Alonzo and Melissa; Or, The Unfeeling Father: An American Tale
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should have fought thee; but as it is, compassion is the firstconsideration. Perhaps I may be in as bad a situation before the war isended." Then slipping off his coat and giving it to Alonzo, "follow me,"he said, and turning, walked hastily along the street, followed byAlonzo; he passed into a bye-lane, entered a small house, and takingAlonzo into a back room, opened a trunk, and handed out a shirt: "there,said he, pointing to a bed, you can sleep till morning, when we will seewhat can be done."
The next morning the sailor brought in a very decent suit of clothes andpresented them to Alonzo. "You will make this place your home, said he,until more favorable prospects appear. In this great city you will besafe, for even your late gaoler would not recognize you in this dress.And perhaps some opportunity may offer by which you may return to yourown country." He told Alonzo that his name was Jack Brown; that he was amidshipman on board the Severn; that he had a wife and four children,and owned the house in which they then were. "In order to preventsuspicion or discovery, said he, I shall consider you as a relation fromthe country until you are better provided for." Alonzo was thenintroduced to the sailor's wife, an amiable woman, and here he remainedfor several weeks.
One day Alonzo was informed that a number of American prisoners werebrought in. He went to the place where they were landed, and saw severalled away to prison, and some who were sick or disabled, carried to thehospital. As the hospital was near at hand, Alonzo entered it to see howthe sick and disabled prisoners were treated.
He found that they received as much attention as could reasonably beexpected.[A] As he passed along the different apartments he wassurprised at hearing his name called by a faint voice. He turned to theplace from whence it proceeded, and saw stretched on a mattress,a person who appeared on the point of expiring. His visage was pale andemaciated, his countenance haggard and ghastly, his eyes inexpressiveand glazy. He held out his withered hand, and feebly beckoned to Alonzo,who immediately approached him. His features appeared not unfamiliar toAlonzo, but for a moment he could not recollect him. "You do not knowme," said the apparently dying stranger. "Beauman!" exclaimed Alonzo,in surprise. "Yes, replied the sick man, it is Beauman; you behold me onthe verge of eternity; I have but a short time to continue in thisworld." Alonzo enquired how he came in the power of the enemy. "By thefate of war, he replied; I was taken in an action on York Island,carried on board a prison-ship in New-York, and sent with a number ofothers for England. I had received a wound in my thigh, from a musketball, during the action; the wound mortified, and my thigh was amputatedon the voyage; since which I have been rapidly wasting away, and I nowfeel that the cold hand of death is laid upon me." Here he becameexhausted, and for some time remained silent. Alonzo had not beforediscovered that he had lost his leg: he now found that it had been takenoff close to his body, and that he was worn to a skeleton. When Beaumanrevived, he enquired into Alonzo's affairs. Alonzo related all that hadhappened to him after leaving New London.
[Footnote A: The Americans who were imprisoned in England, in the time of war, were treated with much more humanity than those who were imprisoned in America.]
"You are unhappy, Alonzo, said Beauman, in the death of your Melissa,to which it is possible I have been undesignedly accessory. I could saymuch on the subject, would my strength permit; but it is needless. Sheis gone, and I must soon go also. She was sent to her uncle's atCharleston, by her father, where I was soon to follow her. It wassupposed that thus widely removed from all access to your company, shewould yield to the persuasion of her friends to renounce you: herunexpected death, however, frustrated every design of this nature, andoverwhelmed her father and family in inexpressible woe."
Here Beauman ceased. Alonzo found he wanted rest: he enquired whether hewas in want of any thing to render him more comfortable. Beauman repliedthat he was not: "For the comforts of this life, said he, I have norelish; medical aid is applied, but without effect." Alonzo then lefthim, promising to call again in the morning.
When Alonzo called the next morning, he perceived an alarming alterationin Beauman. His extremities were cold, a chilling, clammy sweat stoodupon his face, his respiration was short and interrupted, his pulse weakand intermitting. He took the hand of Alonzo, and feebly pressingit,--"I am dying, said he in a faint voice. If ever you return toAmerica, inform my friends of my fate." This Alonzo readily engaged todo, and told him also that he would not leave him.
