Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-05-31
MISCELLANY.
THE LOCK OF HAIR.
Tbc course Of true love never did run smooth

| from her amber locks, and which, as she
twined il round her ivory fingers, ap-
peared like gold contending for beauty
with alabaster-" But how long will thy
love for her who once owned il continue :
and she family smiled, as Friendship
does when smoothing the pillow Of suf.
lering, while her heart whispers, it is in
vain. "Nny, nay, Ellen, has not that
love been the orb which has cheered my
morning oc life; and think you that will
forsake its beams amidst the difficulties
which may impede my noon-day path
All no. on the bright current Of pleasure,
and on the storm-tossed waves Of adver-
sity, though shalt be the polar star to
guide me from destruction" Be il so,
Henry, and remember that death must
arrest the puIsations Of woman's heart,
ere it will cease to love-"
Months rolled on, and saw Henry es.
tablished in subordinate rcantile sit
uation, exposed to the temptations of a
dssolute metropolis, and far from the
scenes consecrated by the pure feelings
of first affection. Still Ellen was glad
dened by the continuance Of his love,
still she pcruscd with delight the repeat
ed, the ardent declarations Of his affec-
ton. But, alas! too soon did those
quent; too soon was their tone chilled
by estrangement; too soon cid their to-
tai dscontinuance dash into thousand
atoms the dcfences erected by hope for
the preservation Of the hearts peace Of
Ellen: Happily for her, she knew not
the cause. The infatuated votary of
dissipation, for this phantom, Henry had
sacrificed every virtuous principle; at
the gaming table, timc, fame, fortune,
all were sqnandcred; and finding his re-
sources unequal to his wants, he had de-
termined to forge draft in his fathers
name, hoping to replace the money be-
fore the act was discovered. To initiate
the signature with exactness, he had re-
course to one Of his fathers letters; it
was the first which he had received on
his arrival in the capital, and contained
all the admonitions to virtue, all the dis
sunsivcs from vice, which parents
heart could dictate. Though buried in
the silence of night, and in the solitude
Of his chamber, still the consciousness
Of his purpose parulised his hand: he fall
tsringly opened it, but started on discov-
ering that it held his sti!l-loved EIen's
tress of amber hair. The sight Of it re-
vived all the recollections Of joy and in
noccncc connected with her image: he
paused even upon the threshold OF crime;
he perused the admontions of his father,
and virtue conquered. But too tran
silent, alas! was her empire: Henry, i'm
PEELED by vanity, and Iured by the fasci-
nations of beauty, who bound to no
authority but that Of passion, prepared
to fly from husband only too indulgent,
from children whose only fault was, that
their helplcssness and innocence re-
preached their mother. The day pre-
vious to that had arrived, on which Hen
ry had resolved to separate from inno-
cence forever; the arrangements for his
departure were completed, except pack
ing the few vauables he possessed,
which were contained in an antique cab
met; and he proceeded with hurried abb
straction to remove them into a small
casket. One ring only, and that the most
valuable, was missing; there still remaiu-
cd small box unexamined with mind
absorbed in the contemplation ofone idea
he mechanically opened it; The ring was
indeed there but with it was the hair Of the
once loved one, whose image had grad
ually faded from his soul. as the bright
rainbow Of heaven, retires from the ap-
proach of the whirlwind and the storm.
| lie remained for few minucts rivetted
10 the SPOT; but in those minutes the
electric spark had flown through memory
and the pictures Of early happiness and
love appeared glowing as the sea when
il bushes welcome to the morning.
Distracted by remorse, he instantly re-
solved to abandon his present design
and wrote an eternal farewell to heI
whose loveliness had scduced him from
tho path Of honor. He then remember.
ed with agony the time which had elaps.
ed since he had last written to Ellen
and resolving to tell his tale Of penitence
in person, he trusted the pcrsuasions o
love would obtain his pardon. On arriv
ing st her cottage, he found the rose.
blooming as when he left il, and th.
brightness Of q summers day difIusing ,
ioyeliuess and animation over nature.--
| With q heart vibrating between hope ant
fear, he entered tho cottage, and fount
all that remained Of Ellen. Exbauste,
by disease, she was reclining on a sofa
pale as the snow drop, which, rearing
its gentle head tc meet the sunbeam
which il loves, is wihored by the win
ter's blast, then droops and dies. ATE
recovering the shocks which Henry
presence gave her, she calmly listene'
10 the recital Of his errors and his 70