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motionless, as long as the issue is in doubt ; but no sooner is the contest 

 over than the close lines of people on either side of the roped arena, 

 suddenly breaking up and pouring into it, impart a new liveliness to the 

 scene, which is again all busy movement. Some rush eagerly in, to 

 catch a glimpse of the winning horse, as he returns to the scale house ; 

 others, to rejoin friends they had separated from, as the horses started, to 

 procure better situations to see the race ; others, with brightened eyes, 

 again to flirt -with the " dark eyed one," to whom a pair of gloves had 

 been lost. 



But, whilst every Race Ground presents the same cheerful scene, and 

 many of the same varied objects, yet our Course, perhaps, for divers rea- 

 sons, has attractions peculiarly its own. We arrive at this conclusion, 

 from the fact, that an agreeable impression is generally made upon those 

 who attend our races for the first time ; moreover, that a favorable opin- 

 ion is generally carried away by those who have partaken of the hospi- 

 tality of our Club. 



On the morning of a race our city pours forth the sport loving portion 

 of its inhabitants. As the hour for starting the horses approaches, so 

 may be seen an anxious crowd wending its way along the different ave- 

 nues that lead to the Course. First is seen, in the ladies' stand, a gal-axy 

 of beauty — Matrons and Demoiselles — mothers, in the full bloom and 

 maturity of their loveliness ; and daughters, exceedingly beautiful, and 

 very much like their mothers ; the animation of the scene greatly aug- 

 mented by those " who come to be seen, as well as to see ; " vieing with 

 each other in the little coquetries every accomplished belle knows well 

 how to avail herself of, to secure the devotion of some popular beau — 

 among other things, betting with hira upon some pending event. 



By-the-bye, alluding to betting, we will just mention an interesting in- 

 cident of other days : 



A young lady on the Charleston Race Ground once offered to bet with 

 a young gentleman, not upon the result of the race, but that he would 

 not be married within the year. He thought he never heard the dear 

 thing speak in such sweet tones before, and as it happened to be Leap 

 Year, he was bound to construe the circumstance into an encourage- 

 ment of his well-known preference. He very properly mustered courage 

 enough to reply; that if he was not married within the specified time, it 

 would certainly be her fault ! 



Now, when this paragraph meets the eyes of our fair young friends, 

 (and we flatter ourselves we will have some readers among them,) they 

 are requested to note it well, and take care, whenever it happens to be 

 Leap Year., how they venture to bet at the Races — we beg them to pon- 



