The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-11-08

which have sketched above" You are sur.
prised that cannot rally my spirits and hope
Tor better times. / kn0to better times vii,
not come. Misfortune is The lot of our fam.
lily, and misfortune will follow US to the last. I"
"Come, come, Carl" said ], "this is nero
fancy Of yours, and n dangerous one. The
swimmer that loses heart will be drow ned,
not because the fates decree his death, but
becsuse his own apprehension hastens il.
Cheer up and grappe with fortune. The
weak mind submits TO its destiny the strong
one controls it,"
"Your udvice is kind" said Carl, Sand ]
know it is wise. Nay, ] will follow it,
though feel" he added after pause, 'thst
it will be in vain. When they called me TO
attend the sck.bed Of my poor mother. knew
! should never see her again. I travelled
day and night but when I arrived and saw
the windows closed aud met my sister in deep
mourning. twas nothing new to me. II has
always been so with us. II will always be
So"
Ihave never found that the spirit of despon
dency could be charmed away by abstract
| reasoning. So | ceased to reason with my
| friend but ] accompanied him on journey
To Amsterdam, and from thence we visited
together the interesting colonies of Freder-
iksoord and Omerschanz, and admired the
simplicity OF the arrangements by which the
destitute poor Of Holland are there enabled
to create for themselves comfortable subsis
ience. We spoke Of former days; we re.
called our school boy recollections; and the
sombre color Of Curl's thoughts seemed 10
yield to change Of scene and TO the influence
Of cheerful conversation. On our return to
Amsterdam, we found that on application
made to government had been successful.
His father was appointed Consul General TO
-, and he himself obtained the situation Of
| Vice Consul.
'"Now, Carl" said |; "never rail at fortune.
You and your father have on honorable in
dependence, and all will 60 we'll"
"In truth il surprises me-" he replied. "ihat
any thing we have undertaken should have
even the appearance of success. had not
the slightest hope Of the appointment; and,
even now, / feel convinced that il has come
10 us for no good. But we are not the less
called upon for exertion, on that account"
He busted himself in preparations for de-
parture, and an Indifferent looker.on would
have supposed he had shaken off oil morbid
forebodings, and was entering with hope and
zeal, into his new career. Bot who knew
hun intimately. saw, that The disease was
still uncured. lie found time TO accompany
me on my return home, as far rs Rotterdam.
| shall never forget his look and words when
we took leave OF each other on the pier.
1--WE shall meet again soon," said ]. "Busi
ness will probably cnll me To-, and you
can obtain leave ofabsence for few weeks"
Carl assented TO the arrangement. but with
an air Of istlessness and melancholy which
convinced me he doubted whether il would
ever be carried into effect.
was determined to make one effort to a.
rouse him to a more healthy state of feeling
"Carl," said |, "you have health, youth.
talents. You are just starting in life. You
have before you far fairer prospect than
hundreds of your companions. But all will
avail you nothing, if you persist in conjuring
up mistortunes in your path. Look around
you"- the quiet waters oflhe Rhine, here al
most enlarged to an arm ofthc sea, lay before
us glitering under the rays of a bright July
sun, and the harbor was alive with all the
| cheerful hustle of a seaport in fine day
"look around you, and tell me if there were
common sense in dreaming of storm and ship.
wreck, amidst such scenes as this. Time e
( nough 10 taste Of evil when the cup is at our
lips We poison The very springs Of life and
happiness, if VIC are continually anticipating
the drauRht. For the sake Of your father, Of
your family, for your own sake, Carl, fling
from you this enervating hopelessness. 1t
will, indeed, be your Evil Genius, if you suffer
it to rule. But why thus submit to be the vic
tim Of an idle dream?"
IL know you of old" said Carl, with faint
smile ''you never see but the fair side Of
things. ] remember at school, when we
copied busts together, that cast my pencil
1 o,sI soL oil "a <.c
the original, while you might fail again and
again, yet always recommended with the same
hope Of success. And that very hope brings
you success. cannot hope. No." he con
tinued, as ] was about again to oppose reason
You will live you will prosper il 10 your
fate. 1t is not mine"-He wrung my hand,
and we parted.
He had spoken truth. Four months after
wards I received from his brother letter
with black seal. The vessel which convey.
ed Carl and his father TO their destination,
was compelled by un,owurd circumstances. 8.
10 touch, in the insalubrous season, at one of
the islands, to reft. A few days after
their arrival, Carl's father was seized with
the fever of the country. His son watched
by his bedside for four days, and on the fifth,
his parent was a corpse. The day after, he
was himself attacked by the epdemc-and
tho same grave received father and son.
II is upon such incidents as those I have
now relatcd-not from fancy, but strictly and
faithfully from memory--it is upon such in.
cidens as these, that superstl.ious dreams
have been built. Men have thence argued
the power Of destiny, and the inevitable force
Of fate; and thence the phantasmagoria of
predictions and forebodings and second. sight
and presentimcnts, and all the si cetera of
nursery fancy yings, derive their chief support.
| And yct-if men would but look at facts
distinct from theory, and would calmly trocc
natural effects to their natural causes, nothing
is susceptible Of easier and simpler explana.