Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-06-23
8rabil1g
THE CHARMS OF GAMBLING.

BY J. II. GREEN.
have often heard persons speak of their
first game Of cards-how they were led from
that to second, and third, and so on, from
game to game, till the vice Of gambling beanie
a confirmed habit, and almost an essential pas
sion Of existence.
Truly, there is fascination and charm in
gambling which none but devotees Of the Cards
may appreciate, and which but few, with tongue
or pen, can adequately portray.
Experienced as / am, and have been, in all
the ramifcations Of gambling, it may rightly
be inferred that am able to speak advisedly
concerning its soul-destroying influence on man.
kind. Yes, have seen father and son-nay,
whole famieS-swept to ruin and horror by
the Demon vice, in whose deadly grasp they
had unhappily fallen Men Of fine talents and
virtues, even moral and upright individuals in
all other reSpccts-professors also. l am sorry
to affirm, Of the religion of Jesus, have gone
down to infamy and destruction through the
enticemcntS and destinations of the Card table.
Methinks | could whisper into the ears of
those who play cards solely for amusement's
sake, tales Of woe and terror that would make
the blood run cold and the heart beat in wild
est pulsatiOn, from their mere recital How
much worse would the scene have been, and
the heart-strings torn, by the witnessing of
many painful scene in the career of an invet-
crate gambler2
I care not whether man plays for pastime
or profit, from the very first game he is apt to
become enyeloped in the fold Of monster more
terrible than the hydra and when shared, in
vain will be the looping off Of any of its hide
Gus heads that serve to snare the hapless victim.
No! the vice should and must be crushed in
it's inception, or there can be no salvation from
death and damnation here and hereafter. Fear
full thought Would to God that all might re-
alize the truth of the evil effects arising from
card-playing, in whatever aspect presented, as q
source of pasti,nc merely, or when pursued for
emolument. Fathers, good worthy citizens,
would be spared disgrace and crime and widows
and children might be saved from poverty and
woe and the scofings of heartless world.
/ knew happy and worthy family, whose
subsequent misery and sorrow arose from the
| social card table, as q source Of entertainment
and amusement for themselves and friends
This family consisted OF, besides the parents
twain, three sons and a daughter, all Of whom
gave promise of life of usefulness and honor
the insidious vice of gambling crept Into the
DelOftu SAC'o3 ouu oAooSho SoAAoW o1Ae
desolation in its wake.
The daughter had reached her thirteenth
year, and gave developments Of beauteous wo
manly maturity anon, when she was seizeG
with consumption, which painful disease soor
left its withering power on her fragile frame
Though rapidly sinking into the grave, she fol
some time retained her seat at the card-table
at length, however, her malady increasing, sht
retired from the fascinating amusement ano
sought preparations for death and immortality
She now requested that cards might no longer
be the pastime of the evening, beneath thei
roof, and her father, loving her tenderly, readi
ly complied with her request, and the card ia
bic was accordingly set aside. 1t Was now tina
the parent realized the fascination of the games
and found that passion for gambling had in
sensibly become rooted principle of bis breast
He now sought the gaming table abroad, ant
spent his evenings i'll the fashionable gambling
houses of the place. He continued as usual t
play for pastime, but becoming wine-bibber
one night, while merry in his cups, he was in
duced to hazard money. not only on this occa