Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-05-17
PROVIDENCE.
HENRY O'CONNOR.
(CONTINUED.)

when the young Harper had ceased, Rosa
lind called him, and begged that he would
stop for moment, and explain to her his
meaning, "and," continued she, "I beseech
thee my good lad tell me, if the lines you have
chanted, are addressed to me-if thou hast
chanted them beneath my window, in compli-
ance with the instructions Of any one Tell
me, bescech thee, good boy, and thou shalt
be rewarded"
The urchn, threw aside his " bonnie straw
hat" and casting roguish look at Rosalind,
replied,
81 beseech' thee my good lady ,interrogate me
not; thou should'st understand the stanzas for
,hyseli; and know ye, my lady, that it is one of
the earliest injunctions imposed upon us BY our
HOLY Order, not to reveal The secrets that are
confdcd to cur keeping. Hereafter thou shall
know all-when il is meet for thee, all shall
be disclosed, until then, fare thee well for
already have too long delayed, and must
get me hence to pay my tribute of respect to
the venerated dead"
Stop, stop, if but for a moment" cried
Rosalind. "s:op, stop, besecch thee, and tell
mo, where when the day shall have dawned,
shall find thee, my good boy, and unravel this
mystery
That thou must not know,-thou shalt
never know, but ere tomorrow's sun shall have
hid his disk beneath The western horizon, /
will call at thy lodgings, and afford the infor-
nation that shall prove acceptable TO thee,
and which shall Dissolve the mystery, which
now apparently mantes my conduct. But the
dawn Of day approaches; the dews ofheavcn
descend more heavily upon the world, and lest
thy health be injured, got thee 20 ,hy room,
thou fair one; be c"n'en'ad. aud rcpose every
confidence in NY fdelhy.'
The lad ceased, and having salted Rosa
lind again and again with a farewell! bow, he
hastened up Broadway, and in a moment was
lost in the shades of the towering edifces,
which decorate the metropolis Of America.
Rosalind, half unable to realise, whether
she were really living or dead. threw herself
upon her couch but it almost in vain that
she would court "sleep, balmy sleep" for the
incidents Of the night had been so singular,
added to the s,rangeness Of o 'Connor's letter,
that her mind was too deeply absorbed IN
meditation, to suffer her to slumber. She was
amazed when she reflected upon the strange
conduct Of the lad, and when she remembered
that the interview she had had, with HIM, oc-
Cured amid the silence and solitude Of the
nipht, and that it was associated with
the solemn rites of the sepu!chrc. her re
fections were too intense, and IN the
agony Of her soul, she exclaimed, "Great
Heaven, why was born TO witness these nu-
merous trials and vexations." Her aricula-
ton was commensurate with the intensity OF
her feelings, and falling upon the ear of Ma
ria Hardy, woke her from her leadcn slumbers;
and, affrighted, she demanded in a voice OF ter
ror, "who is here-have been betrayed -
The terror which Maria manifested, tended to
lessen the impetuosity Of Rosalnd's feelings,
and she replied, " be not alarmed Maria, 1t is
only me. have been dreaming, and when
awoke from my trance, was so terrified, that
I could not refrain from utterng the cry Of
distress which annoyed you, and if l have Of
Tended, or if l have annoyed you, am very
sorry indeed, indeed am"
"And pray Miss" responded Maria, ''what
fhave you been dreaming about -
That I cannot tell" returned Rosslnd,
"for indeed was so allrighted, that when ]
woke, every remnant Of the vision cscap-
ed me- But am sure it was most dreadful
tireamn'
Dreamers, who cannot remember what
shey dream," rejoined Miss Hardy, " must
either dream what they do no, wish to tell, or
thew dream with all their senses about them.
But however, Miss, it is Of no consequence,
and if YOU will have the goodness to dream TO
elf and not disturb me, you will greatly
oblige me-"
Having thus vented her Indignation, Miss
Hardy again turned upon her pillow, and once
mora partook Of the sweets Of slumbcr, with
out dreaming that her dynasty was soon to be
nj m end and that the day was not far distant,
~hon Rosalind would be relieved from her
ayranny.
Ro,aind for several hours lay listlossly up
on her pillow; but, at length exhausted nature
gave way. and she too fell into the embraces OF
che midnight monarch.