PERSONS of these two antagonistic portions of society are frequently thrown into intimate fellowship and association with each other, especially while travelling on the steamers of the southern and west

ern waters.

Some years since, a number of gamblers, with two or three clergyman, happened to be among the passengers on board of a steamboat bound from Cincinnati to New-Orleans. The company on

board was numerous; but as something uncommon and extraordinary, from whatever cause, extra morality or otherwise, there was little or no gambling practised by the passengers on the trip downward.

Several days had passed in this way, when a gambler, a wild, reckless, dare-devil sort of a character, began to grow impatient of the tedium of the voyage, and anxious for a chance of making his passage-money by victimizing some of the ' green-ones' in the crowd. Going up to one of the clergyman alluded to, (whom he was not aware was of that profession,) a smooth face, good-looking, affable, youngish man; he slapped him on the back, and somewhat familiarly accosted him :

Say, stranger! dull music 'board, I reckon! Come, take a drink, and let's have a little life 'mongst us!'

Thank you, my friend, I'm a teetotaler, and never drink.' 'O-o-h!—you are, eh? Let's have a hand at cards then.'

'There I'm again at fault. I do n't know one card from another, and can't play !'

'Scissors! I never see the like!

Here, young man, let me

'Brimstone-blazes! - can't we get up some little bit of deviltry or 'nother? I'm sick on 't pokin' 'round in this 'ere way. Wonder if we can't get some old hoss' to give us a preach? That coon over there, with a white 'neckerchief, looks like one o' them gospel

shop men. 'Spose we ax him to give us a sarmon? I'd like to

hear one, by jingo!'

That gentleman, Sir, I presume to be a preacher, and its quite likely he 'll accommodate you.'

You knows him, do n't you? sarmint. I'll hold his hat, d'I will ask him,' replied the clergyman. He crossed over to his friend of the white cravat, and stated the wish of the gambler. Returning, however, he remarked that the preacher declined lecturing till a more convenient season.

Just git him to give us a snorting d if I do n't!'

‘The devil he does! Well, I 'm bound to have fun somehow or 'nother. Can't you spout a bit, my young sapling? 'Spose you try it on, any how.'

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My friend, if I should preach, I should try to give you some uneasiness!'

Then you are just the man for me. Git up here and gin us a sprinkling of brimstone; stir up these old ironsides on board, give 'em an extra lick, and come the camp-meeting touch; will ye? Here's an old chap here, who's got a hymn-book, and I can sing first-rate when I get agoing, if the lines are given out; and mind ye, neighbor, give us a jam-up prayer; blow and strike out as loud as ye can, and make 'em think that a pack of well-grown prairie-wolves are coming, with a smart handful of thunder and lightnin', and a few shovels full of a young airthquake. By the gracious Moses, we 'll have a trifle of sport then- wont we?'

The gambler then helped the preacher to arrange for the sermon ; borrowed the hymn-book, and sat down with an expression of mockseriousness in his countenance.

By this time a crowd had gathered round to witness the proceedings, wondering what would be the upshot of the business. The preacher smoothed his face, selected a hymn, and then lifted up his hands and eyes in the attitude of prayer. Waxing warmer and warmer as he proceeded, he appealed to God in the most spiritstirring and solemn manner; he alluded to the gambler in a very pointed manner, and prayed for his salvation from the ruin to which he was so recklessly tending. Such was the force of his appeal, that a burning arrow seemed speedily sent to the gambler's soul. The prayer was followed by an excellent sermon by the young clergyman, who afterward said that he never felt more impressed in his life with the awful responsibility of his mission, or felt a fuller inspiration from on High to proclaim the wrath to come to dying and helldeserving sinners.

The gambler 'squirmed' under the gospel truth; yet uneasy as he was, he contrived to sit the sermon out; but he could n't wait to participate in singing the closing hymn.

Shortly after all was over; and going up to the clergyman, he said:

I say, friend, you are a preacher, aint you?'

Yes, my friend, I have the honor to be an unworthy ambassador

of CHRIST, and hope to be made the means of converting many souls to God.'

'Well, I thought as much! But I tell you, I never had the sand so knocked from under me before in my life. If you preach in that way, there wont be many of us gamblers left, I tell you. But I suppose it's all right; my good mother used to pray, and I could n't help thinking of her when you cut me all up in little pieces, and put my singing pipes out of tune. I'd ha' giv' fifty dollars to have that 'ere saddle put on another horse.'

I suppose it is needless to say that the gambler required no farther preaching on that passage: his own conduct, and that of his confederates, was such as to be a matter of no animadversion on the part of the clergyman and passengers, while they pursued their voyage.