Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-02
The Last OF the Gamblers Il Wlee
baden.

As0 DSVS u So0 0e0oIer0 ~ WIoO
baden.
wissbsdsn, hovsvse. hes one Of Ii.
old ct lett Who il regarded - Q
are speeinea q extinct species-a Kind
Of h-ilotils or lcsfky. saxs7us. or some other
fossil monster. belonging 10 Q former
siratum Of society. His history may
serve TO point . moral, though il ID
harily picturesque enough 10 adorn Q
tale. He 10 an English man nv birth.
OF an old historic name. and . family
OF distinction and aristocrstic connec-
ton. After the usual education Of the
sons Il the wealthy and high-born ct
one Of the English public schools, Ea-
ton or Harrow, and perhaps . short res
idence at either Oxford az Cambridge,
an appointment in the civil service Of
India was procured for him through
the influence Of his powerful iriends.
Promotion was sure. and the prospect
of respectability and independence
certain. il not wealth and . Governor.
Generalship; but the perverss youth,
becoming impatient Of his .lov but
regular advance. threw mp his appoint
ment. aud Pocketing whatever salary
was due. and such money as an injul.
gent father might allow him, male his
way 10 the Continent II Europe.
Wiesbsden was then in the fullness OF
her gambling splendor. and the youth
VAS soon sporting in its fatal blaze
His pockets we're cleaned out again and
again. ss they we're replenished by gen.
er0us remittsnces from home. FINAL;
his father died. leaving him - young.
er spn some E20. 0OO for his share Of
the patrimony. This was soon stakei
and gone; but fortune occasionally
smiled upon him, and one night he
went home with some So, OOO In his
pockets. He fastened next morning
to deposit this handsome sum in the
hands If his banker, and made kno wn
to all his relatives and friends that he
he had hidden farewell forever {. tho
green tables of roulette and Fe"te ct quar-
ante, and was resolved to live q pure
life. His resolutions, however, hardly
survived the time for response of con-
graduation from his family in England
to his welcome announcement. In less
than week he had withdrawn and lost
oil his money, and was again beggar,
suing for the bounty of his friends, who
now, believing him to be incorrigible,
settled upon him an annual pittance,
barely enough to keep him in daily
bread and beer. and supply him with q
yearly suit of coarse brOadcloth. So
inveterate, however. was his passion
for gambling, that he never failed, at
the very moment of receiving his small
quarterly allowance. to stake it all on
the green cloth. Now, at last, that
Wiesbaden has got rid of gambling and
its seducements, the old sinner is said
to be penitent; but is suspected that
it is his vice that has left him, not he
his vice, as the cynical Rochefoucauld
says of old age in its supposed reforma-
ton. He continues to live in Wies-
baden partly from choice and partly
from necessity, for he wants the means
of going elsewhere. and, besides, is
lOath, no doubt, to leave his habitual
beer house and favorite sausage shop,
and perhaps the scene of his former de-
lights. We have heard that at one time
he was one OF the eayest of the moths that
huttered night after night about the
gas-ligbts OF the gambling saloon. In
his yOuth-for he has spent larger
part OF life of more than three
score years in Wiesbaden-he was re-
garded as the very pink of fashion, was
the chosen companion of the young
bucks of ton and rank, and shone not
an unfavored beau in the eyes of the
miscellaneous fine danes of this gay
resort. He is now O pitiful old man,
who goes stumbling about the streets
in the shabiest of suits, with his old
felt hat over his eyes, his head hang
ing, his body bent, and his ungloved
hands deep in the great Gaping peck.
cts of his loose shooting jacket, as if he
were searching for stray form. never
alas! destined to be found. He is the
very personifcation of shady slouchi
ness and dispairing dreariness, with
never q reminder about him of his for
mer gentility, save as it may be an oc
casional clean collar and a dangling
eye.gla IS .-Harper's Magazine.