The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-09-25

S!stlns', he played f'y forms and won I
! little pile OF silver. She was delighted
laughed at and joked him. Silly woman
YOU then kindled in the breast of desire q
spark which has now burst into fame, and
is raging through that mans soul, surgins
and scorching as the fire sweeps over the
prairieS. or loars through the Norwegian pins
forest, and it will leave nought but backness
and ashes. You well may leave him and 60
and weep. You may not control him now
nor you gray-headsd man; do not talk with
'hat suffering, midGle-aged lady, and that
ycung, distracted maiden, who form in yon.
der room group around weeping, fainting
wife, and try to console her whose folly has
buried happy home in ruin.
We will notice but two more of this varied
group. At the corner of the table see that
Young man with a sensual countenance bord-
erirg upon brutality, thick, hanging lips,
and high cheek bones. Not that plainly
dressed old lady behind him, with a snow
white cap under her bonnet, and her mixed
gray hairs plated smoothly over her fore
head. She is unused 10, and inundated in,
such company. o. how anxious, how be-
seechng, how pleading those eyes how ear.
nest those low whispers in his ear but he
does not condescend to look at her. He
bets lightly, for he appears to have but
little; would bet less than forin if that
were not the smallest bet taken. He stays
there, absorbed, hour after hour, and seems
to be playing with about equal success. She
Is sometimes walking about behind, or Just
in the passage leading out the side-way +;
always lowering near, watchful, fearful,
anxious. He has promised to 90 in a few
minutes more. Nnw he is winning, getting
quite pile" She has ceased nterceding
tor the present. How her eyes dilate; she
is glad, bat trembling, and seems to say
Nov, ny dear boy, do so you have been
successful. Fer the sake of our dear mother.
Stay no longer Bat no. neither the
sacred trars, nor the prayerful intercession
OF Ter "ho once rocked hm to sleep on her
bosom, can swerTe his desperate purpose
The foo! must gamble on his appetite is
only :halpened. not satisfied But alas for
aer. Ireacherous fortune has Withdrawn her
.avors. Now he loses again ard again ;
,cts heavier, in hopes to regain but his
precious GAIN i.wi1dle to ttco forms, which
na CLUTCHES and stalks out. But how our
blood, bor!s With indignation as the door
>NlnSs tIrioUsly back. propelled by that
"rttch> arm, Hat against the face of the
feeble, 'otiering, suffering mother, slowly fcl-
loving, win parents sol.ctude, close up
Oh the steps O. her erring child. Ii is a
green-baze door. stretched upon frame, but
lh" crOss-har in it "laSt have struck hen
nar1 for see, rs the bys;ande-s Eff her UP,
. crimson stream issues from her n3strils and
ne ed lady has tainted
Now, shall We yield to the destinations of
the game, and try oar hand for few
moments? We will proceed in a different
manner II N the reckless a,venturers about
Us, and adopt a plan recommended by ola
game>ters as the SureSt. We will bet or
even chances, consequently, if We win, ",
shall double our money; if we lose, We will
double Our bets successiveiy until we win
again, and then 90 back to our first stake of
one tiorin, and bet as at first. Weplay upon
this principle, and have accumulated forty
eight forms; but as our last form was lost,
we must double this bet to save it; that is,
two forms. We lose; now we must double
that which is four forinS. We lose again.
Now eight forms but we still lose, which is
sixteen forms. This will not do We will
try the black. But this time the red gets it.
We Will stake few times on the black, but
as We lose every time, we will change to red
again. How yexations The little ball is
: a coquette. The very next time the black
!, has it. This is too bad We have now bet
: seventeen times and lost every time. That,
: you recollect, is precisely the number OF
times the fierce looking gentleman with a
, moustache lost in success sion. But our losses
are now formidable. What shall we do :
: The last stake we lost was sixty-fve thousand
2 five hundred and thirty six forms. Now
? shall we double again, making one hundred
, and thirty-One thousand and seventy-two
f1orins, or must We give it up 1t would
$ seem that fortune must change next time
? Yet we are not certain that she will in fac,
| she is as likely to trick US the next as the
\ first time. But here is another difficulty
5 there is a possibility that there may not be
, money enough in the bank to pay US.
t there is not We shall get only what there is
e which, being paid us, they will commence
2 ayain. This is the rlle Of the establishment
! This, We believe, is acknowledged tht
=, suJeSt way Of gambling, and we see how sure
{ it is.
= However, as this betting Of ours has beer
h only in imagination, We will not feel dis
5 tressed about it. But permit US to say tt
. yol, Kind reader in case you have been pa
: tient enough to follow US thus far, that th
: imperfect picture We have drawn is MT on
:. Of the Imagination. 1t was recently sketch
e ed from the living realitv all Of which, ant
2 much more, you may see in one of the hour
: near midnight il The gambling hells of Ba