Alonzo and Melissa; Or, The Unfeeling Father: An American Tale
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had been sentto her uncle's at Charleston, for the recovery of her health, where shedied. "Her premature death, said her cousin, has borne so heavily uponher aged father, that it is feared he will not long survive."----"Wellmay it wring his bosom, thought Alonzo;----his conscience can never beat peace." Whether Melissa's cousin had been informed of the particularsof Alonzo's unfortunate attachment, was not known, as he instituted noconversation on the subject. Neither did he enquire into Alonzo'sprospects; he only invited him to call again. Alonzo thanked him, butreplied it would be doubtful, as he should shortly leave town. He madeno one acquainted with his intentions.
The day at length arrived when the ship was to sail, and Alonzo to leavethe shores of America. They spread their canvass to propitious gales;the breezes rushed from their woody coverts, and majestically waftedthem from the harbour.
Slowly the land receded; fields, forests, hills, mountains, towns andvillages leisurely withdrew, until they were mingled in one common mass.The ocean opening, expanded and widened, presenting to the astonishedeyes of the untried mariner its wilderness of waters. Near sunset,Alonzo ascended the mast to take a last view of a country once so dear,but whose charms were now lost forever. The land still appeared like asimicircular border of dark green velvet on the edge of a convex mirror.The sun sunk in fleecy golden vapours behind it. It now dwindled todiscoloured and irregular spots, which appeared like objects floating,amidst the blue mists of distance, on the verge of the main, andimmediately all was lost beneath the spherical, watery surface.
Alonzo had fixed his eyes, as near as his judgment could direct, towardsMelissa's favourite rock, till nothing but sea was discoverable. With aheart-parting sigh he then descended. They had now launched into theillimitable world of billows, and the sable wings of night brooded overthe boundless deep.
* * * * *
A new scene was now opened to Alonzo in the wonders of the mighty deep.The sun rising from and setting in the ocean; the wide-spread region ofwatery waste, now smooth as polished glass, now urged into irregularrolling hillocks, then swelled to
"Blue trembling billows, topp'd with foam,"
or gradually arising into mountainous waves. Often would he traverse thedeck amid the still hours of midnight, when the moon silvered over theliquid surface: "Bright luminary of the lonely hour, he would say, thatnow sheddest thy mild and placid ray on the woe-worn head of fortune'sfugitive, dost thou not also pensively shine on the sacred and silentgrave of my Melissa?"
Favourable breezes wafted them for many days over the bosom of theAtlantic.--At length they were overtaken by a violent storm. The windbegan to blow strongly from the southwest, which soon increased to aviolent gale. The dirgy scud first flew swiftly along the sky; then darkand heavy clouds filled the atmosphere, mingling with the top-gallantstreamers of the ship. Night hovered over the ocean, rendered horribleby the intermitting blaze of lightnings, the awful crash of thunder,and the deafening roar of winds and waves. The sea was rolled intomountains, capped with foaming fire. Now the ship was soaring among thethunders of heaven, now sunk in the abyss of waters.
The storm dispersed the fleet, so that when it abated, the ship in whichAlonzo sailed was found alone; they, however, kept on their course ofdestination, after repairing their rigging, which had been considerablydisordered by the violence of the gale.
The next morning they discovered a sail which they fondly hoped mightprove to be one of their own fleet, and accordingly made for it. Theship they were in pursuit of shortened sail, and towards noon wore roundand bore down upon them, when they discovered that it was not a shipbelonging to their convoy. It appeared to be of equal force anddimensions with that of their own; they therefore, in order to preparefor the worst, got ready with all speed for action. They slowlyapproached each other, manoeuvering for the advantage, till the strangeship ran up British colours, and fired a gun, which was immediatelyanswered by the other, under the flag of the United States. It was notlong before a close and severe action took place, which continued forthree hours, when both ships were in so shattered a condition that theywere unable to manage a gun.[A] The British had lost their captain, andone half their crew, most of the remainder being wounded.----TheAmericans had lost their second officer, and their loss in men, bothkilled and wounded, was nearly equal to that of the enemy.
