Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-01
PIcKENs COURT HOUSE S. C. SATURDAY., Anguish l. 1s5z

several hours, solitary and alone. | watch
ed him as nc sat moodily gazing into the
rcd, burning mass before him-the deep
set grcy-cye glowing with fire almost equal
to that it was contemplating heavy
lines around the mouth working with some
inward agitation broad brow contract
ing with painful thought, and the long fin
gers twitching convulsiYely, and graspinc
at the shadows conjured up by the imagi-
nation which ruled their movements. But
hdrk he speaks; "All gone my last dol
lar Fool! fool ! God how often have
| sworn never to touch card again, and
how often has the demon whispered 'iust
once more, only once And this is the
end. Ruin starvation disllonor! No
by my soul will not live and bear it," he
exclaimed, starting up and paciag the floor
with wild excitement. Then in a tone of
deep anguish he added: ooh Mary Ma
rry, can ever meet your angel eyes again
Will not that pure brow be living re-
proach to nc? And my child my in
noccnt, helpless child Will it not in af-
ter years blush when it hears it's fathers
name coupled with that of gambler, forgcr
and almost murderer; but no, thank God,
that was spared me. / did not take his
life; the villain who tempted me to do the
foul decd; by holding out the hope that /
could retrieve my desperate fortunes, and
yielded and betrayed the confidence of a
generous old man, the father of tho wife of
my bosom Ivy using his name fcloniousy;
and now all is lost. Oh ! money, money!"
he exclaimed, taking me up, and thus apos
ttr'ophNlng me: "Thou glittcring bait, how
like thou art 70 the flame that lures sthe
poor moth to destruction For thee have
| sold myself, soul and body. No place on
earth, no hope in Heaven But, by the
eternal" he broke out abruptly, dashing me
to the table, "I will not live to bear dis
grace to them No. the dead are sacred,
and their faults are buried with thcm.-
lis fearful plunge, from time to ctorni-
ty know, but it must be made. Nc
thinks hear the rolling of tho dark river,
as 1T onward rushcs to those vicwless shores,
from whose shadowy bank comes swelling
up the anthems of the lost. Ha, ha their
revels will be disgraced tonight by anoth-
or guest. Ho, ye fends room and high
place of honor to the suicide"
a binding hash-a loud report-and the
| smoke clearing away, l gazcd upon the tall
figure stretched motionless on the floor. the
roruu curIs clottcd with blood and brains
the fingers still grasping the fatal weapon
the deep lines around the mouth rigid in
the death.strugglo, and the wild eyes staring
open and CLASSY; while the heart was still
cold and still-and never moro TO bound
with excitement over the maddcnng game
or throb with pain or pleasure at the inno-
cent carcsscs which both joycd and sorrow
ed it.
Very different were my feelings then
from what they wore when in my portly
friends possession, learned the uses that
money could be put to. now had ghast-
ly warning before me of its abuses, and my
vanity received a severe blow. Not long
had to ruminate, however, for the report
of the pistol brought the tramp and rush of
many feet to the room, which was soon fill
ed with gaping, wondering, horror-strick-
en- crowd of idlcrs, who were not all 20 much
impressed by tho te~~;Lle ae0nc before
them, but that one of them found eyes to
discover me, as lay temptingly on the ta-
bio, and ] snop found myself Transferred
to dirty, ragged pocket, strongly
impregnated with the odors of garlic and
bad tobacco. Uncomfortable as was my
nv" Po'i'ioI', van -oo Plcoccuplcu WlIh
thoughts ofwhat had just transpircd that |
did not notice whittier my new owner was
conducting me, until / was aroused to con
sciousness by hearing feeble voice OK
claim: "Is that you, Tim l am SO glad
you have got back; the lamps gone out,
and | hadn't any oil to put IN it, and no
money to buy any with"
That's right" growlcd my CONDUCTOR
'allers money, money, the mint Gums in
Darnation i'll cum home at all, Of you don't
dry up that cry"
heard something like smothercd sigh,
or sob, but could sec nothing through the
greasy pocket thet curtainod me,
"Hore-rouse outer your nest. I've
got stump o candle iu my pocket; light
it, and as soon as Two made hole in this
ere sinners countenance, (drrwing me out
of my hiding place, with the specified tai
low stump YOU can go git some lie, and
pipes and backy, and sum more of us, as j
expects"
Not knowing what horrors were in store
for me, j awaited in great trepidation the
issue. a smoky flame soon throw it's sick
| ly ray upon a. scene of low vice, and squald
poverty in their most abjcot forms. II was
a riokctty old tumble. down room, that
looked moro like the headquarters of the
captain general of the whole rat division,
thar the abiding place OF anything belong
ing to the human family. A low flock bed
stood in one corner, piled with filthy rags,
and out of their odoriferous centre, peeped
two or three little uhwashed faces surmount-
4 ed by shocks of Whitish yellow hair--thc