Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-06
Whole No. Gil.

ncvOlence, which il was universally admitted
had hardly ever been cqualled. Ii so happened
that Mrs. N had been in jamaica, and
knew my former schoOl-fcllow Catherine M
-; and from her | learned the particulars
Of her lameniable end.
! During the voyage, Catherine and her lover
quarrelIed Capt Fitzjames grew jealous Of his
bride elect, and not without cause. She was
no longer the fond devoted girl, that was will
ling 20 run any and at all hazards TO meet him
even Tor few bret moments in the school gar
den. Now become her own mistress, omanci-
pated from all control-nO longer obliged 10
steal the pleasure, sweet, because forbidden
the charm love was gone; and though she
had bound herself to wed Fiizlames, she gave
up all her time during the voyage to others,
flirting and laughing away, needless ofthe pain
she was inhcting on the heart Of most ama-
bic and honorable man. lie complained to-
Catherine Of her conduct; her high spirit would
not submit 10 reproof, and on arriving in the
island she broke of her engagement with FItZ-
lamps, who shortly afterwards returned Ia Eng
Land, with prospects and hopes, how changed,
from those with which he had quilted il He
had lcjt his beautiful mistress behind him with
out hope Of ever bchodng her again. She
was divided from him by long, long distance,
and (more hopeless still y she WAS now diyl-
dcd from him in heart. But he had abundant
reason to be thankful, oven Cor this, bcioie any
heightened period had elapsed.
! The beauty, wit, and large fortune Of Caihe-
rlnc soon brought swarm of lovers TO her side
She was the belle of the island--the admiration
Of the men, and the envy of all the women,
aud might have been the happicst, AS she as
one oithe lovelicst; of her sex. But conduct
is fate" ia most Instances, and il certainly proved
Al. t., E,st h.,
Catherine became a wife but not before she
had noby fulfilled one duty, and one promise
she had madc--to provide for her father and io
relieve him from the difficulties into which l,c
had fallen, by making oyer to him twenty thou
sand pounds, the half Of her fortune
! What mixture of good and evil was in her
heart Oh had she but possessed a mother in
those early days, when the tender precep's and
counsels of a mother sink gently and reireshingly
like the dews of heaven, into the young ald
accessible heart Of childhood, what a change
might il not have wrought in the destiny OF
Catherine From what an abyss of misery,
and alas Of guilt, might she not possibly have
been saved The warning voice of that mother
might have sounded, even from the grave, up
on her daughters ear ; might have come like
iar-of music on her nightly visions, and her
waking thoughts and. with all the might Of
gentleness and love, might have stopped her at
the threshold of ruin, ,and won her back to hap
piness, heaven
! But to return Catherine soon got weary of
: the tie Of marriage. Fond of display and adj
mlraton, the domestic hearth WIS TOO small
theatre on which to act her gay and ,houghtless
part The man she had welded, too, (thoueh
not altered since she married him, from what
he was at the time she first gave him her hearth
in hor
las those eyes had wandered in unholy paths I.
But the sequel Of her sad story is almost too
distressing and too dreadful 10 narrare. The
new passion which had alicnated her affections
from her husband, and plunged her unimcly
into guilt, and its n-cparable attendant, misery,
was for near relation, and married man, and
one, too, with whose amlable wife Catherine
lived upon terms Of intimacy and cordlahty.
The lady alluded to became the guest Of Cath
erinc. She went on a visit Ia her in the noun
talns; and at the expiration OF week was sent
back to her own housc-a corpse A few
DAYS afterwards Catherine = husband died with
the same strong suspicion which attended Mrs.
vs. death, of having been poisoned. Tho
matter, however, was not fully investigated,
and suspicion might have rested where il did,
without assuming any darker shade of certainty.
But Catherine soon gave the final stab tn her
wounded fame by marrying the object Of her
guilty passion. That, III the worlds eye, set
the seal of her condemnation. Every relation
and respectable friend fofsook her from that
hour.
Her last marriage was as may naturally be con-
cludcd, more unhappy than the first. The
pair who had outraged every tie divine and hui
mdue, 10 Drlng mem together ,cagnOt be supposcd
10 have possessed any Of those requisite qualities
for strong and steady attachment, which alone
can form the basis ofwcddcd bliss. I he guilty
couple soon separated and from the time OF their
separation the vrcchcd Catherine became o.
pcnly abandoned, and was actually to be seen
in the public streets oi Jamaica Good God :
With the reckless mrlh aud bold ,lsagc Of an
impure. did the once innocently gay and mod
est Catherine pursue lcr sad career ull with
her fortune expended, her beauty faded, and
her frame wasted with disease without friend
TO receive her last breath or single mourncr
To attend her cold remains 10 the gra,e---dicd
this beautiful victim to her own unbildlcd pas
sons Whether she MAS really guilty iu the full
amount of all laid 10 her charge rs known only
10 God. Let rs. for the honor Of our common
nature, hope aud believe she was not. W hen
| think of Catherine, as IN " the days oi tormot
years. when she wds young, Innoccni, and
happy, | caunOt bring myself to believe n.
can never picture her to NY nllnd Us lost crea.
turc but ~ the sano lovely and light hearted
plh, whose srnilc, rcdolcui ~ loy and good tcui.
Der. broke like sunshine upon my waking hour
IN that old chamber, where (as | before sald,)
spent the very first sorrowiul night OF my lille