The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-29
dwelling from which III. } had B long been

81 hui IL WIS not so. ii tne1hTf0Ns on
the old mans face were deep tfore, when
he had 10 toll from morning tsnighi, they
seemed 10 have sunk ioto nbre CHASTITY
trenches, now that the goodnsk Of Proyi-
deuce had restored gentle splitter 20 his
declining years. When seer wandering
through his fields al even It'd lie looked
moi ike the Patriarch musing fanquilly on
the works aud ways of God ah wllsn my
eyes met his during divine sesice, which
he now again attended with sciIpul0us re
gulariiv, ! sometimes though they were
suddenly ascrted in eoaseloB larit. at
Slosrd in hgpUcFiiicul defolioI ! scarce-
Is know III had any suspieionsag ainst him
in nv mind or mol bat his hlgi bid head,
thin silver hair, aud eOnnfenaine With It's
fine features 50 intelligent, had M iUngri
The same solemn expression which they
once possessed, aud something dark aud
hidden seemed now Il belong 10 them,
which withstood his forced and unnatural
smile. The son, who in The days of their
former prosperity, had been stained by 40
yicc, and who, during their harder lot,
had kept himself aIoof from all his former
cempaniuns, now became dissolatc and
proHigatc, nor did he meet with any re-
proof rom father whose heart would once
have burst asundtr Al one act OF wicked
ness IN his beloved child"
"About three years after the death oi
his father, the disinhcrited son returned to
his native parsh had been a sailor IN
board various ships On foreign stations, hui
hearing by chance Of his fathers death, he
came To claim his inheritance. Having
heard, on his arrival, that his uncle had
succeeded 10 tie property, he came TO me
and told me, that the night before he lelt
his home, his father stood by bis bedside,
kissed him, aud said that never more
wonld he own such an unduiifuI son-but
that he forga,e him all his slns--at death
would not dcfraud him of The pleasant
fields that had SO lons belonged to his hum
bic ancestors and hoped to meet recon
ciIed in heaven. "My uncle is Il Villain,
said he, fercely, and viii cast anchor
on the green bank where played when a
boy, even If must first bring i,Isk grey head
to the scailold -
q accompanied him TO the house Of his
uncle. 1t was dreadful visit. The IA
mily had just sat down to their lrugH mid
day meal aud the old man, though for
some years he could have had little heart
10 pray, had Just lifted up his hand to ask
hIes sing. Our shadows, as We entered
the door fell upon the tble--and turning
his eyes, he bcheld before him on the floor
the nan whom he fearfully hoped had
been buried in the sea. Ills face was IN
deed, at that moment, most unlike that oil
prayer, but he etiIl held up his lean, shriy-
cllcd, trembling hand. "Acursed hypo-
critic, cried the fierce mariner, " dosi
thou call down the blessing of God on 4
meal won baseIy from the orphan But i"
God, whom thou hast blasphemcd, ha,
sent me from the distant isles of the ocean
to bring thy white head into The hangmalr'.
hands!n
For a moment all was slcut- then Il
loud stllcd gasplng was heard, and she
whom YOU saw little while ago, rose
shricking from her seal, and fell down on
her knees at the sailors feet. The terror
of that unforsiyen crime, now first reveal
ed to her knowledge, struck her down To
the floor. She fixed her l,ondless face on
his before " lom she knelt she spoke not
a single word. There was sound IN her
cohvused throat like The death-ratile. &" !
forged the VIII" said the SOL, advancing
towards his cousin With firm step, my
father could mott alone am glnity--i n
lone must dr. The wife soom recovered
the power Of speech, but II was so unlike
her usual vo.rt. that | scarcely thought, al
first the sound pteerr3,a rom her white
qphcrlng Hps As voo hape cor mercy
at the .jedgeutHt daN ictiha ED @an max,
his cscapc-hls'l H3sh, hush III In ic.s
days he has sailed 4F3ym The hoiloE soma
ship To America. Ina surely WI uoi
hang an old grey headed mas ai .hroe score
and ten years.
The sailor stood silent and fsowninr
There seemed neither pity nor cruelty III
his face he fct hlmaelfinjured, and looked
resolved TO right himself, happen what
would. say he forged my fathers will.
As to escaping, let him escape if he can.--
| do not wish TO hang him I; though have
seen better men run up 10 the fore-yard-
arm before now, for only asking their own.
But no more kneellng, woman-Ilolla
where is the old man gone p
Wcall looked CHASTITY around, and the
wrctchcd wife and mother, springinS TO her
feet, rushed out of the house. We follow
cd one aud all. The door Of the stable was
open, and, the mother and son entering,
loud shrleks were heard. The miserable
old man had skunk ont of the room unob-
served during the passion that had struck
all our souls, and had endcayored to com
nit suicide. His own son cut him down as
he hung suspended from a raiter in that
squaIid place, and carrying him in his arms,
laid him down upon the green bank IN
front of the house. There be lay with his
lisid face, and blood-shot protrudcd eyes,
till, in few minutes, he raised himself up,
and fixed them upon his wife, who soon re-
covering from fainting fit, came shrlekipg
from the mire in which She had fallen down
Poor people > SAID the sailor, with gas
ping voice, you have suffered enough fol