The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-07-15
WESTERLY. r. I. THURSDAY, JULY Is, 1852.


daughter. What treasure I lost wher
she expired! OF how much more worth
was her priceless love than the sordid
gold which l had chosen instead of it
When she was gone I felt as much as
my calloused heart could feel, that was
virtually her murderer, and that money
could never make up the loss that had
sustained. 1 then solemnly promised
to take care Of the living for the sake o.
the dead-to be to my helpless, mother.
less daughter, all that father could OF
ought to be. Alas! how have I failed
to fulfill that promise!
81 carefully and tenderly reared my
child, never refusing her slightest wish
l even committed new frauds and op-
pressions to increase my wealth, for
had now an excuse for the indulgence o1
my avaricious propensity which was thai
l was boarding up treasures for her
but l was still blinded by my wicked
passion for gold. My daughter wa.
beautiful and had many suitors, but her
choice fell on young student by the
name of Henry Noble, and as he was
the heir apparent to a splendid fortune,
accepted him as my future son in-law.
Just before the wedding day, news came
hat Henry's fortune was gone, and he
vas penniless. Nothing could exceed
my rage at this. Icalled him wretch,
an impostor, told him that I would never
see my daughter welded to beggar,
and forbade his ever entering my pre-
sence again. But the poor girl eloped
with him, and when they came to beg
my forgiveness drove them from me
With horrid oaths and imprecations, and,
wretch that I was, swore that would
brewer disown my only, motherless
hid. She left me in tears, and I have
lever seen her since. When she was
,one l tried to Danish all thoughts of
Ter, and clung with tenfold tenacity to
ny idol, gold; but still I could not
lrive her from my mind. I delved and
oiled, and sinned to attain new wealth,
hoping that larger treasure might fill
he void which her absence had created
but each peice that I added to the gilt
;ering hoard seemed to bear upon its
surface the faithful impress of her pale
ad face. The terrible idea of her suf-
ering and dying among cold-hearted
trangers, continually haunted my wax
ng moments and midnight dreams. At
ast determined to leave that place
There everything reminded me Of her,
up my miserable wealth, 1
eturned to my native land, and that I
night have nothing to make me think
f my child, l gave out that I was a
and as l had not kept up any
Intercourse with my relatives here while
was away, I vainly thought no one
lere would ever know my guilt. How
'ain, alas, the presumption. How in
crutable the power that overrules the
lestinies of mortals. / have sought
in the very land where my
laughter died in the midst of want and
Within few miles of me
Ter child--my grandson--is subsisting
N the bounty of strangers. But her
and untimely death have been
utterly avenged, for terrible, oh, un-
peakable terrible are the torments of
,uilty conscience, and the deepest and
most poignant of those torments are
mine !"
With well dissemblod sympathy, Gripe
istened to Fairfield while he told Of his
with Elder Trotter, and the
acts that he then learned concerningl
lis daughters death and the kind per-
on that had befriended her orphan son,
voung Henry Fairfield Noble. Gripe
oothed the old mans almost maniac
.avings, and received from his hand the
precious will which conveyed all Of his
property to his grandson, except hand