Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-11
mentary rift in cloud, as his body disap-

villain ought to have died long before" he
thought; 81 did not destroy him; he
destroyed himself"
The storm was so very bad that night
that the boat was obliged to put into the
port of New London. Royden was not
missed. His movements were so uncer-
tain and irregular that his absences from
home, whether long or short, attracted no
attention. The Royden family was, in
deed, family in name only; three of its
members being governed solely by selfish
considerations.
Four days after Philip Royden had fallen
overheard, his body was washed ashore.
1t was identified by letters, a card case and
other articles found in his pockets.
Whether he had sought his own death or
come to it by accident was uncertain; but
the Coroner's jury decided in favor of the
latter, one of the members of the bolster
GUS party giving testimony to that effect.
His father believed he had committed
suicide, because in his fits of anger, when
the governor had been reluctant about
furnishing more money, he had repeatedly
threatened his own life.
A,number of his associates thought he
had leaped into the Sound while suffering
from delirium tremens; for, as they put it,
Phil had been drinking heavily for some
time. When Wardwell had heard of the
occurrence, he said ''That something has
happened. "
The Harbinger and other newspapers
contained the usual deliberately untruthful
obituaries speaking OF Philip Royden as
young man of excellent mind, noble char
acter and deep moral convictions. He was
the only son of w. Neville Royden, Esq,
the distinguished President of the Babylon
Bank, whose many friends would sympa-
thize with him in his cruel bereavement,
particularly these acquainted with the
great love and perfect sympathy that
had existed between them. More like
brothers than parent and child, the beauty
of their mutual relation was often remarked
by persons who had seen them together.
Philip Royden's future, had he not been
cut off so untimely, would have fully justi-
fed the fattering hopes entertained of and
for him by his wide circle of sorrowing kim
bred and admiring friends.
The Rev. DR.. Chowsby preached the
funeral service at Newport. He extolled
Philip Royden as a young man of profound
religious nature, who had seriously thought
after leaving college, of taking orders, and
who had not relinquished the idea when he
had been called home to God. Although his
experiences had been wide and varied, his
perfect faith in the creed Of HIS ancestors
had never for moment been shaken. He
was a worthy son of most worthy parents ;
but they had the comfort in their mourn
ing that they mourned not without hope
that their exemplary piety afforded assur-
ance that they would be reunited with
their always upright and conscientious son
in the blessed land beyond the grave.
The obituary bore internal evidence of
having been inspired by Neville Royden ;
the sermon of having been suggested by
Martha, his wife. He did not grieve
she mourned becomingly. Margaret was
shocked but she could not lament-she
knew her brother.
August Ehrlingen had no fear OF
possible consequences. He knew that
he had been but incidentally, per-
haps accidentally, the cause of Philip
Royden's death, and he was glad of
it. He might have been glad if,
obeying his first instincts, he had
thrown him overheard. Any honest man,
as he thought, had the right, especially
under the circumstances, to remove from
| the world such scoundrel. 1t was a sat-
isfaction to believe that having properly
avenged Christina, he could marry her
with more fitness. Many men feel that,
when they have been the means Of extin-
gushing wronger, they have mitigated,
if not effaced the wrong. 1t seemed to
him, somehow, as if he had. by decree OF
destiny, become her husband, and that, by
sending Royden to his grave, he had re-
stored the purity of the betrayed girl.
He wrote to her what had happened,
and told her all his feelings ON the SUBJ
ject. He hoped that she would finally
consent to be his wife. He would cross
the ocean for her. He was in better con.
dition than he had been to marry, for he
was expecting to become a builder, and to
be ere long in very comfortable circum-
stances.
Dr. Archer he hunted up, finding him at
his office between his fittings. Although
he had never seen him before, he was, as
has been said, imbued with deep respect
and admiration for him. The two men
knew each other by name and character
very well. The German recited the cir
cumstances of Royden's death. He would
have done SO, had he deliberately killed
him for Archer inspired confidence in all
those who,really knew him, to such an ex.
tent as TO warrant Goodwin's assertion,
that he was a natural, though untonsured
father confessor.
The doctor had heard at Long Branch of
Royden's death the evening of Goodwin's
arrival Although he had not for some
time had any personal animosity toward
him, he could not regard his exit as other
than fortunate. he said to the German
GU have spoken of Royden destroying
himself. That is strictly true. Philip
Royden really never lived, though he fan.
cied that he did. He was morally dead
from the first; but it is only of late that his
body began to decompose. In such beings
there are always destructive forces at work
They never know. unhappily, when they
die; they insist on going about the world
and spreading moral disease long after they
should have been buried. Philip Royden's
death was entirely natural
CHAPTER XVIII.
| MARGARET RoYDEN's TRIALS.
Margaret Royden had improved very
I