Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-06-04
lin il he could only read reproach; and
his fell involuntariIy on the ground.


his fell involuntariIy on the ground.
Gorge aud CiaIllida catered vito IA
spiritco cuuvcssaiiUn, whiie Alfred 81 ate u
himself by Mara, aud tenderiy tdAius
hei hand, asked her rc cproacaiu.iy, "why
his Ieiuin should mo" such IA gloom
over her counlenance !-ald why th.
pleasure oi neellng, after two yeurs
Sc eparatiou, should be SD einDittered by
cold iorrnalny"' g You did not answe.
my letter, and your neglect cut me to
the very soul" "Nay, Maria, my stud
les, consider my studies.' Your
pleasures, you mean, interrupted the
offended gir, "the gaieties OF fashion
were thrown before y"u, aud you forgot
The iiicnds you had ielt behind" Aired
could not excuse himself, he felt that he
was III the presence OF his earthly deity I,
aud couched beneath her dispeasure.
Z" Tell me, tlaria," said he, " and know
that Oh your answer my future happi-
ness depends. Am | still dear to you!
and have not my faults aiienated your
atIections?' "My heart is still the
same," answered the yielding maiden; /;
=" time, distance, misfortune, or folly
have had no influence over the vow |
once plghted you. Though you have
so cruelty sported with the heart which
you knew was yours, yet it needs no
prayer to make me forgive you ="
A fow months after the return Of AL
fred to his home, saw him leading his
beloved Maria to the altar; CiarInda,
too, had yielded to the suit Of Mr.. Lud-
low, who found in her disposition so
congenal with his own, that, ere he was
aware Of it, the arrow had pierced his
heart. Mr.. Barlow blessed his children,
and happiness, for while dwelt in the
bosom of the worthy family.
Although Alfred had been educatedto
the church, yet, he had not engraved Oh
his soul those wholesome maXlms LAID
down IN the holy scriptures. Wnle at
the Theological School, he had allowed
himself to be led astray by the pleasures
Of the world, and by frequent partici-
pa:iOn of enjoynents, IN themselves IN
n cent, he had tasted The cup OF dissi-
patton, and so fascinating was the
draught, that he could not tear it from
his ips. .
Two years rolled away. On the death
Of the worthy MIR. Barlow, a pr,uceiy
fortune was divided between Alfred and
Clarihda /; the latter shared her portion
with the beloved partner of her joys aud
sorrows, and was happy but aias Al
tred plunged deeper stlii INTO the guiph
oi dissipation ~ vain did the aiiiaD!e
Mara weep over the wreck ol iormier
happiness Aired's heart BECAME cal
Ious to the teurs OF the object OF Ills ear
iy attachment. The midnight moon saw
INN either reveIling over the bottle, or
bIasphemIng at Inc gambling table.
HIS tortuue was wasted, ms health I'M
paired, his reputation ruined the chris
tian, the gentleman, the husband, the
father, were all lorgotlon,--he became
professed Gambler, and with his III
jured, yet faithful Mara, sought The
hovel, a heart-rendlng picture vi insui-
ted infdelity and human dspravlty.
The moon shone pa, Iy on the humble
cabin where Maria's fallen fortunes had
compell d her TO live The anxIoIs
mother was seated al the doo,, c,a-piIg
her siumberlng babe to her bosonI, and
praying that the divine Father might
:ake II under his care, when The grave
had endrU her miseries. Scai,InS were
the tears that rolled down the cneek of
the unhappy mother, she gazed wndiy
on her darnng child, aud wnh d convui-
slve sigh pressed The little cherub CLOSER
TO her bosom.
Alfred came, bloated and emaciated,
staggering towards his miserable home;
his weeping wife beheld him, and rush
ing forward, she proileied INN that sup
port which his trembling limbs required; !;
but the inhuman monster spurned her
from him, and with a strong blow struck
the sleeping infant from her arms. Hor-
ror grasped the heart Of poor Maria /;
she shrieked over her expiring ch,ld,
and prayed Heaven to forgive the crimes
OF the father.
/ How different the death of Maria from
that Of Alfred. Her immaculate soul
escaped gently from her lips, on the
wings Of sigh which arose like the last
breath Of melody from the tongue Of a
seraph. His polluted spirit fed in tor
ture-he cursed mankind he cursed
himseli-he cursed his God. "MarIa!
Maria!" were the last words he uttered
TIGHT DREssING.-In the course of a
lecture on the structure and functions oil
ltk i