Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-03-10

precamion, he could never persuade him
self to pay money for that which by pos
sibiliiy, might never make him any re-
turn.
/ Loss after loss closely followed on
each other and in every instance this
hard hearted, unsympnthizing man could
trace their ori gin Ia some act of brutality,
or nggardly conduct Of his own. His
health became impaired and he was
nearly driven mad by the clerks in the
counting house sending for doctor,
whom he refused to pay. lie became
unequal 10 the daily calls Of busine So,
and having always been the active super.
intendent OF his own concerns, things be-
came worse and worse all his under
llngS hated him, and were but too prompt
to take advantage Of his imbecile state
The nervous fear that he was robbed ag
/ gruvaied the disease under which he
labored and he was hardly 10 be rccog-
n'zed when he set out, for the SECOND
time, in search Of his mother. Ills ap-
peal could not be rejected by a mother's
heart. Ills obdurate nature, his unc hari-
table mind, were known to her but he
was her son, and she allowed him to
share the scanty pitIance he had, in the
pride OF wealth and power almost grudg-
ed her.
The village doctor advised a warm
climate and by the sale Of her furni-
ture and other effects, his mother pro-
cured the means and accompanied him
abroad. Every day increased his fret
iul, dlscontented tempcr-every day, too,
his bodily weakness augmented and
ere they had been month at Nice,
where suffering had obliged them to halt,
II was evident his end was fast approach
ing and his mother became anxious that
he should see some clergyman, who
might, even at that late hour, bring his
mlnd to reflect on those truths Of which
he never would permit her TO speak
Full OF this thought, she one evening
stole from his sick couch TO make inqui-
rles abou: The resident minister, bn, had
the disappointment TO find he was absent
from Nice. Worn out with the fatigue
she had undergone, both Of body and
mind, she was retracing her feeble steps,
her tears flowing fast as she reflected
how terrible would be her sons last mo-
menis, deprived of the only hope she had
dared To look for to render them peace
iul by prayer and repentance, when she
found herself accosted by an English
man, who had observed her detected ap-
pearance, and now asked if he could be
Of any service IN her distress. On hear
ing her errand and its disappointment,
Villiers (for it was he, who was travel
ling, with 'his bride, his long-loved Ma
ran, and her father told her he was n
Protestant clergyman, and would ac-
company her home. Arrived at the
sick mans chamber, he gently approach.
ed the bed with an expression of sympa-
thy and pity. He did no, recognize in
the emaciated dying form before him the
man whom he had once slightly known,
and whose character he had cordially
despised but l1enson's memory was
rendered faithful by hatred and fancied
wrong, and starting up in bed with the
sudden strength of frenzy, he exclaimed |
with dreadful oath, "Out of nv sight, |
thou sycophant.! was it not enough to
rob me Of the girls money, but you come
here to gloat your eyes on my wretched-
ness, and watch my dying momenis;"
"Poor soul, how he rayes!' said the
terrified mother.
Graves" cried the dying man, rs he
shook his fist with Convulsive energy :;
''do you think know him not, tell Il
you, mother, it is Viliers-t is the fend
who crossed my path to wealth, and who
has come to look on his victim !" and /
with an hysterical laugh and an awful
Peter Benson ceased to
breathe unsofened ,unrepentant; show
ing that the possession of wealth, with
out sympathy Of soul and the exercise of
leads but to misery here
and an awful prospect hereafter.
As Sir Philip Sydney has said, "riches
nay be considered treasury Of bles-
sings when possessed by the worthy, and
m abused good when in the hands olthe
yorthisas ~ II