Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-06-03

shall find q bel IN the village; anu Ivan sleeps neal
us with SOME OF the guests in the barn. But, be-
fore 90, ii my question be not unwelcome and in
trusive, tell me who you are, AMI whittier you
are bound"
III was ever somewhat Of subscriber to the old
mans creed Of fatalism," said the stranger, smiling
sand ! believe ! am more confirmed in II by the
singular events of this day. My father was IA man
of a certain rank in society, but Of selfish and dlsor-
Derby habits. A course Vi extravaganza and idle
ness was succeeded by difficulties and distress
Iarassed by creditors, he was panied by their de-
mnEds, aud his selfshness was unable to endure the
sugering. Of his wife and children. Instead OF ex
ertiou, lie had recourse 10 fight, and left US 10 face
the d ~aiculties from which he shrunk. He was alb
cent for wears, while his family toiled and struggled
with success. Suddenly we heard that he was con-
.ealed IN this part of the coast; the cause which
made that conceaiment necessary | forbear to men
ton; but he rs suddenly disappeared from the eyes
Of men, though we never could trace HIM beyond
this part of the country. ] have always believed
that ! should one day find my father, and have
lately, though with difficulty, prevailed upon my
yuother 20 allow me to make my inquiries IN tins
neighborhood; but my search rs a, an end to-day.
believe that | have found my father. Roaming
along the beach | penetrated into several OF those
dark cavern. of the rocks, which might well, BY
their rugged aspects, deter the idle and the tlmlu
from entering, Through the assures of one ! dis
covered, in the interior, q light. Surprised, pene-
trated TO il. concealnient, and discovered a man
s,eepine on the ground. advanced to awake him,
md found but u l,teiess skeleton, cased in tatteret
and decayi1g garments. lie had probably met lis
death by accident, for exactly over the corrse ]
observed mt II terrific distance, the daylight, as !
streaming down from an aperture above. Thus
the wretcted man must have fallen, but how long
since. or who had discovered his body, and left the
light which beheld, | knew not, though ] cannot
help cherishipg q strong conviction that 1t was the
body of Rhys Meredith that ] saw
.Who talks of lhys Meredith - said a stern
voice near the coffin, " and Of the cave where
the outcast rots??? ut was | who spoke, dame"
said the stranger gently, and my speech was OF
my father, OF Rhys Meredith; ] am Owen his
son"
"Son. Owen Rhysn sai1 the bewildered Ruth,
passing her hand over her forehead, as if to enable
her to recover the combination of these names;
land who art thou, that thus givest human ties to
linn who is no more humanity? why speakest thou
~oiliving things as pertaining To tho dead? Father!
he is father to nought save sin, and murder is his
only begotten:"
She advanced to the traveller as she spoke, and
again caught a view ofhis face; again he saw the
wild look Of recognition, AMI an unearthly shrek
followed the convulsive horror of her lace. There.
there's she sand, IL knew it must be myself; once
before tonight have | beheld thee, yet what eau
ny coming bode? Back with thee, rutiian! for is
not thy dark work done:"
"Lct US leave her" said the good pastor, "to the
care cf her attendant; do not continue to meet her
gaze, your presence may increase, but cannot allay
her malady; go up to your bed and rost,'
lie retired as he spoke; and Owen, in compli-
ance with hs wish, assembled the ruinous stair
which led TO his chamber. after he had beheld Ruth
'rudor quietly place herself in her seat at the open
collins head. The room to which he mounted
was not of the most cheering aspect, yet he felt
u 4 " - fl - ---ll, -. L-,-
Il gloomy unfinished chamber, and the wind was
whistlins collly and drearily through the uncover
cd ra(ters above his head. Like many of the cot
tacas in that part Of the country, 1t appeared TO
have grown old and ruinous before 1t had been
finished: for the flooring was so crazy as scarcely to
support the huge woo!nn bedstead, and in many in
,tarces the boards were entirely separated from
cnch other, AMI in The centre, time, or the rot,
had 40 completely devored the larger half Of one.
that through the G ipiug aperture Owen had an en-.
tire command ofthe room and party below, looking
down Immediately above the coffin, Ruth was in
the same attitude as when he left her, and the SER
want girl was dozimg by her side. Every thing
being perfectly tranquil. Owen threw himself up
on his hard couch. add endeavored to cnmpose him.
self to rest for the night, but this had become a
task, and one of no easy nature to surmount; his
thoughts still wandered to the events Of the day,
and he felt there was some strange connection be-
tween the scene he had just witnessed, and the
darker one of the eecret cave. lie was an imagina-
tive man, and of a quick and foverish tempera-
mcnt, aud he thought of Ruth Tudor's rawlings, and
The wretched skeleton of the rock, till he had link
ed one consequence with the other: he grew rest
less and wretched, and amidst the tossings Of i'm
patient anxiety, fatigue overpowered HIM, and he
sunk into n perturbed and heated sleep. His slum-
Der was broken by dreams that might well be the
shadows of his waking revcries. lie wAs;alonc Gas
in reality upon his humble bed, when imagination
brought to his ear the sound of many voices again
singing the slow and monotOnous psalm 1t was
interrupted by the outcries of some unseen things
who attem pied to enter his chamber, and, amid
wells Of fear and execrations of anger, babe him
'Arise, and come forth. and aid ~ then the colfned
form which slept so quietly below, stood by his side.
and IN beseeching accents, babe him ARISE and
ave her" In his sleep he attempted to spring up,
but q horrid fear restrained him, a ear that he
should be too late: then he crouched like a cow
ard beneath his coverings. to hide from the re-
proaches ofthe spectre, whilst shouts Of laughter
and shrieks of agony were poured like a tempest a
round him he sprung from his bed aud awoke.
Il was some moments ere he could recover re-
collection, or shake off the horror which had seized
upon his soul. lie listened, and with infinite salts
faction observed an unbroken silence throughout
the house. He smiled at his own terrors, attribu-
ted them to the events ofthe day, or the presence
Of q corpse, and determined not to look down into
the lower room till he should be summoned in the
morning. He walked to the easement, and looked
abroad to the night the clouds were many, black,
and lowering, and the face of thesky looked angrily
at the wind, and glared portentously upon the
earth. The sleet Yves still falling distant thunder
announced the approach or departure Of a storm
L - F.. /. A.