Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-01

stating That his son was no longer partner III
the firm, and requesting that no draft of his
should hereafter be holored. This was all he
could DO, and then he sai es"sn To think.
The day had been one VI great and painful
excitement and, at its close, Mr.. Melcombe
found himself exhausted and miserable. He
was alone too he missed Fred merry tones
and buoyant step; the gentle voice Of Alice no
longer made the music Of his home The quiel
ministry Of the kindly Mrs. Gordon no longer
awakened that vague SENSE OF comfort, which
IL one of the pleasaBtcst of all sensations To
weary old age. lie was alone, left 10 wear
out the remnant Of his days amid hirellDgs
get he did not ialtcr in his ylDdicine purpose,
but the msre miserable h. felt, the more de-
termincd WAS he 10 visit with his vengeance
those who had caused him this unhappiness.
While he sat absorbed in painful thought.
twilight bad dcepcncd into darkness, aud the
entrance of servant with lamp reused him
from his reyerie AS he turned impatienily
round his eye chanced To fall upon the old
family Bible, which always lay upon the table,
and, led by some unaccOunlible impulse, he
opened II at the record ot births, deaths and
marriages" As his eye slowly glanced down
the page, a change came over his face The
knitted brow rclaXed the stern eye grew gent
ler in It's expression; the thin and ngid hp
volume, droopcd his head upon hs breast, like
one to whom thought had become insupporta-
Die wrarlness.
Was il a trance that then fell upon him. or,
did thai mysterious power which men call by
such varied namcs-the power which they
cannot quite believe and dare not fully doubt
work its spell upon him in that dark aud s0r-
rowtul hour! lie was conscious of peculiar
falnlness and oppression his breath came gas
pingly, a mist rose before his eyes, and, as II
slowly cleared away, he saw, or dreamed he
saw, the distant shadows of the apartment,
slowly shaping themselves into human forms.
lie looked upon lady. fair, aud of goodly
presence. clad in simple but antique hablli-
Incn;s. and wearing on her brow the sweetest
look of maternal tenderness. Before her knell
Il hoy, with his head buried in her lap, while
her hand was pressed upon his bright curs, as
if in silent blessing. Not sound broke the
sucmn Stiffness, bat the old man knew that
the child WAS uttcrng hls nightly orisUns al lIls
muthers knee His heart thrilled like the
chords of stricken harp, for he tsh the words
which he hcdrd not, and b. knew that he look
ed upon the shadowy image of hIs own inno-
cent childhood.
Again the mist clOuded his sight and a.
ga4n. like an up-rollcd curtain II rose, and dis
was green and sunny lane. with giant shad
ows flung across l,s sot tnr, rs the sun went
down behind the noble old elms. \ troop Of
"a; Youths lrocked alO1o the path, and, fore
~ st among them. WAS 4 slender boy, with
brow ~ open "a day, merry glance, and
buuyant step. lie bounded along rs II the
lpyousness of his heart had given wings Ia his
feet. lie reached 4 low, wlcket-gale, beyond
II was n cottage, and IN the porch sat the same
prnilh lady. lie saw her INT her eyes from
her work, and smile swoetly, as the merry
schoo-boy leaped the teTtce and flung off his
sa:rhcl at her feet. The shadows again min
gicd themselves like a gathering tempest
cloud, but not before the old man had rccog-
Missed, in the bright features OF the youth, the
face which his mirror now reflected, changed
by time and marred by worldly care.
Once more came those tuuultuous ioldings.
of shadow and, as they shaped themselves
bci5re him, he saw the dm outlines of large
;issemhlagc. There was no splrndor, no array
~ mlgnllicence but there were merry faces,
aud flowing locks, and Joyous figures III SIM
pie gala dresses. moving about Then there
slowly emerged tho forms of two,-a youth ct
nuJie bearing, with the freshness of an unsul-
liei heart beamlng from his pleasant face, and
Ii maiden of sweet and womany presence, clad
goldn curs. She stood wih dowucas, eyes
on, hand pressed her bosom US If TO still her
heart quick beaings, the other was clasped
IN that cithe youth, who, while his loving eyes
dwelt tondly Oh her face. WAS binding her
slender finger with the mystic marragcrIng.
The heart ut the old man ,hnlcd wildly, for
IN .he Daslliul bride he hclicld the wife Of h!s
youth.
Tal cloud again swept over these traces Of
the past and now, vague forms passed away
--.iInly-trIced shJdOws-lke infants wrapped
IN shrond-hke vcsinenis. Then came forth 4
stately boy, wild and reckless IN his bearing,
bat with an eye gentle as a woman S, ard
beautiful as dream. 4 sad yet proud def
ance sat upon his brow, as he WAS swept into
ihc ,ossings of the mist, which seemed TO swal-
low him up like the waves of ocean. 4 groan
burst from the old mans hps, for he looked
upon his first-born son the bold and bcauli
fu boy who had stunned, but not past forgive
ness,-thc boy, who might have been won 10
better things, the boy whose bones were now
whitening IN some deep cavern Of ocean.
The spell was strong upon the aged seer
Memory had unlocked her peUplcI cell, and
wh'n he looked again his eyes rested on the
coflncd form oi his Only daughter. Beautiful
was she even in dca,h--tIat fair young girl.
youth fragrant garland but, alas! not be-
fore sorrow had shed It's mlldcw upon all. lie
saw his child in her glad infancy then in her
lovely maidenhood. lie bchcld her weeping
over the stern mandate that severed her from
the lover whose only lack was gold lie
watched once more the gradual decay of that
fragile form he lived over again the anguish
of that moment when the lover was recalled
too ate To save the victim of consumption.
All, all was present to him ia the ieariulness
OF reality his senses reelcd he pressed his
hands upon his eyes to shut out the dread WIS.,
ion but, when he once more looked into the
awful vagueness of that shadowy spot, The
broad, black, pail covered hro collins. The
wife of hls bosom was lying beside the child
whom his obduracy had kiiled.
Human nature could endure no more. His
by-gone life had been pictured oul before him,
aud what 4Du might calmly brave such VS.
ions The old mans brain grew giddy -
his heart sunk within him, and a deadly sick
ness came ever hun. IIa was conscious
of sensation ui chiliness, as If the
cold air OF . new y.open; ID grave was hrcalhcd
4