Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-04-20
THE UNNATURAL SON.

-F;lial ingratitude!
Is 1t not Us t!ss a.0alh should 5ear this
hand
For lifting f.o1 tot a-[ Shakespeare.
NJ. Berth wished to see his native
country, (from which he had been long
absentee went to pay visit to one Of
his old friends, whom he had not heard
from for more than year. Upon his ar
rival at the house, be was received by a
son Of his friend, who told him that his
father had been dead about a year.
Though he was struck with the news
WHOA was so unexpected, It did not pre-
vent lEm from going in. lie conversed
with the son Upon tie state OF his affairs,
and frequently interrupted tie conyer-
satiolsto regret the less OF his cd friend.
AT night he was conducted to his apart
ment. which lie found to be the same as
.he deceased had occupied. This eir-
cumstance contributed not a little to
Keep alive his sorrow, and to prevent iirn
from sleeping. He continued awake till
O'Clock III tie morning, when he heard
tie door OF his Chamber open and by
the feeble s!immering OF night lamp and
of the fire, which was .iil burning, he
perceived the figure Of q. Old man, pale,
wan, and excessively thin, with long
and dirty beard, who shivering with cold.
was walking on slowly towards the Chin
ney. When he was near the fire, lie
seemed to warm himself eagerly, saving.
IS An it is long time since / saw the
fire! In lis voice, figure and manner,
Nj. Gertin, VINO was seized with terror,
thought he recognized his old friend, the
master ct the house. He was neither a.
bic to speak to him nor to leave the bed;
when the old man, turning towards the
bed, and signing said, ''Ah! how many
nights have passed without going to
bed ~ and as he said it, he came forward
in order to throw himself upon it. The
terror which NJ. Bertin felt, made him
leap out preciFitately, crying out ''who
are you what 90 YOU want ~ On
hearing his voice, the old man locked at
him with astonishment, and Immediately
knew him. g What do see,', cried he,
:. M. Berth! my friend, M. Berth p
:. And who are you 20 cried ii. Rertin.
The old man then mentioned his name;
and the other recovering gradually from
the fright, learned with horror that his
friend had been confined year in one of
the castle cells by his son, assisted by a
servant that daily brought him food, and
lad given out that his father was dead,
in order that he might get possession of
his property. On that very day, as he
afterwards learned, the arrival OF NJ.
Berlin, who was not expected, having
thrown the house into confusion. the ser
want who carried provisions to the nnfor-
tunate old man, had not properly fasten-
ed the door of the cell when he went a.
way: and the latter perceiying it, wait
ed till all was quiet IN the castle, and
under cover of the night, endeavored to
escape; but not finding the keys of the
outer door, he naturally took the way to
his apartment; which, though in the dark.
he easily found. N Bertin called uphis
servant without loss of tine; said HI
wished TO depart INN ediately without
waking the master Of the castle, s tcok
the old man with him to Perignex, where
they arrived at day-break. Proper OIL
GERS we're directly dispatched 70 arres'
the unnatural son; who suffered what hi
crimes deserved, BY being shat up in The
same cell in which he had confined hi
father.-French paper.