Virginia Argus

FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.

To the LADIES who are ADMIRERS of the
game of Loo.

SO arduous is the task which I am about to undertake, that I despair of success; but being conscious of the purity of my intentions, and knowing that the refined sensibility and exquisite taste of my fair readers will make an allowance for my want of abilities, I advance to the task with renovated spirits, while I beg permission to draw their attention to the following narrative.

Know then, that I am the daughter of a deceased father and mother, in whom in their youthful days, fortune smiled propitiously; that by their industry and economy they had procured a very handsome fortune, and for many years lived in the plenitude of happiness.—My mother was a woman who possessed a great stock of vivacity, and was extremely fond of company; she often invited large parties of her old acquaintances to her house, and always partook with the greatest pleasure of the animating conversation of them.

My father was a sedate man of a plain education, & condescending manners, but was not fond of company; he often said, that he could spend the evening more agreeably with little Jenny upon his knee, than he could with all the company that frequented his house. In this manner they passed some time until the appetite of my mother grew so rapacious, her thirst for fame, and her wish to occupy a pre-eminent Station in the estimation of her female visitants, caused her to make such extravagant demands, that my father was constrained to reject them. To a woman who always before had her inclinations appeased, this was insupportable. She appealed in the most passionate manner for her wishes to be gratified, which my father was unable to deny a person whom he loved as himself.

This made my father discontented, (to see the fortune which he had earned with the sweat of his brow, squandered away in the most superfluous and extravagant manner,) and even miserable to such a degree, that the animated conversation of my mother's visitants and all her apparent good humour, only served to heighten his uneasiness; for the peaceful shade of domestic happiness could not alleviate the distress of a man who did not participate in its blessings. He endured his uneasiness without divulging the cause of it to my mother, until his constitution became so much impaired from his excess of trouble, that he survived but a very short time.

Thus from the indiscretion and unparalleled extravagancy of my mother, was brought to an untimely end, the most affectionate husband and indulgent parent.

My mother was very much afflicted at the cause of his death; but from her sprightly disposition soon conquered all thoughts of him. She now became one of the "tin lot of gentry" of the town; she was invited to their places of recreation, and soon became acquainted and enamoured with their amusements—But alas! long shall I remember that fatal diversion which was the means of bringing to an untimely grave, its unfortunate admirer. The amusement I mean is the game of LOO; it was a practice so common with the ladies, that they always went prepared (when they visited each other) with as much money as would make a beggar as happy as a prince. Whole nights did they spend around the Loo-Table, seeking to deprive each other of their money; for some time my mother was fortunate; but at last the smiles of fortune banished from her, and she always came off considerably the loser; how often did I remonstrate with her against it! but she was, like all gamesters, impenetrable to the arrows of reason—The female mind when it imbibes any bad practice, is much harder to be driven from it, than that of the male. By the craft and duplicity of these female sharpers, her fortune was entirely broken; she was not afterwards noticed by any of them.

Through dissipation (which is the copartner of gaming) and distress, she soon began to decay in health; all her former cheerfulness banished from her, and she seemed to be the most miserable creature on earth; and she was soon compelled to pay the awful debt of nature, leaving behind an helpless and forlorn orphan destitute of all subsistence; but that beneficent Creator who rules the destinies of the universe, provided for me a benefactor whom I shall always revere with the most ardent attachment.

I have been thus concise, my fair readers, in the history of my misfortunes, to guard all of you against the cause of them. I have not been long an inhabitant of your city, and consequently, cannot be acquainted with your fashions and amusements; but I have heard that this shameful folly, is very much in vogue. Can you, after contemplating the misery which it brought on my family, have any desire to resort to this hereafter, as an amusement? Reason answers no. Let me conjure you to refrain from a practice which may involve your offspring into the abyss of distress, by the example which you present them!

Let the tears of the unfortunate JENNY DERMOT consign it to oblivion! It is below the dignity of the fair daughters of an enlightened country, to follow the example of gamesters, pickpockets, &c. I close the subject with a question, which I leave to the decision of my fair readers, as I am sure when they find their error, they will retract. Would not a party of ladies derive more satisfaction from the conversation of each other, than to be engaged in fleecing each other of their fortunes?

JENNY DERMOT.