[Footnote A: The particulars of this action, in the early stage of the American war, are yet remembered by many.]
While they lay in this condition, unable either to annoy each othermore, or to get away, a large sail appeared, bearing down upon them,which soon came up and proved to be an English frigate, and whichimmediately took the American ship in tow, after removing the crew intothe hold of the frigate. The crew of the British ship were also taken onboard of the frigate, which was no sooner done than the ship went downand was for ever buried beneath mountains of ponderous waves. Thefrigate then, with the American ship in tow, made sail, and in a fewdays reached England. The wounded prisoners were sent to a hospital, butthe others were confined in a strong prison within the precincts ofLondon.
The American prisoners were huddled into an apartment with Britishconvicts of various descriptions. Among these Alonzo observed one whosedemeanor arrested his attention. A deep melancholy was impressed uponhis features; his eye was wild and despairing; his figure wasinteresting, tall, elegant and handsome. He appeared to be abouttwenty-five years of age. He seldom conversed, but when he did, it wasreadily discovered that his education had been above the common cast,and he possessed an enlightened and discriminating mind. Alonzosympathetically sought his acquaintance, and discovered therein a unisonof woe.
One evening, when the prisoners were retired to rest, the stranger, uponAlonzo's request, rehearsed the following incidents of his life.
"You express, said he, some surprise at finding a man of my appearancein so degraded a situation; and you wish to learn the events which haveplunged me in this abject state. These, when I briefly relate, yourwonder will cease.
"My name is Henry Malcomb; my father was a clergyman in the west ofEngland, and descended from one of the most respectable families inthose parts. I received a classical education, and then entered themilitary school, as I was designed for the army, to which my earliestinclinations led. As soon as my education was considered complete, anensign's commission was procured for me in one of the regiments destinedfor the West Indies. Previous to its departure for those islands,I became acquainted with a Miss Vernon, who was a few years youngerthan myself, and the daughter of a gentleman farmer, who had recentlypurchased and removed to an estate in my father's parish. Every thingthat was graceful and lovely appeared centered in her person; everything that was virtuous and excellent in her mind. I sought her hand.Our souls soon became united by the indissoluble bonds of sincerestlove, and as there were no parental or other impediments to our union,it was agreed that as soon as I returned from the Indies, where it wasexpected that my stay would be short, the marriage solemnities should beperformed. Solemn oaths of constancy passed between us, and I sailed,with my regiment, for the Indies.
"While there, I received from her, and returned letters filled with thetenderest expressions of anxiety and regret of absence. At length thetime came when we were to embark for England, where we arrived after anabsence of about eighteen months. The moment I got on land I hastened tothe house of Mr. Vernon, to see the charmer of my soul. She received mewith all the ardency of affection, and even shed tears of joy in mypresence. I pressed her to name the day which was to perfect our unionand happiness, and the next Sunday, four days only distant, was agreedupon for me to lead her to the altar. How did my heart bound at theprospect of making Miss Vernon my own!--of possessing in her all thatcould render life agreeable; I hastened home to my family and informedthem of my approaching bliss, who all sympathized in the anticipated joywhich swelled my bosom.
"I had a sister some years older than myself, who had been the friendand inmate of my angel in my absence. They were now almos
t every daytogether, so that I had frequent opportunities of her company. One dayshe had been with my sister at my father's, and I attended her home. Onmy return, my sister requested me to attend her in a private room. Wetherefore retired, and when we were seated she thus addressed me:
"Henry, you know that to promote your peace, your welfare, and yourhappiness, has ever been the pride of my heart. Nothing except thiscould extort the secret which I shall now disclose, and which has yetremained deposited in my own bosom: my duty to a brother whom I esteemdear as life, forbids me to remain silent. As an affectionate sister, Icannot tacitly see you thus imposed upon; I cannot see you the dupe andslave of an artful and insidious woman, who does not sincerely returnyour love; nor can I bear to see your marriage consummated with onewhose soul and affections are placed upon another object."
"Here she hesitated--while I, with insufferable anguish