Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-02-02
miscellaneous.
7gE GAMBLING HOUSES OF PARIS.

+ was during the Consulate and the En-
,re that the gambling houses of Paris were
!, their hGyday. As none of cur readers.
brtunately, have seen those theatres of ter
nile aud absorbing passions, we suotc the
,,Oupt NJ. Vernon gives OF them /:
The first day Of the month, found my
.lfrjcher than usual; l had sold very ex-
client skeleton for twenty five francs, and |
"a, able to invite two friends to dinner =
Rousseau Zone of his school comrades) was
one of my guests, He was anxious to return
me to dinner the day was appointed; the
radezyous was at six o'clock, at the Cafe du
Rel. There were three of us-Rousseau, L,
and voung medical student. who was fast
diving with galloping consumption, which
bad been brought on by fatigue in the hot
sun during the revolution of July. All of
us were punctual at the rendezvous. Our
host was sad aud embarrassed. At last he
.aid to US have invited you to dine with
ne, but my purse is empty In this alarmed
situation, the youug physician said, 1T is
probable We are both docking at me) in the
same position as Rousseau, Che spoke the
uutL, eli JteH! there is but one thing to be
:sne; III go and borrow twenty francs from
z keeper of the cafe doubted very
,ach whether he had any credit there; but
| came back with a gold piece III his hand
Ne started off to dinner. We crossed the
-.rdeu of the Palais Royal Suppose we go
ID stairs, said one of us and risk at the
rsuge aoir half our fortune, say ten francs?
!h: proposal was unanimously accepted
Rousseau was sent of to try our fortune; he
E0n returned; ne hao lost'
"Our situation became bad one; we met,
ktlng all the pleasures of hope, one of our
.9nrades. the tall g., a charming young
hIow, and the son of a grammarian. We
told him our story; unfortunately he could
sd to our purse only three francs and half
aud he gave US to understand, by ges-
tGre, that his watch was st the pawnbroker's s.
We soon induced our new comrade in mis-
tagne to club his money with ours, and a
Afat the rapid chances of the roulette. Our
player did not return; it was past seven
o'clock; shall we dine or not? Our friend
Appeared; he showed US sixty francs. We
gayly went to Vefour's for our dinner.
scarcely know why, but we all resolved tc
dine very economically.
I'VE knew no. what else to do, but to return
to gambling house Our friend e. wa'
charged to play all that remained in our com
non purse-thirty five francs-and we shoe
hare our earnings. In very few minute
our friend G.. had won eight hundred franc
arouletre. The share of each of us was tw
tuudred francs. G. and Rousseau bold
,ayed their two hundred francs, and, in
IN minutes, they each had fifteen hundre
s,yo thousand francs, of winnings. Rous
nau was indebted at the Cafe du Rel, and a
The Cafe des Varieties; we tore him away
50 to say, from the gambling house, and, b
paying large sum on account, be opened
new credit at both of the cafes. Head an
ears in debt. without-a cent Of money in hi
pocket, and without credit in the morning
I the evening he was rich and esteemed. =
Ssch wonders easily turned ones head.
The next day, after leaving the hospital
Returned alone to the same gambling -hous
d risk the hundred and odd francs which rc
aained to me, after the division of the ever
GgI spoils; | won some twelve louis dor;
sened like dream The next day, Wa
Eae same place; had taken the precautio
% have it retained for me. For nearly thrC
soa,hs. won in this way, never less than
andred francs day, and often much la
l's1ms. | still continued to perform N
.S'es as an iaterHe in the hospital; but 0
i'rus with my books, leading what is ca
"a fast life, fre4uenting the restaurant
Ha the theatres, having for the first tin
god coin in my pocket, and, for studen
ass sums in my secretary. The tditIem
'a' the bouts dc tatles praised my name.
FH'. professional gambler, whom ha
..'e! seen, stopped me one day about di'
Ssaihme, in the arcade of the Palais Roya
taOnsleur,' he said, Ihave nothing to a:
sYa NY you; but / saw you play this morDin
.AuW me to shake haAds with you; it is iu
g'aIlole to play with more good sense
os oSs" how to stop in my winnings, and so
-. ssa had the chagrin of playing only qua
S' Sa, U an hour day. How heavily the tin
PsaY On my hands duriEg the rest Of the da
Eeue rsE.:e winnings excite all sorts Of imm
nE1I 'ieS IN the heart, and nothing more br
>NSs the mind; nothing sooner extinguish