The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1834-02-26

apprehension Which, IN the very natu
of things, must be perfectly groundles
! since even the sacred scriptures repr
|, sent the hour Of death as matter hi
den among the mysteries of Providenc
and therefore beyond the penetration
man. The caution which the strang,
had given them to beware of Claverin,
afforded no proof of extraordinary pen,
tration, since one who had shown hin
self to be so wantonly profiigate IN you,
as Clavering had done, was very (
object of warning and surely it coul
be no evidence Of supernatural endow
ment. or the gift of more than ordinar
foresight, to bid person beware of
bad man. These representations wer
not without their effect yet as ,h,
clouds of dependency dispersed but tar
dily, his mother persuaded him to go a
broad with some sprigh,ly friends, hop
ing that change Of scene might restore
his mind to its wonted reposc. MOI
was she deceived after an absence OF
three years, he returned quite an alter'd
man. The impression left by the proph.
ecy of the stranger seemed 10 h..a en-.
trely passed from his memory. He had
formed new friendships, marked out
new prospects, and appeared to look
forward without any wilhering appre-
tensions Of evil His mother was de
lighted to observe the change, though e.
ven she, as he advanced towards his
thirty-fourth birthday, could not help
entertaining certain misgivings. when
she thought upon that melancholy pre-.
diction, which had SO long cast a shad-
ow across the course of her sons peace.
Year after year, however, rolled on
without any event happening to inter-
'upt the uniformity of very unchequr'd
life, until Morley entered upon the thir-
'y-four,h year of his age. The impress
sion originally left by the ssrangvr's pre-
diction had been entirely effaccd, and as
he never mentioned the circumstances,
his mother justly surmised that he had
forgotten it altogether. She had not,
however. She watched the days.
weeks, and months roll on, with the
most painful anxiety not that she be-
Ieved the strangers prophecy was about
o be accomplished, but because she
Dnged to be assured ofits fallacy. Anx-
ETY. and belief clashed, and the latter
vas shaken by the perpetual colision.-
The possibility ofits fulilment was ever
resent to her mind, and this possibility,
owever apparently remote at fist, was
rought nearer and nearer every time it
ecurred to her thoughts, until at length
appeared before her with all the viv-
lness and amplitude Of reality. The
cath Of her only son was an idea con-
Inually presented to her waking tho,'s
S well as to her slumbering faculties
o that however strongly her reason NIT
rgue against its probability, still the
hantoms Of thought would arise without
ny formal evoca.ion, and they address
d themselves more potently to the ,
,ind's eye, than the wiser suggestions
f reason to the understanding. So
Ianifest was Morley's emancipation
ON the fetters Of that moody appre-
ension which had formerly ensaved
IS mind, that not only was his spirit
Ioyaut, and his peace undisturbed, bu! :.
: evidently looked forward to happin. :.
s in time as well as in eternity, since
, had paid his successful addresses to :
very beautiful girl, aud the period was !,
,pointed for their union. 1t was fixed ;
r the day after the lady should attain
,r one. .and-twen,ieih year, which
ould carry Morley nearly to his thirty
In so that it was clear he anticipated
, intervening evil on the contrary, he .
liked Of the consummation of his hap
ness with fuency and earnestness, y
hich clearly showed ,het he fully ex-
cted To see it realized. His mother y
rs pleased TO observe that he no longer .
ing to those old recollections, which .
e even now feared to revive, and to y