Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-02-01

the mists and shadows Of life mis-
spent Alas for the minds, whose
n"blest fountains have run to waste, aud
waiered by the desert =
At length his indpcisioD ended, aud
he determined Ia send Hester u letter
and to trust tn the unexpected vicinity
of her lover aud the strong rushing oi
old memories, TO work in his behalf
Long, and fraught with the impassi
eloquence of false and desperate man,
was the letter he wrote, and it was an
appeal arluly calculated 10 touch feel
ings OF whose deep naiuial tenderness
he was well aware. lie spoke of Ger
iude's simple loveliness of character, +,
hut painted his want Of sympathy ~ their
married life, he told of his own weary
wanderings " since, Of his mental Ionrli
ness, his great and inoumerable templa
lions. He frankly acknowledged that
Ihis errors had been many, but he plead
led the powerful influence OF The world
on heart that had lost the correcting
strength Of lis nearest ties, and hr prom
ised To be hereafter, whatever her will
might dictate.
'You cannot know, Ilesier,' he con-
cluded, "the effort, the sacrifice of pride
II has cost me To write TO YOU thus can
didly, but all sacrifices appear possible
TO me that could recall for me the costa
cy of your affection. To another, |
would shrink from thus laying bare the
iollies and faults Of my career, but to you,
who are so nobly superior 80 the weak
nessps of your sex, who look down with
an angels kindness on the imperfe clions
/ you do not share, to You, dearest one
my soul turns, yearningly and ,rustingly
as to being Of II h"lier world. | have
fully confessed my defects, revealed my
sorrows, and my fate lies now in your
hand. - Oh for the suke Of all the
past, by evcry hope the iuuure pronrrs,
deal gently with my .aiIin.s, for you
dream not what you do, if You coldly re,
/ lcct the enduring tenderness | offer you,
If you rc-plunge into Ms deep gull of NOR
al error, u nature that still retains some
thing OF purer aspiration, n spirit that
may yet be restored to holmes by the
guiding and the blessing Of love like
\ yours
Hrsier's reply
/ 'You will doubtless hc somewhat sur.
prisrd, Rudolph, that ! should reply at
all To your impassioned letter, since
only do so to reject most positively aud
scornGnlly the selfish suit you So earnest
Iy urge. have no language strong
enough To convey Ia You The combined
nsionIShmenl and pity aud contempt with
which have read your renewed profess
son, aud | can but smile at the strange
vanity that could prompt you for an in
slant to believe | should do otherwise
than desplse p,oiestalIons so false, apd
founded on such apparent and unworthy
motives. You are deeply vrrscd in the
worlds wisdom, Rudolph, but you have
vet to learn that there are hearts which
can ,rample on ialsehnod even in ihns.
they hold dearest, and however we'll the,
may have loved another, love truth
and purity better still But with these
harsher feelings, kinder ones are ming
led, and would most gladly awaken Il
a startling conviction of lis certain ant
Impending run, 4 mind whose earl,
! promise was iraught with nober things
| II there be one faint glimmering OF sin
cerity in the warin words Of devotion
you have wsirlen, may hope that m,
! rnircaties will have power To inhuenc.
4 YOU, and ! may appeal successfully Il
vour fast fading sense Of ri ght. i'm
't,IN q C,., Il,
/ from your present fatal course and Il
| abandon your unwOrlhy associate -
! They are tracing on your being, clarac
'ers that cannot be etfaccd, lines tha
viii debar you from happiness on earth
and shut you out from hope in Heaven
| By the past. to which yom have appealed
| eBireai you to pause and to reflect
and my ierveni wishes aud prayers vii
90 with YOU on your altered and bette
wav. lOu must not misunderstood IN,
! Rudolph, nor in your stlf-coniideDc,
imagine that my sincere desires for you
change and improvement has any bear
ing on my decisions. 1t is my ferven
hope, for your sake, that we shall nevc
meet again, and you will comprehend
that your future conduct can have no
the remolcs, influence oD mine, when
tell YOU that | have long since formed
stronger and permanent, attachment -
Once more, and tor the last time, ! i'm
plore you TO be true TO the higher aspir
Ings aud purer portion of your nature
:, for now you are iorIaillng virtue, honor
respect, and all this liie's best gifts. =
/ The time is coming when hesitation vii
be impossible, in the downward pat
YOU are treadIng pause now, and il
ever hear your name hereafter, lc, it b
blended with some noble deed. some nc
of dIsiniercstedness and goodness, tha
may serve to blot from nv memory th
degrading record Of your error and de
ceii'
!. For few more dark aDd cherries
years, Rudolph ho1 10 loneliness hi
g'nomy pilgrimage of sorrow apd gnj
and doubt Then the weight Of an ex
Istence so solitary and wearisome gre,
too heavy to be longer borne, and in
foreign land, where he had not on
friend, the skrpiic died. His grave wa
adorned by the kindness of stranger.
and marked by the broken pillar that re
veals The sad history of shame and sui
eide, and tells, in few brief words, tn