to search for his opponent. Three or four times he walked
stealthily round the room--but all in vain--he could not find his

man; he listened; he could not hear him breathe. What had become
of him? `Oh!' at length he exclaimed--`Now I've got you,

you ---- sneak--here goes!' `Hold! Hold!' cried a voice from the
chimney, `Don't fire! I'll pay you anything.--Do take away

that ---- pistol.' In effect his adversary held the muzzle of
his pistol close to the seat of honour as the fellow stood

stuffed up the chimney!
`You'll pay, will you?' said the former; `Very well--800

dollars--is 't a bargain?'
`Yes, yes!' gasped the voice in the chimney.

`Very well,' rejoined the tormentor, `but just wait a bit; I must
have a voucher. I'll just cut off the bottom of your breeches by

way of voucher.' So saying he pulled out his knife and
suited the action to the words.

`Now get down,' he said, `and out with the money;' which was
paid, when the above-named voucher was returned to the chimney-

groper.
The town of Vicksburg, on the Mississippi, was formerly notorious

as the rendezvous of all sorts of desperadoes. It was a city of
men; you saw no women, except at night; and never any children.

Vicksburg was a sink of iniquity; and there gambling raged with
unrestricted fury. It was always after touching at Vicksburg

that the Mississippi boats became the well-known scene of
gambling--some of the Vicksburghers invariably getting on board

to ply their profession.
On one occasion, one of these came on board, and soon induced

some of the passengers to proceed to the upper promenade-deck for
gambling. Soon the stakes increased and a heap of gold was on

the table, when a dispute arose, in the midst of which one of the
players placed his hand on the stake. Thereupon the Vicksburg

gambler drew his knife and plunged it into the hand of the
former, with a terrible imprecation.

Throughout the Southern States, as before observed, gambling
prevailed to a very great extent, and its results were often

deplorable.
A planter went to a gambling house, accompanied by one of his

negroes, whom he left at the door to wait his return. Whilst the
master was gambling the slave did the same with another whom he

found at the door. Meanwhile a Mexican came up and stood by
looking at the game of the negroes. By-and-by one of them

accused the other of cheating, which was denied, when the Mexican
interposed and told the negro that he saw him cheat. The latter

told the Mexican that he lied--whereupon the Mexican stabbed him
to the heart, killing him on the spot.

Soon the negro's master came out, and on being informed of the
affair, turned to the Mexican, saying--`Now, sir, we must settle

the matter between us--my negro's quarrel is mine.' `Agreed,'
said the Mexican; they entered the house, proceeded to a dark

room, fired at each other, and both were killed.
About six and twenty years ago there lived in New York a well-to-

do merchant, of the name of Osborne, who had an only son, who was
a partner in the concern. The young man fell in love with

the daughter of a Southern planter, then on a visit at New
York, to whom he engaged himself to be married, with the perfect

consent of all parties concerned.
On the return of the planter and his daughter, young Osborne

accompanied them to Mobile. On the very night of their arrival,
the planter proposed to his intended son-in-law to visit the

gaming table. They went; Osborne was unlucky; and after some
hours' play lost an immenseamount to the father of his

sweetheart. He gave bills, drawn on his house, in payment of the
debt of honour.

On the following morning the planter referred to the subject,
hinting that Osborne must be ruined.

`Indeed, I am!' said the young man; `but the possession of your
daughter will console me for the calamity, which, I doubt not, I

shall be able to make up for by industry and exertion.'
`The possession of _MY_ daughter?' exclaimed the planter; `do

you think I would marry my daughter to a beggar? No, no, sir,
the affair is ended between you--and I insist upon its being

utterly broken off.' Such was the action of the heartless
gambler, rendered callous to all sentiments of real honour by his

debasing pursuit.
Young Osborne was equal to the occasion. Summoning all his

powers to manfully bear this additional shock of fate, he calmly
replied:--

`So be it, sir, as you wish it. Depend upon it, however, that my
bills will be duly honoured'--and so saying he bowed and

departed, without even wishing to take leave of his betrothed.
On returning to New York Osborne immediately disclosed the

transaction to his father, who, in spite of the utter ruin which
impended, and the brutality of the cause of the ruin, resolved to

meet the bills when due, and maintain the honour of his son--
whatever might be the consequences to himself.

The bills were paid; the concern was broken up; old Mr Osborne
soon died broken-hearted; and young Osborne went as clerk to some

house of business in Wall Street.
A year or so passed away, and one day a lady presented herself at

the old house of Osborne--now no longer theirs--inquiring for
young Osborne. She was directed to his new place of business;

being no other than his betrothed, who loved him as passionately" target="_blank" title="ad.多情地；热烈地">passionately
as ever, and to whom her father had accounted for the non-

fulfilment of the engagement in a very unsatisfactory
manner. Of course Osborne could not fail to be delighted at this

proof of her devotedness; the meeting was most affectionate on
both sides; and, with the view of coming to a decision respecting

their future proceedings, they adjourned to an hotel in the
vicinity. Here, whilst seated at a table and in earnest

conversation, the young lady's father rushed in, and instantly
shot down Osborne, who expired at his feet. With a frantic

shriek the poor girl fell on the body of her betrothed, and
finding a poniard or a knife concealed in his breast, she seized

it, instantly plunged it into her heart, and was soon a corpse
beside her lover.

CHAPTER X.
LADY GAMESTRESSES.

The passions of the two sexes are similar in the main; the
distinctions between them result less from nature than from

education. Often we meet with women, especially the literary
sort, who seem veritable men, if not so, as the lawyers say, `to

all intents and purposes;' and often we meet with men, especially
town-dandies, who can only be compared to very ordinary women.

Almost all the ancients had the bad taste to speak ill of women;
among the rest even that delightful old Father `of the golden

mouth,' St Chrysostom.[94] So that, evidently, Dr Johnson's
fierce dictum cannot apply universally--`Only scoundrels speak

ill of women.'
[94] Hom. II.

Seneca took the part of women, exclaiming:-- `By no means
believe that their souls are inferior to ours, or that they are

less endowed with the virtues. As for honour, it is equally
great and energetic among them.'

A foreign lady was surprised at beholding the equality
established between the men and women at Sparta; whereupon the

wife of Leonidas, the King of Sparta, said to her:--`Do you not
know that it is we who bring forth the men? It is not the