Beauman soon fell into a stupor; sensation became suspended; his eyesrolled up and fixed. Sometimes a partial revival would take place, whenhe would fall into incoherent muttering, calling on the names of hisdeceased father, his mother and Melissa; his voice dying away inimperfect moanings, till his lips continued to move without sound.Towards night he lay silent, and only continued to breathe withdifficulty, till a slight convulsion gave the freed spirit to theunknown regions of immaterial existence. Alonzo followed his remains tothe grave: a natural stone was placed at its head, on which Alonzo,unobserved, carved the initials of the deceased's name, with the date ofhis death, and left him to moulder with his native dust.
A few days after this event, Jack Brown informed Alonzo that he hadprocured the means of his escape. "A person with whom I am acquainted,said he, and whom I suppose to be a smuggler, has agreed to carry you toFrance. There, by application to the American minister, you will beenabled to get to your own country, if that is your object. Aboutmidnight I will pilot you on board, and by to-morrow's sun you may be inFrance."
At the time appointed, Jack set out bearing a large trunk on hisshoulder, and directed Alonzo to follow him. They proceeded down to aquay, and went on board a small skiff. "Here, said Jack to the captain,is the gentleman I spoke to you about," and delivered him the trunk.Then taking Alonzo aside, "in that trunk, said he, are a few changes oflinen, and here is something to help you till you can help yourself."So saying, he slipped ten guineas into his hand. Alonzo expressed hisgratitude with tears. "Say nothing, said Jack, we were born to help eachother in distress, and may Jack never weather a storm or splice a rope,if he permits a fellow creature to suffer with want while he has aluncheon on board." He then shook Alonzo by the hand, wishing him a goodvoyage, and went whistling away. The skiff soon sailed, and the nextmorning Alonzo was landed in France. Alonzo proceeded immediately toParis, not with a view of returning to America; he had yet no relish forrevisiting the land of his sorrows, the scenes where at every step hisheart must bleed afresh, though to bleed it had never ceased. But he wasfriendless in a strange land: perhaps, through the aid of the Americanminister, Dr. Franklin, to whose fame Alonzo was no stranger, he mightbe placed in a situation to procure bread, which was all he at presenthoped or wished.
He therefore presented himself before the doctor, whom he found in hisstudy.--To be informed that he was an American and unfortunate, wassufficient to arouse the feelings of Franklin. He desired Alonzo to beseated, and to recite his history. This he readily complied with, notconcealing his attachment to Melissa, her father's barbarity, her deathin consequence, his own father's failure, with all the particulars ofhis leaving America, his capture, escape from prison, and arrival inFrance; as also the town of his nativity, the name of his father, andthe particular circumstances of his family; concluding by expressing hisunconquerable reluctance to return to his native country, which nowwould be to him only a gloomy wilderness, and that his present objectwas only some means of support.
The doctor enquired of Alonzo the particular circumstances and time ofhis father's failure. Of this Alonzo gave him a minute account. Franklinthen sat in deep contemplation for the space of fifteen minutes, withoutspeaking a word. He then took his pen, wrote a short note, directed it,and gave it to Alonzo: "Deliver this, said he, to the person to whom itis directed; he will find you employment, until something morefavourable may offer."
Alonzo took the note, thanked the doctor, and went in search of theperson to whom it was addressed. He soon found the house, which wassituated in one of the most popular streets in Paris. He knocked at thedoor, which was ope
ned by an elderly looking man: Alonzo enquired forthe name to whom the note was addressed. The gentleman informed him thathe was the man. Alonzo presented him the note, which having read, hedesired him to walk in, and ordered supper. After supper he informedAlonzo that he was an English bookseller; that he should employ him as aclerk, and desired to know what wages he demanded. Alonzo replied thathe should submit that to him, being unacquainted with the customarysalary of clerks in that line of business. The gentleman told him thatthe matter should be arranged the next day. His name was Grafton.
The next morning Mr. Grafton took Alonzo into his bookstore, and gavehim his instructions. His business was to sell the books to customers,and a list of prices was given him for that purpose. Mr. Grafton countedout twenty crowns and gave them to Alonzo: