Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-04
.s1me.A StIAER WORK.

- - SffAhF NHOhhs q
RETURNING lately to London from q
town in, the extreme north of England, l
) entered a eoinpartincnt gof a secOhdehss
railway carriage in which the only occu-
pantsy8s saneldefly gentlemanin delicate
health, and who judging from his appear
ance, had not long escaped from his sick
room. We we were soon joined by two
young men, one a had scarcely twenty, rath-
er fashionably dressed, and the other some
ten years Older, and evidently son of
canny Scotland Ehe bell had rung, and
the train was tust readyto start, when three
other persons whom I had noticed loiter-
ing on the platform, jumped hastily in and
.7took their seats. All three were near the
middle age and two OF them, whose garb
indicated hat,theys we're sporting charac-
tiers, had that UdSe look which juvenile
gents" often assufne, as if il were some
thing to be proud of, while those with
whom it is the natural and settled express
sion, are as often at inconsiderable pains to
K tget i'd of it The third seemed to be a
gentleman farmer, though it was soon made
apparent that his only claim to be so con
sldered lay in the costume he had adopted.
The sky was dull and cloudy and occa-
siOnally smart spurts of rain came down,
yelling the distant landscape from view A
few commonplace remarks were eXchang
ed relative to the weather, and feeble at
tempt was made to get up a conversation
on the subject of current politics, but it
would not do, and for full hour
we rode on in silence, save for the
noise of the rushing train, and a
long-drawn yawn or two admira-
bly, given by the farmer-looking gentle
man. Then we stopped at station for a
minute or so to take in water, as | under
stood, for the next run, which would be of
near two hours continuance. We had
scarcely got the steam fairly up again
when one of the sporting gentlemen drew
= a pack ofcards from his breast pocket, and
proposed that we should break the dismal
monotony of the journey and keep our
selves awake by friendly game. Suspect
ing his object, | paid no attention to the
proposition but waited to see what would
happen. Not so the elderly invalid. He
became nervously excited the moment the
cards caught his eye protested violently
against their production and threatened
the vengeance of the law against card
sharping. This language only provoked a
torrent of abuse, mingled with jeers and
= tmmts and hints of violence, which, in
creasing his nervous agitation, silenced him
ettectually. a species of card Liable was
- then eXtemporized by means of a railway
rug stretched from knee to knee, and it
WAS proposed to- cut for partners at whist.
But as no one responded to this appeal,
the gentleman forbore to press it, and Sc
lecting three cards from the pack, began to
show us what he termed an amusing trick,
by.way of pastime. OF the three cards
= cone was a knave or a jack, and the trick
"a consisted in shuffiing the three with their
- faces upwards so that the position of the
knave was visible to the spectator then
turning their faces dewnwarts, and chal-
lenging the spectator to select the knave
from the three Nothing seemed easier
than to do So seeing that the cards were
shuffled so little and so slowly that 1t was
hardly possible to lose sight of the one to
be drawn. So confident however was the
performer, that he offered to bet any sum
\ from,a shilling tosa sOvereignag against any
= one S drawing the picture card try it who
s Iwoald At the same time he turned to
look out at the window, and, while his
. head was turned ,5his confederate, who sal
opposite, lifted the cards, faced them mo-
ment and dropped them again.
"Ell bet you u sovereign | draw the
knaYe,n said the young lad eagerly, doubt
iesi lessthiiptking 4: ctl%t The co!hd not be mis-
"Dinna be sac daft, laddie," said the
y ScutchmaB arresdng the young fellows
arm as he was drawing forth his purse
yell only lose your siller." 90
- And WHAT'S That to you?" cried the
auasi1ceuntry gentleman, now coming on
- in his true Character. The gentleman car
. doas he, likes, ! I,sappose, and well have
none oflSour meddlingi" At the SAM
time herpushed away the Scotchman's arm
and starting up suddenly, stood over hin
with his clenched fist within an inch of hi
face.
-, But the bully had mistaken his man. Tn,
next moment his head rang against the bacl
OF the carriage, and he lay back motioniess
as ifG1sized with the violence of the shock
? y .9nd his sdvegsaryf perfeetlyTcool, was nov
! - Standing owes him. - e ~ % = -
=" ne'r allow ony mon to put fist i my
face he said ~eih we do that again vel
be the waur o it,, Then he looked arount
with touch Of the wha-daur-meddle-wi
me ie the CLEAN OF his eye, and quietly re
sumed MS Seat. p
r ~ helbtllAY~Sat c0wed, muttering savagel,
1 ,'td Ainfset, Jas if intending TO renew the as
, saplt Perhaps he might have done so hat
" he not been called to order by the MAJ
Who held the cards. =" Be quiet, David,
said that worthy; whats the good q
I 4 iniakihH aiIfsflrbaG2efsy Aid David wa
quiet, shifting himself into corner, an(
= closing his eyes as if for II nap a.,
80 This short scene ought to have openet
the eyes of the youth who had volunteerei
the wa6ers but II did not, and he was still
eager to try his fortune The. Scotchmal
., ,v did npt atpi9j 9jnterfere,. bqtalloYsd the stu
,pid fellow to, have, his way. He was cleve
enough, as he Imagined, to win the ifiTs
bet, and of course had no objection tosven
d, tIlresa second, The game went ON brisk
after ibis, Ae young fellow whlRing occa
81 siOnally, but oftenef losing, and CROWN
hot and flushed under the anxiety and e,
o icitement ofthe sport Before half an hou
had elapsed il, became evident that it wa
ANYTHING but sport to him the few SOY
'' eftigns IN his purse had vanished, and h
had changed twentya,onnd note with hi
adversary, and the siineswas fast meftin
,ln away. / could see that.the fellow callc
.lii1 David, though preteAdmg 10 sleep, wa
90 full eogniAvlt of all that was going %
80 and IsfincieCbtllAt 4 ootild Fcadsin his fac
!" his perfect Satisfaction with the state {
. affairs, ]. gave 'n Appealing look TO III
: braWpy ScQtchman, IN the hope that i
.,r would again interfere No stop the plupde
ing Of the poor victim, bat il was to Il
purpose that redopbtable champion WI
plainly offended at the rejection Of his a.
.albsYiee,o and would not interfere again.
Iilr thought 4 would venture TO give the lad
~ hintmys elf. ~
j. '.od , f" Young man, 4" / said, " You are payir
IN dearly for thatlamusementi let mo advi
,n7q yepa to stop before you lose all "haE
ai bslpJ ia my surprise, the sharper In the mo
civil manner endorsed my advice. Yes
.al he said, blahdfy, the l1ck runs again
20 q.yod, suppose We Slut up; you'll wf
'v. .n money ioftr9Eeling f2penscs, you know
No, no. shbhted the other, Tn n
~ A going % be humhdgged,. I've. lostnear
i5O twenty pounds, spd I've right to wiz
back II l can. / know what I'm abol