Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-07-28

but Elizabeth invariably retired from his
presence, or met him with cold polite
ness, which CONCEALED the warna current,
Of his heart. Stung at length to mad
ness, and scorning himself for thus
brooking the contumely of others-The-
odore again plunged into the vortex OF
dissipation. and strove to lose, in the
haunts of folly, the pure image of Eliz-
abeth. But Theodore had long been
descending the sleeps of ruin, and an
arrest for debt sudddaly checked his
mad and reckless career. He heard its
amount with start Of colvulsive horror
-"No," he exclaimed, 4" cannot again
apply to my father" and refusing to
give bail, followed the officers Of Justice
immediately to prison.
A week had passed away, and among
a wide circle of gay associates, whom
Theodore called friends, no one was
found to visit him. All around was des-
olate-not a CLEAN of light crossed his
dark and tempestuous spirit! His libe-
ration is at length announced, and a
note in the well known hand of his faith
er, placed in his eager hands-his blood
shot eye glanced over it with an ex-
preston Of despair. Where is he,"
he exclaimed, and rushing from the
house, he beheld his father at distance,
walking with hasty and irregular strides.
/" My father!' exclaimed Theodore,
springing wildly forward, "you give me
liberty, but forbid me your presence!-
Pardon me that l cannot obey you
Will you not hear me9 once more, oh,
my father, say that you will hear mel"
"And what would you say!" said Cap
tain Harland, coldly, while he yet evil
IDENTITY struggled with emotion. al
would say that my future life"-stay,
rash young man, add not another prom
,se to the many already broken; the sea-
son of confidence is past--you have
Knocked every hope of amendment; my
forgiveness shall no longer sanction your
vices, and you have drained the foun-
tain that minstered to your extrava-
gance. Go, wretched boy-I can no
longer shield thee from want, and thy
presence, lost and degraded as thou art,
will render yet more bitter the bread Of
poverty" " Stay, oh, my father! for
the sake Of her who bore me, stay and
tell me your dreadful meaning"
"Claim you yet an interest in the
heart you have broken? Presumptuous
Theodore! The mother who cherished
you is now without home-the scenes
Of your childhood are already trodden
by the feet of strangers But for this,
you had still been prisoner.
Captain Harland now tore himself
from the grasp Of his son, and disap-
peared. Theodore stood appalled, as if
the earth had yielded up her skeleton
dead. His vices rose before him in ter
rible array, fearful as the corruption Of
the tomb; his whole frame was wrough.
as with tempest. Suddenly his fea-
lures assumed a settled though dark ex-
preston, and lurid CLEAN Of troubled
Joy passed over them. He walked TO
the lodgings he had formerly occupied,
and locked himself in his apartment. -
After spending half an hour in writ ng,
he rose and looked cautiously round as
if fearful of being observed. He then
took pistol from his desk, and loaded
it with desperate calmness. AT this ter
rible moment, book which he acciden-
tally threw from his table, fell heavily
on the floor; he stopped mechanically
to raise. it, and small but highly finish
ed drawing dropt from its leaves. Had
the portals of Heaven opened on his
view, the countenance Of Theodore
could not have changed more suddenly.
The pistol fell from his trembling hands,
a universal tremor passed over his
frame; sweat as Of death broke out on
his forehead, and the blood which had
curdled round his heart, rushed back to
his ashy cheek; tear suffused his fix
ed eye, and falling on his knees, he
lifted his clasped hands in deep and coz
vulsive prayer.
Impetuous as the mountain cataract,
Theodore had been prccipitated from
folly to folly, and vice to vice, by the
ardent temperament Of his nature, rath-
or than the perversion Of his principles:
he had once been the child of promise,
but an early introduction to dissolute
companions, blighted the opening bios
SONS Of his mind, and planted in their
stead the gloomy weeds of corruption.
At time when his irregularities first
withesed the hopes Of paternal love,
Theodore returned unexpectedly and
late at night to the house Of his father.
Passing his mothers apartment with
noiseless step, he heard the low deep
tones Of prayer, and through her half
open door, beheld his mother kneeling
at the throne Of Grace. He listened in
bre.thless silence: she was duplicating