The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-10-03

HppthItu, was executor
OF an estate, to which the children of his
sister, widow, laid certain claims, bv
right OF their father. The suit concerned
some valuable landed property which, i,
was commended; by reason of previous
safes rs well as an obscurily in the iesta-
mehiary 6isposi,ions, formed a part of their
inheritance. The executor had placed ini
Vulnerable instruments before me, but
confess thought his grounds unsubstam-
uai the objections, To use a term of our
; trade, were DTe dr0ton. However, the
more compliment TO my ingenuity, thought
L. oendng hour after hour over torn letters. ,
anu formal documents, and sketchinc every
favorable view of the case.
Evening wns just closing in, when re-
celved short letter from my mother. She
i was sorry another week had ELAPSED with
o out my visiting the homestead, and hoped
should never find n hear,,er welcome cis
d where. Her health wns worse than i, had
n been, although Anna Curl,on was n kind
d nurse, &e.
h never expected to greet coldly letter
IS from my mother; hut there wns something
!, so mild in oil this, it brought back the
y last evening at homo, which nlI at once con-
Is trasted strangely with the business I had
: undertaken. 'Oh | exclaimed involun-
+ iarily, i have broken that foolish promise,
d that silly resolution, about keeping truth on
r my side |"
d Taking up the papers again, tried to
I laugh the matter off; bu, the cobweb had |
, been weaving ! no longer dared to tread
upon. "And yet" thought ], 81 have
been Shaving md starving SIX months
| Ish / hn. 4
over anxious mother, aud a yonng creature
who really is--a good deal of prude J" !
reflected on my Deighbors success, and how
my friends, who had heard the offer, would
wonder at my refusal, and then put the let {
ter hastily away; resolved, however, to see I
home the next day. n
"The widow, leaning on the arm Of a
Anna Carlton. was just coming out Of af- :
!ernoon service, as passed by the village ,
church. She was quite pale but the moth {
er's smile still sat upon her features. As | I
gave her my arm, | said had been consid- ,
ernbly employed, aud even could not re-
main but day with her engagements re-
quired my return. DO not forget sud
Anna Carlton, what we owe TO our first
benefactors,' G
81 could have borne that speech, once,
but now there was something Of freedom .
in IT, which rather displeased me. The {
sensitive creature half suspected IL, and the 4
color mounted to her cheek ia an instant. v
II is sad enough, when the intercourse of $
familiar friends decays at the core, but CON
tinues fair upon the surface Strip OF its n
frnnkness, and n skeleton will haunt you. n
was sorry To have hurt Anna's feelings, y
aud yet somehow she did not appear so Il
fine girl as before ] had left home she ~
was n lrlle too primitive, fnncied for con. +
venicncc. "
When the time came, ! wns reluctant n
to return; an hundred petty kindncsses, p
which can only come from II sons hands, eI
had been left undoue. The widow pared
from me, imagined rather anxiously, aud cl
reproachfully. Anna said if ii was best to II
20. not a word was to be said. She e'
spoke with more reserve than in old times. ~
81 should remark, that aboat this time b
the struggles between the political parties C,
of Conservatives aud Rcformis,s were very %
slrong. Society was beginning 10 be e.
marked with the distinction. Some of the p
younger men sided with their fathers 9th Q
ers attached themselves 10 one faction or
another, as fancy or interest dictated. My
early days had g'ded away in retirement, b
aud when ] commenced town life, my
choice wns to be made. i looked about 3
me, and happening to gain the friendship 9
of several Distinguished Conservatives, was i
not long in declaring myself a warm ndvo-
cate Of their party doctrines. Several
anonymous papers which ! had compiled,
attracted attention, aud few political nc
quaintances spoke of me ms about to be
useful man. Art, too, was used, where | ,
did not suspect it. i
"One of the most influential Of the Con
servntive party was the judge, before whom &
our all-important cause was to be argued r
a man whom many respected, but few loved r.
or understood. Haugbty and yet con1es- u
ceudinc; wary and winning; n sage ~ nj
his profession; n man Of comsummaie arr k,
in private intercourse, aud a skiIful poliric- te
ian. was anxious to increase his favorable
opinion Of me. Ambition, like the poor W
artizan striving to weave the dewy cob ey
webs, grasps every hope, be It never SO un- il'
substantial. tn
When the day Of the trial came, varied w
and violent emotions pressed upon me.
had spent the previous night in reviewing Of
the documents in npossession-preparingm my vi
argument aud arranging our testimony. ha
And yet, something continually cast shnd- IN
ow in my way. My thoughts s,rayed an
homeward I kept thinking Of my late hi
visit, and m the middle Of an argument, Of
the smile, or form, or some expression OF NJ
my mother, or Anna Carbon, would in Sc
trude iiscfupon nae. When morning came,
and my client called to hope all was right, tr
l was sadly out Of spirits. W
1.-THE courtroom was nearly full some bi
curiosity, others custom, and others inter ~
est, had brought thither. Judge Lynde WI
mo elegantly and coIdly tr,