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

one must be VINO can say WIFI Irull. II nave
never done a foolish thing" feel no fear o
having nv word doubted when say that il
my time have done a good many, one o
which nearly resulted in my being prevented
from ever relating the following story:
Paris. as Albert Smith used TO say, is ;
s'rathcr jolly placc-rather funny. but 1t has III
serious side. There are grand fies and ma
lestic Bouicvards; but there are also Tx
wrclchcd alleys and cutS-tie-S0c; lhe no0lt
nalaccs and the ruinous crowded houses, cacl
n perfcct warren: the acts in The sunshine o
broad day, and the deeds oil darkness.
Take care of yourself,' was the last laugh
inr address of nv friends, as | took my ticket
at London Bridge Station-an address aS
laughngly replied to; and that same evening
with a companion, | was slrolllnS down inc
Boulevard des Italiens, smoking cigar and
enjoying the novel sights aioundi the news
vendcr's kiosk; the tall, white stone houses,
with their bright Venetian shutters; the hand
some shops. with their costly contents; the gay
lhrong of promcnadcrs; the numberless little
marble ion tables. and the cool way In which
pcoplc sat out of doors to sip their cafe no,re,
can sucr6e, or rin lie Borded'Ir. Here was a
couple playing dominoes; there a quartette,
evidently tradeSfolk, with modcratOr-lalllp,
seated at a table outside their shop door,
hannily engaged in q Fren:h version Of
short whist. Now the p0nted-moustached,
tjnhtcoatcd, cocked-hattcd sergeant de riHe,
with his long thin sword, would take ones
attention: now one of the many shabby
uniformed. but active, cat-like, sun-browned
soldiers. one and all carrying their arms. Then
The white cap Of sister OF mercy, or the
starched plaits of a b0nne, would diversity the
throng. Everywhere there was something
new 10 take tho attention, while not the least
evident was The love of our ncighbOrs for dis
nlav as shown in .ildcd ratings, bright hues,
and above all in flowers clustering round so
monv windows. No gas-namns. heavy-look-
inm bubble houses here, but elegant marble and
v,sivrt furnished cdf1S resplendent with mir
rors white and gold, and overlooked 10y pre-
sid;n,r deity in the shape of o dame de comp
foir. throned amidst fruit, flowers and wine,
coffee urns and confectionery, herscii very
model of the latest Paris fashions:
sIant that night in confusion Of ideas,
stron0est of which was a belief that Paris was
a sorf of n tairy-land, where all was perfect;
and woke the next morning to capital hotel
breakfast of long bread, cd6-d,t-tdd, GutS trdtS,
and n strlnr band, recalling home, outside the
winJow with the strains of the Lancers
Ouadriles." Then came round OF slght-see-
ing-calhedral. church, picture gal!ery, bridge
fountain, palace. opera, theatre; ana review;
We lunched and dined Ia frohcatSe, anu
pretended to like the French potase anu thelr
wines We PLAYED billiards at the cafes, smok-
ed hal cigars. made ourselves Ill, tired our
selyes out and all the while avowed that VIC
were in the very height Of enjoyment.
Ar the end of q fortnight, Paris did not seem
half so bright place; and certainly, no better
than London. One day | spent upon sofa
reading the Times and Galignani; ana that
same evening ny companion actllaliy hihtea
:. its being almost time TO think OF gong PACK
home. But at the table dh0te we encountered
vounr fellow-countryman who put us
tbrcnrh = sort of catechism, upon our saying
thot W. were about tired of the pla.c, ending
nv telling MS that We had seen nothing yet,
ond nromisinT to initiate us into Il llttlc more
of Partisan life and manners.
We u,sentcd to his acting as guide; and he
certainly did initiate us-or rather, gave us a
lcsson-in Partisan life and manners-one of
which proved quite sufficient To satisfy me-;
and two days after was conglatul;ltlnS my
self upon being safely at home.
''It II Vas abonl 10 o'clock at night that, after
snendinm an hour or two amid the cafe chdi,-
tInfS in the Champs Elysees, our new friend
inJ ms mn and down several streets, till he
noused st what seemed TO be private house
.,You ought not TO go back. he said, with
oul seeing a gambling house."
"Oh! don't know" | said, hcstatin@; II
don't much care for that"
..You need not either of you play" was the
rcnly, ..WeI lust 20 in for half an hour, and
Ard then we entered a well lii passage,
door closed behind us. shutting us in like flies
in trap. and well-drcssed waiter ushered us
into brilliantly lighted salon, wherein were
collected some twenty wcll-dresscd men,
seated and standing round centre table COW
cred with green cloth, While another waiter
hrnded round coffee, ices and champagne
..Don't refuse the refreshments whispered
our auidr. ut would look strange. They are
ali frec-found by the proprietor, who re-
coups himself out of his visitors losses"
i nodded. and partook OF some champagne,
as did nv companions; when, eager to see all
that was golng on, we walked up to the rouge
et-noir table, and looked on.
The stakes were not very high, because IL
was so early in the evening, so our guide said;
men winning and losing various small sums
with utmost nonchalancc. In effect, the game
seemed then tame and unintereSting, and
wanting in that excitement OF
which / had so often read. There were The
cries of crOupier and tailteW, and the faint
click and chink of franc and fivc-franc pieces
nc they were rakcd together; but there was no
fierce aspect, no knit brows, or sweat-bcdewed
forehead: all was calm and gcntlemanly; and
was wondering how long 1t would be ere my
comnanions were ready TO go, when our new
friend took ive-franc piece out OF his pocket,
staked ii, and saw 1t melt away. Another
ALWAYS my luck - he said, coolly, as he
turned to me. Lost a louis; that's as far as
shall 20. All the disease has proved inlec-
ti0us see your friend has taken it,
| turned. with surprise, at his words for
had not missed my old schoollcllow, Rivcrs-a
uuiet, steady, thoughtful man, whom should
have thought the last 10 have stakeda shilling
at Il game of chance but. sure enough, there
he was, placing his money first on one color,
then on the other; and, us drew near TO his
elbow. it seemed always changing aL the right
time for he invariably won.
If had before found the proceedings tame,
they were now most exciting; the game seem
cd entirely different since my friend had com
mcnccd playing. and | watched each stake.
and listened TO each cry Of" Rouge. or q" Noir,
with an eagerncSs that could only have piticd
in another.
II almost seemed as though my friends sue.
cess had been the signal for all increasing
thirst for the game, for the stakes gradually
grcw higher; gold began 10 make it, appear
ancc, bright and yellow, among the sil
yer; men who had been smoking, drinking ant
chatting about the room door, as had done
drew nearer to the table, towatch the proceed
ngs; the m,rmur of conversation ceased, ant
play seemed now fully the order OF the night
We had been Ii. the gambling house noH
unitc an hour and half, when, after mpa
ticnlly limiting several times that 1t was quite
time 10 be gone, our friend, who had brought
us there drew Rivers from the tabr, saying
You have won enough now-takc my advice
and come away" but Rivers only shook hin
OIL, with Il half llu.h. and returned TO tho
pagnc.
Meanwhile our guide TO the mysteries o
Paris turned TO me.
"You had better bring him away now," III