he won't play any more"
"No you dor I'll " exclaims Wardel, catching
| him by the coat, and forcing him to sit .gain
"you don't come it over me in tho way; Jes
now you settle your bones, and aaii down your
aces and bowers here litt5e, like Teller ort
| to, who had any resp1c' for hisseif. Come,
| Bubby; now do ycar best, and your uncle ill
| give YOU stic1 OF candy"
Charley lays he would rather not, and tries
to pup away. The old man lifts his eyeglass,
a,-i affects new interest in Charley, saying,
! with audacious profanity
dispose, Bye, you jes knock in the head of a
whisky cask, and make q font, and we'll have
a christening; Bubby ort to be called white
liver; he's got no pluck whatsomever."
~ wouldn't be buffed off by that cuss."
growied the onelegged man, looking at Charley
as kindly as hs was capable of looking. "Come;
we only lead two; that Gin't SO manifestations
bad put your heart into it, now, snd give him
Jessie. I'd ruther be beat myself not to
have him beat lead off, Bye, while the meet
inghouse folks give us one of their sweetest
melodies"
"Oh Lordi" says Charley, ssd he sinks
down into his chair helplessy; but the ejacu-
lation had In it so much application, that the
old man cnckied and giggled and affected to
be oonyulsed with laughter.
swell, les do one thing or tother," exclaimed
Wardell, angrily; "we'r jes fooling away all
our time. There by the Apostle Deuterono-
my, the congregation is about to ramify, and
promised he stopped suddenly, and having
bitten of the end of his cigar added, "wo to
them that put their trust in euchre PLAYERS.
l don't git up from this table, or shelter, more
dramatically speaking, till that ere gray mare
is mine, and nobody's tut mine, so help nue.
Bubby."
"Finish the game alone, you and Mr.. Black,
says Charley.
Hermit, the Peter now, that ere is piling
it up amost too steep; never do you insult me
again by calling ME Mr.. Black, while I've got
dozen decent handles onto me that you can
git holt of; guess we'd better let your mother
know where you ares I'm Altered your loosen
y0ur mind -