The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25
A MARROW ESCAPE.

never done u foolish thing r. feel no fear ol
| having my word doubted when say that In
my time have done II good many, one OF
which nearly resulted In my being prevented
from ever relating the following story:
Paris, rs Albert Smith used 10 sny, Is u
rat her Jolly placc-ralGcr funny. but il has Its
serious side There are grand Rncs and ma.
wretchcd alleys and cots-dc-suc; The noble
palaces aud the rllinous crowded houses, each
| perfect warren; the acts in The sunshine oi
| broad day. and the deeds of darkness.
Take care of YOURSELF Was the last laugh
Ing address OF my friends. as took my ticket
ut London Bridge Staiion-an address ms
lan,,hngly replied to; md that same evening,
with VIII companion, was sirollins down the
Boulevard des llallrEs, smoking Il cignr and
enjoying the novel sights around; the news
vcndcrs kiosk; the tall, white stone houses,
with their bright Venetian shutters; the hand
some shops, with their costly contents; hcgay
throng of promcnaders; the numbrrlcss little
marble top tables, and the cool way In which
people sat ont Of doors to sip their cafe no,re,
eau Sncrfc, or uin de'Borieaur. Here was II
evidently tradcsfoik, with moderalor-lamp,
seated at table outside their shop door,
happily engaged In Il Fren Ii version of
short whist. Now The pointcd-moustaclcd,
tlght-coaied, cockcd-hatled sergeant de vile
with his long thin sword, would take ones
attentions; now one of tho many shabby
uniformed, but active, cat-likc, s,ln-brownr,l
soldiers, one and all carry Ing their arms. Then
the white cap of Il sister of mercy, or The
siarcllcd plaits of Il bopnc, would diversity the
lhrOng. Everywhere there WAS something
new TO tal;e the attention, while not tho least
evident WAS the lore Of our nei.hbnrs for dis
play, us shown in sildcd Rulings, bright hucs,
ami above all in flowers clustering round SO
many windows. No :sas-ilnmng, hcavy-iOok-
ing public houses here, but elegant marble and
velvet furnished cGttS resplcndent with mir
rors, white and gold, ard overlooked by pre-
siding deity In the shape Of II dame de cOni,-
fpil fhINnl1 amidst fillit- flnIynrs and Iyino
model mode Oft Of the E isetst Paris fashions. - "
slept that night in u confusion of ideas,
str;,nsctsL OF which was Il belief that Paris was
Il sort Of u nry-land, where all was perfect;
and woke the next inprnng tO q capital hotel
breakfast Of long bread, caf;-du-oit, Guys frds,
and string band, recalling home, outside tho
window with the strains of the "Lancer's
QuadrillcS." Then came q round OF SSht-sec-
lng-cnthcdral. church, picture gallery, bridge,
fountain, palace. opera, theatre, ana review.
We lunchcd and dlncd e la Fi0Rcdise, and
pretended to like the French pOtagc aud their
wines. We played billiards ut the CAFES, smok-
cd bad clgars, made ourselves III, tired our
selves cut, and all the while uvowcl that ne
were in the very height of enjoyment.
AZ the end of u fortnight, Paris did not seem
than London. One day I spent upon n sofa
reading the Times and Galignani; and that
same evening nay companion actually limited
at lis being almost time To think OF going back
uOHnc. Bul III lilc tUUiC u HOtc We
q young fellow-ceuntryman who put us
through u sort Of catcchism, upon our saying
that we were about tired of the place, ending
by telling us that we had seen nothing yet,
and promising TO Initiate us into u littlc more
of parisan life and manners.
We aSScnicd To his acting rs guide; and he
certainly did initiate us-0r rather, gave lis II
lcsson--in Partisan life and manncrs-one Of
which proved quite sufficient 10 satisfy ME;
and two days amer was congratula.ing my
self nuOu bciur safely at home.
IL was about 10 O'Clock ut night that, after
spending an hour or two amid the cafe chan
tdnts In the Champs Elysecs, our new friend
led us up and down several streets, till he
paused ut what seemed 10 be a private house.
"You ought not 10 20 back" lie said, "wlh-
ont seeing Il gambling house,
'Oh! don't know / said, hcsitailns; ~
don't much care for that
''Iou need not either of you play" was the
reply. well just 20 In for half IN hour, and
then have look ut something else"
Ard then we entered we'll lit passage, a
door closed behind ,is, shutting us IN like lilies
in a trap, and well-drcssed waiter ,lsleretl us
into n brilliantly lighted snton, wherein were
collected some twenty wcll-drcsscd men,
seated and standing round centre table COW
cred with IL green cloth, Willie another waiter
handed round coffee, ices and champagne.
Don't refuse the refreshments w!ISHcSel
ar tfGS.srouha by tho proprietor, who re-
coups himself ont Of his visitors lossesn
nodded, and partoOk of some champagne,
as did my companions; when, eager to see all
that was going on, wA walked up 10 the rouge
et-nolr table, and looked on.
The stakes. were not very high, hrcausc Il
was so carly I'm the evening, SO our guide said;
men winning and losing various small sums
seemed then tame and unintercsting, and
thoroughly wanting In that excitement OF
which | had so often read. There were The
cries Of croupicr and tditlcur, and the flint
click and chlnk Of franc and fve-finnc pIcccs
n Q t1pv rnsnl Inf linr
fierce aspect, no knit brows, or sweat-bcdewed
forehead; all was cyJm and ycntlcmanly: and
was wondering how long 1t would be ere my
companions were ready to go, when our new
staked It, and saw It melt away. Another
shared It's fntc, and another, and another.
always my luck !" lie said, coolly, as he
turned to me-, :" Lost louis; that's al far as
I shall go. All the disease las proved infrc.
tIons I sec your friend has lskci: !t.'
turned, with surprise, at his words; for
had not missed my old s0hoolfcIlow, Rlvcrs-a
quiet, steady, thoughtful man, whom should
have thought the last 10 have siakcd n shilling
ut game OF chance; but, sure enough, there
he was placing his money first OH one color,
then on the other; and, as drew near 10 his
elbow, 1t seemed always changing Mt the right
time; for he invariably won.
Ii had before found the proceedings tame.
they were now most exciting the game seem.
ed entirely diflcyept since my friend had com
mcnccd playing, and | watched each stake,
ana nSlencd 10 each cry OF Rouge, FOR "NOir"
with an cagcrness thaL could only have pitled
In another.
1t almost seemed MS though my friends sue
cess had been the signal for an Increasing
thirst for the game, for the stakes gradually
grew higher; gold began TO make It's appear.
ance, bright and yellow, among the sill
yer; men who had been smoking, drinking and
chatting about the room door, MS I had done,
drew nearer TO the table, towatch the proceed,
ings; the miirInur of conversation ceased, and
nlny QppmpI fully In nrJn nf al ,I,.,,.
We had. been In the gambling house now
quite an hour and n hnif, when, ufter Imna-
tient'y limiting several times that 1t was quito
time to be gone, our friend, who had brought
us there, drew Rivers ,from the table, sayii@.
"Yon have won enough now-takc my advice
and come away" but Rivers only shook him
off, with half hugh, and returned to the
table afler A2stlly swallowing glass of cham
Meanwhile, our guide to the mysteries of
Paris turned to me.
"You had better bring him away now" he
said; "perhaps yoli have more Influence over