themselves reduced to
absolute beggary. 'Such men often lose not only what their purses or
their bankers can supply, but houses, lands, equipage, jewels; in fine,
every thing of which they call themselves masters, even to their very
clothes; then perhaps a pistol terminates their mortal career.'

Fifteen hours a day are devoted by many infatuated persons in some
countries to this unhappy practice. In the middle of the day, while the
wife directs with prudence and economy the administration of her
husband's house, he abandons himself to become the prey of rapacious
midnight and _mid-day_ robbers. The result is, that he contracts debts,
is stripped of his property, and his wife and children are sent to the
alms-house, whilst he, perhaps, _perishes in a prison_.

My life has been chiefly spent in a situation where comparatively
little of this vice prevails. Yet, I have known one individual who
divided his time between hunting and gaming. About four days in the
week were regularly devoted to the latter practice. From breakfast to
dinner, from dinner to tea, from tea to nine o'clock, this was his
regular employment, and was pursued incessantly. The man was about
seventy years of age. He did not play for very large sums, it is true;
seldom more than five to twenty dollars; and it was his uniform
practice to retire precisely at nine o'clock, and without supper.

Generally, however, the night is more especially devoted to this
employment. I have occasionally been at public houses, or on board
vessels where a company was playing, and have known many hundreds of
dollars lost in a single night. In one instance, the most horrid
midnight oaths and blasphemy were indulged. Besides, there is an almost
direct connection between the gambling table and brothel; and the one
is seldom long unaccompanied by the other.

Scarcely less obvious and direct is the connection between this vice
and intemperance. If the drunkard is not always a gamester, the
gamester is almost without exception intemperate. There is for the most
part a union of the three--horrible as the alliance may be--I mean
gambling, intemperance, and debauchery.

There is even a species of intoxication attendant on gambling. _Rede_,
in speaking of one form of this vice which prevails in Europe, says;
'It is, in fact, a PROMPT MURDERER; irregular as all other games of
hazard--rapid as lightning in its movements--its strokes succeed each
other with an activity that redouble