Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-08-19

suspccuu- Creature. WHO had relied on pro-
misses, which in such eases a man of honor
may make and violate, without any inlrac-
ton Of its noble laws.
10 avoid iasoasenisness, Carew had assn
med fictitious na.ae and character. in the
prosecution Of his yillany; and the better To
enable ham, when he found it advisable, TO
make his retreat This he had done; salts
flying hIs conscience, that his purse had made
the wTonged girl and ser parents, who were
poor, (alas! nolc s'poor indscd,r) ample a
mends for that is according to The laws Of
honor To his utter sstonishment, however,
a broken hearted, grey headed old man, met
him oBa morning, as he csms from the mess
room. II was the father Of the y,ctim.-Ca-
rev, pTesumipg that IN ms mnItary garb the
old man might not be certain of his identity,
affected al first to treat the matter as a mis-
take; but the old maa with trembling hand
produced from his pocket an anonymous let
ter whirh had been sent to him, mi !rDing
lam that Compton the seducer, ami LIeuien-
ant Carew, were one and the same. What.
think you, were the feelings OF the exposed
decei,cr' Shame, remorse, confusion, per-
haps yea imagine. Oh, no, the laws OF honor
prescribe no such thing. He had his feelings
as he perusedihat letter; but they were those
oil reYengs against Delcour, who, he was
certain, from the hand writing, had betrayed
him had written that letter. AS it would have
been no longer honorable to deny or evade
wie truth, he confessed, he confessed himself
to DO the party implicated in the unfortunate
affair."" but reminded the old man that ne bud
acted literally and assurcdhiIn that he should
continue 10 do SO, at the same time, pulling
cut. and offering him his purse!
The poor old man for IA moment forgot
& k.5a
tears which had been silently vet aban5antly
rolling down the time worn channels Of has
face, ceased 10 flow, and his eyes were lit up
with the fire of rage and hatred lie lifted
his feeble arm, but his feelings had over
wrought his bodily powers, and he fell to the
ground before he could strike the blow he
meditated As Carew looked upon the
wretcbed old man, with silver locks, and sor-
rowing heart, lying PROSTATE there on The
ground before him, he felta momentsry pang,
and bad he trusted his eyes much longer on
that melancholy object, he might have felt
all that man. not man Of honor, should
feel: bat he had his own tcroags to right; and
calling to some prlvates who stood near, 10
stake care of the old man." he FASTENED
back INTO the mess room IN search ri be'cour,
who (hc believed bv his uniustiGable and
treacheroas Interference, had pat him to ali
this inconvenience.
casnot, however, pass from this brief
and melancholy episode, which j. was neces
sary, for the proper understanding ofniy tals,
TO introduce, without informing, my readers
of the issue 1t pleased God in short time
to remedy all the i'll which man had done;
the hour which was the corsammatioa Of
shame was the hourof relief from both sharpe
and sorrow TO that old mans child, and amid
his grief for her loss, be thanked God for ia
king her fren world, which mast thence
forward have been to her a world OF misery;
and when the day of the funeral came, and
he followed her corpse to The graveyard, 1t
was observed by every one, that pa expires
sioa OF placid serenity appeared il the old
mans couatenance, such as heeVar wore be-
fore has ch Id. disgrace When TIC mourn
fol ceremony was over, the OLD man stood
gazing into the grave, til they began to ilit
up. ~ on need not close up that grave yet,
nay friends he said. He cast one look to-
wards his little cottage that was seen in the
distance, his eyes again fl!e,l with tears. lie
lifted them up to heaven, aud his lips moved,
as though 10 silent prayer; pallid snlile came
over his features; and ha fell dowa, corpse,
by the side Of his daughter grave.
To return to our first narratlye:--It was in
vain Bclcour assured the enraged Carew that
he was not the writer OF the letter produced
by the old man, neither knew any tang Of
the matter.--Carow persisted in asserting his
belief, that he was the author of it. til, IN
der some degree Of irritation, Belcour repeat
ed his denial, with the remark. .that from
what hs could learn from the contents ofthat
letter, he ought, as a man of humanity, to be
mere concerned as TO lis truth than lis aa
thor
The matter soon assumed the shape of
quarrel, and Caiew, after stigmatizing Bel.
cour as San ofiicieus canting hypocris,n called
him liar, and a coward, ami left the room.
Innocent as Belcour felt himself; and unde-
serving both applications, lac knew that 10 a
void flying the last indelliby Oh his charae-
ter, { Basst meet bis notwithstanding TO
the laws of honor. But his witel his chdeenl
For their sake his heart did quail al the thD't
and he fell that honor was aeither justice
nor humanity.
When Beleour reached bis home. his wife
and ch.lIrsh were enjoying the beauty OF the
summer eve in the gaIden. lie entered the
house unpercelYed, aud soa. hi the htte room
which be had stg,roiHi atetl as study. IL was
adorned by small though choice selection
OF volumes, in plain neat bindings, eli wll.ca
shall only notice, that among thcu ware
many religions and philosophical works =
.sNllat can a soldier want with such works
as these?'' inquired friend, Que day. with
an an or legity. 81 am man, as web as
soldier said Belcour seriously. The walls
of the room were hang with a few beautiful
80 :,,4,,a. a,I soxapal .aiafsfuFes nf tAfrlpHJe