Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-29

gate mass which moves on in national
progression imperceptible, but irresis tible
as the glaciers course.
The green-grocer women of Hamburg
wear across their patient shoulders a
wooden yoke from the ends of which i'm
mense baskets of vegetables and fruits are
hung. Thus weighted they plOd over the
city. AS to dress, their taste in colors is
very like that of the fish women of Leigh;
but they look less braWny and more pa
tient, as if lacking something Cf the pefS
terridtua ingenium ScOtOrua.
GAMBLING IN THE EAST.
In the East gambling is a universal prac-
tice. All classes delight in it, from the
king on his throne to the wretched beegar
that prOwlS about the gates Of the noble TO
find scanty support, not in the "crumbs
that fall from the rich mans table," but in
the very garbage that is cast from his gate.
So passonately devoted to this despicatle
vice are many Orientals that when they
have bartered eff everything else they pos
Sess, rather than desist they will sell their
wives and children into slavery, and even
pawn their own bodies to get money to
gamble with. Licensed gaming houses
are found in all Eastern cities, and most
oriental mOnarchs derive large revenue
from this source. Sometimes dice are
used, and occasionally small coWries (shelD
but cards are most general. The common
people, male and female, frequent the pub
lie saloons, which are said to be perfect
dens of erin e, as they are often the thea
tres OF the most heart sickening tragedies.
The gambling ofthe higher classes is done
in their own homes, and tlcy never fail to
invite, and even impOrtune, their visitors
to partake Of the sport, while they often
boast of the large sums they have lost or
won among their friends. But, though
husbands and fathers deem it right thus to
employ their own time, their wives and
daughters are strictly ordered to avoid all
such immoral practices, lest the Well-filled
purse of pdter .fdnsiiiaS should suffer de-
triment.
During the reign Of the old usurper WHO
sat upon the throne at the time Of my first
visit to Siam, it was one day reported to
His Majesty that some scores Of his six hun
dred wives had been indulging in the great
sin of gambling. The fair culprits, being
summoned to the royal presence, made full
confession Of their guilt, but pleaded ennui
as excuse, and prayed His Majesty's fol-
givene~s on the ground that they had lost
only twenty thousand ticalS (twelve thou
sand dollars) which they argued was "but
as a drop in the ocean compared W it'll the
boundless resources of His Sereuce, Infall.-
BILE Majesty. The cOvctOus old king who
loved money better than anything else in
the world Che fair culprits themselves not
exccpted) had no sooner heard the sum of
twenty thousand ticalS mentioned than,
losing the small modicum of patience with
which nature had endowed him, he sum-
mOned to his presence several high officers
of the royal haren, and ordered them to
infiict, i'll his name, ''the fathcllT discipline
Of thirty stripes on the sulcs CT the feet of
each of the offending ladies, TO preserve
them j / future from he degrading vice Of
gambling.
Among the amuscmcnts Of Oriental ia
tons, dancing is a general fave rte. But
let not the uninitated suppose that by
dances are meant values or co,illions,
round dances or quadri!lcs, ali of which
involve an amount Ct muscular exertion
quite inconsistent with eastern ideas Of
pleasure. No; thu. Oriental has fashion of
bis own in regard to the dance; and whcn-
ever he feels inclined to indulge his Tcrpsi-
chOrean prOclivitics, he does 50 not by dam
cling himself, but by having his slaves do
it for him. Kings and princes, lords and
ladies, recliEe at ease upon cushions of
velvet, willing away the tagging hours in
slipping sherbet from golden cups, scentine
the breath Of fragrant flowers, or watching
the curling WreatnS Of smoke from still
more fragrant chcrOOts. while bands of
UduCllIS SldhCS tllClI S!dCC anu U6N
ter:ty for the entertainment Of the august
company. | remember bail given by a
British merchant at the capital Of Siam in
honor of his queens birthday, when several
Siamese nObies were among the guests. and
in the early portion Cf the evening We'd
with each other in compliEentiDg their
host on the brilliancy of his entertainments
knowing him to be wealthy, c1nviviaI
! ard fond of display, they naturally ex
! pected something very fine in the way Of
dancing. Their sensations may be i'm
! agined when the Scotch bag pipes, played
by an old sailor, struck up the only music
| which had been found available, aud the
European members Of the company went
whizzing and past, as reel, JIG, and High
| land fling followed each other in quick sue
cession. Dumb with surprise and dismay,
| the mobiles rushed en- mdSsc from the house.
| entered their boats and ordered the cars
men to pull frriously for the mission
! houses, situated some two miles lower down
the river. 1t was vergjng toward midnight,
! but some Of the missionaries were still
! busy in their libraries, AMI the eXcit, d
mobiles, first knocking furiOusly at tne door,
and then entering without waiting for 4 re-
| Spouse, called DANGEROUSLY, 'Hclp, help, for
your couutrymen! The foreigners at the
| British godOwns are all gone crazy; they
| are dancing for themselves !'-FT'oHt Ofi-
| entail Sports, by Mrs. Fannie II. Ftudge,
in the December nnaber Of LppincoHS
! Magazine