The Litchfield County post., 1827-04-05

and confusion that prevailed. He had doubtless gone below, resolving :o ren,ain there and sink with the slip, as the ac,- ual ills of this life were to him more ap- palling than the untried sufferngs of the life to come.
 The Spanish peasants planted rude cross over their grave to denote the spot where the shipwrecked strangers lie, and a wandering monk sanctifed it and offered up an prison that their sleep might be un- disturbed.
 After their interment the physician in- formed us that he had some matters of in- terest to communicate, which had been re- lated to him in confidence by the shpwreck- ed sailor, at time when; as he said, he had abandoned all hopes of safety, and he wished to relieve his mind from the weight ofsecret guilt.
 "I committed his relation to paper," said the physician as ir fell from his lips, but can convey no idea of the impassioned strain in which it was delivered. His death exhonerates me from secrecy, for neither the dead nor the living will be wronged by what is contained in this paper." Saying which he handed me scroll containing the following:
 Campbell was long my friend my earliest and dearest friend but for several { years past we have been as bitter foes as ever walked the earth for each others tor ment. His vengeful and hated image even now is before me; his dying groan rings through my brain, and his bloody corpse presents itself whichever way turn, as it appeared on that dreadful night when it was consigned to the waters. see it now upon the dark pillow that bore it forever from the sight of all mankind--all but me loved him as a brother, but like villain I wronged him. Yes, mine was the first breach of confidence inflicted the first injury, and now the accumulation of guilt and suffering rest on my devoted head. He loved the poor, guilty and broken hearted female who now survives him. She was then innocent, and thought her rather being of Heaven than of earth. He made his love known to me, but regardless of the voice of frindship and honor, by the basest insinuations, | supplanted him in her affections. 1t matters not what arts used they were those of demon, and proved but too successful. The unsuspect- ing and innocent maid discarded him who deserved her, and placed her hopes on a wretch defled with duplicity and baseness. We were married. Campbell disappeared, and from that moment until we met on board this ship, I neither saw nor heard of him. l knew he was an enthusiast, but i'll calculated to encounter the disappoint- ments of this world, and supposed that an early grave had closed over his sorrows. The thought horrible as it was, allayed tho poignancy of my feelings. My business necessarily drew me from home for months together. Campbell and my lost Louisa must have met during my abseuce, when my villainy became divulged, and was seen by them, no doubt, in its blackest colours. If so, who can blame them if in a mc ment of phrenzy they spurned aside the miscre- ant who stood between them and happi- ness. The immaculate and unspotted may condemn without tear, but even I, though they have sunk me to the lowest depth of human wretchedness, cannot curse them.
 "I pass over my life until the fatal time when I was brought on board of this ship. Oh that I had undergone the most poig- nant suferings that death can inflict before I had been rescued to perform the terri ble deed that have done, and live in this agony! The spark of life was nearly ex- tinct I was insensible to what was pas- sing around me, and when the ray of in- tellect broke on my darkened imagination, the first objects that presented themselves to my view, were Campbell and my wife ! The shock had nearly accomplished the work that privalion and the waves had left unfinished. The fatal truth rushed like torrent on my mind; my bosom was rent with contending passions my brain ached, and veil of obscurity overclouded my reason. While lying in my hammock, I occasionally caught glimpse of my inno- cent child whilst at play: my heart revolt ed from it, and I viewed it with the same adherence that should young viper.- Once the feelings oft father came over me the mothers guilt was forgotten ; and called the little innocent to me to receive her fathers dying blessing. I called her by name she raised her lovely face to as- certain from whence the sound proceeded her mothers smile was on her lips, and that changed my blessing into curse.- would at that moment have given the