The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-10-30
Tho Gam G ster's Wife.

the domestic history Of game5ter W
do not mean the having u wife too 400,
for him--which must be- the case wit
all gamostcrs Whose wives are good 70
anything .he agreeable surpri,
which she had prepared for him agahs
his downfall) is related by Goldsmith
in his life of Beau Nash. 1t looks, say
Mr.. Leigh Hunt, like passage out o
one Of Fielding's novels.
AT Tunbridge, in the year 1915, Mr.
Hedges made very brilliant appear
ancc; he had been married about TIVE
years to young lady of great beauty
and large fortune they had one child
u boy, on when they bestowed all that
affection which they could spare from
each other. He knew nothing OF gam
ing, nor seemed to have the least pas
sion for play; but he was unacquainted
with his own heart; he began by de.
grees to bet at the table for trlflinp
sums, and his soul took fire at the pros
pect of immediate gain; he was soon
surrounded by sharpers, who with
calmness lay in ambush for his fortune,
and coolly took advantage of the pre-.
cipiiancy Of his passions.
His lady perceived the ruin of her
fan lily approaching, but, at first, with
out being able to form any scheme to
prevent it. She advised with his broth.
cr, who at that time was possessed of a
small fellowship at Cambridge. 1t was
easily seen that whatever passion took
the lead in her husbands mind, seemed
to be there fixed unalterably; it was de-
termined, therefore, to pursue fortune,
but previously take measures to pre-
the pursuit from being fatal.
Accordingly, every night. this gem
tlenlan was constant attendant at the
hazard tables he understood neither
the arts Of the sharpers, nor even the
allowed strokes of a connoiseur, vet
still he played. The consequence is OBJ
vious; he lost his estate, his equipage,
his wife's jewels, and every other mov-
able that could be parted with except
repeating watch. His agony on
this occasion was very inexpressa-
Bile; he was even mean enough
to ask gentleman who sat nearto lend
him few pieces, in order to turn his
fortune but this prudent gamester, who
plainly saw there was no expectations
of being repaid, refused to lend a far.
thing, alleging n former resolution
against lending. Hedges was at last
furious with the continuance Of Tissue
Gees, pulled out his watch, and asked II
any person in the company would set
him sixty guineas upon it. The CONF a.
ny were silent; he then demanded fl
ty; still no answer; he sunk to forty,
thirty, twenty; finding the company
still without answering, he cried out,
"By heavens it shall never 60 for less!"
and dashing it against the floor at the
same time attempting to dash out his
brains against the marble chimney
piece.
The last act Of desperation inlmedi-
atdy excited the attention of the whole
company; they instantly gathered
round, and prevented the effects of his
passion, and after he again became cool,
he was permitted to return home, with
sullen discomfort to his wife. Upon
his entering her apartment, she rcceiv-
ed him with her usual tenderness and
satisfaction, while he answered her ca
resses with contempt and severity, his
disposition being quite altered with his
misiortunes. "But, my dear Jenny"
l,i nj rn 90 ta
the news have to tell ; my mammals
old uncle is dead, the messenger Is now
in the house, and you know his estate
is settled upon you" This account
seemed to increase his agony, and look
ing angrily at her, he cried ,--"There
you are in wrong my dear; his estate is
not settled upon me-" 81 beg your
pardon, says she, really thought it
was, at least You always told me So"
"No," returned he, las sure as sou and
| are TO be miserable here, and our chill
dren beggars hereafter, ! sold the re-
version Of it this day, and have lost
every tarthing got for it at the hazard
table" "What, all ?" replied the lady.
"Ics, every farthing," returned he,
"and owe IA thousand pounds more
than have got to pay" Thus speak
ing, he took few frantic steps across
the room. When the lady ha enjoyed
his perplexity-"No my dear" cried
she, "you have lost but tritle, and you
owe nothing; your brother and have
taken care to prevent the effects of your
ra,hneSI, and are actually the persons
who have won your fortune; We emf
ployeh proper persons for this purpose,
who brought their winnings to me.
Your money, your equipage, are now
secure in my possession and | here re-
turn them to you, from whom they
were lately taken. only ask pcrmiS,
sion to keep my ], wei, from such dan
gers in the future" He ever after re-
tanned sense of his former follies, and
never played again, not even for amuse-
ment.
i n H.la