Alonzo and Melissa; Or, The Unfeeling Father: An American Tale
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shrinking into the bed, the lights were suddenly extinguished, andthe person, after commanding her to be gone in a hoarse voice, passedagain to the foot of the bed, shook it violently, and made a seemingattempt to get upon it, when, perceiving her to be springing up, he fledout of the room by the secret door, cautiously shut it, and joined hiscompanions.
The operators had not yet completed their farce, or rather, to Melissa,tragedy. They had framed an image of paste-board, in human shape,arrayed it in black, its eyes being formed of large pieces of what isvulgarly called _fox-fire_,[A] made into the likeness of human eyes,some material being placed in its mouth, around which was a piece of thethinnest scarlet tiffany, in order to make it appear of a flame colour.They had also constructed a large combustible ball, of severalthicknesses of paste-board, to which a match was placed. The image wasto be conveyed into her room, and placed, in the dark, before herbed;--while in that position, the ball was to be rubbed over withphosphorus, the match set on fire, and rolled across her chamber, andwhen it burst, the image was to vanish, by being suddenly conveyed outof the private door, which was to close the scene for that night. But asMelissa had now arisen and lighted candles, the plan was defeated.
[Footnote A: A sort of decayed or rotten wood, which in the night looks like coals of fire, of a bright whitish colour. It emits a faint light.]
While they were consulting how to proceed, they heard her unlock herchamber door, and slowly descend the stairs. Fearing a discovery, theyretired with their lights, and the person who had been in her chamber,not having yet stripped off his ghostly habiliments, laid himself downon one side of the hall. The man who had the image, crowded himself withit under the stairs she was descending. On her dropping the candle, whenshe turned to flee to her chamber, from the sight of the same objectwhich had appeared at her bed-side, the person under the stairspresented the image at their foot, and at the same instant thecombustible ball was prepared, and rolled through the hall; and when onits bursting she fainted, they began to grow alarmed; but on findingthat she recovered and regained her chamber, they departed, for thattime, from the house.
"Our scheme, continued the wounded man, had the desired effect. Onreturning a few evenings after, we found the lady gone and the furnitureremoved. Several attempts were afterwards made to occupy the house, butwe always succeeded in soon frightening the inhabitants away."
Edgar and Alonzo then requested their prisoner to show them the springsof the secret doors, and how they were opened. The springs were sunk inthe wood, which being touched by entering a gimblet hole with a piece ofpointed steel, which each of the gang always had about him, the doorwould fly open, and fasten again in shutting to. On opening thetrap-door over which the gang had sat when they first discovered them,they found the table and chairs, with the decanters broken, and themoney, which they secured. In one part of the cellar they were shown akind of cave, its mouth covered with boards and earth--here the companykept their furniture, and to this place would they have removed it, hadthey not been so suddenly frightened away. The canoe they found secretedin the bushes beyond the canal.
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It was then agreed that the man should go before the proper authoritiesin a neighbouring town, and there, as state's evidence, make affidavitof what he had recited, and as complete a developement of the charactersconcerned in the business as possible, when he was to be released. Theman enquired to what town they were to go, which, when they had informedhim, "Then, said he, it will be in my power to perform one deed ofjustice before I leave the country, as leave it I must, immediatelyafter I have given in my testimony, or I shall be assassinated by someof those who will be implicated in the transaction I have related."
He then informed them, that while he, with the gang, was prosecuting theillicit trade, a British ship came and anchored in the Sound, which theysupplied with provisions, but that having at one time a considerablequantity on hand, the ship sent its boat on shore, with an officer andfive men, to fetch it; the officer came with them on shore, leaving themen in the boat: "As we were about to carry the provisions on board theboat, continued the man, a party of Americans fired upon us, and woundedthe officer in the thigh, who fell: "I shall be made prisoner, said he,taking out his purse; keep this, and if I live and regain my liberty,perhaps you may have an opportunity of restoring it:--alarm the boat'screw, and shift for yourselves." The boat was alarmed, returned to theship, and we saved ourselves by flight.
"This happened about four months ago; the ship soon after sailed for NewYork, and the officer was imprisoned in the gaol of the town to which weare to go; I can therefore restore him his purse."
The man farther informed them, that they had several times come nearbeing taken, and the last trip they were fired upon, and one of theirparty killed.
They immediately set out for the aforesaid town, after having dismissedtheir fifteen men; and when they arrived there, Alonzo and Edgaraccompanied their prisoner to the gaol. On making the proper enquiries,they were conducted into a dark and dirty apartment of the gaol, wherewere several prisoners in irons. The British officer was soondistinguished among them by his regimentals. Though enveloped in filthand dust, his countenance appeared familiar to Alonzo; and on a fewmoments recollection, he recognized in the manacled officer, thegenerous midshipman, Jack Brown, who had so disinterestedly relievedhim, when he escaped from the prison in London!
In the fervency of his feelings, Alonzo flew to him and clasped him inhis arms. "What do I behold! he cried. My friend, my brave deliverer,in chains in my own country!"
"The fortune of war, boy! said Jack--it might have been worse. But mylad, I am heartily glad to see you; how has it fared with you since youleft Old England?"--"We will talk of that by and by," said Alonzo.
There were then some American officers of distinction in town, with whomEdgar was acquainted, to whom he applied for the relief of the noblesailor;----and as there were several other British prisoners in gaolit was agreed that a cartel should be immediately sent to New York toexchange them. Alonzo had, therefore, the satisfaction to see the ironsknocked off of his liberal hearted benefactor, and his prison doorsopened.
The man they had taken at the mansion, returned him his purse,containing only twenty-five guineas, of which Jack gave him ten. "There,boy, said he, you have been honest, so I will divide with you."
They then repaired to an inn. Jack, whose wound was healed, was putunder the hands of a barber, cleaned, furnished with a change ofclothes, and soon appeared in a new attitude.
He informed Alonzo, that soon after he left England, his ship wasordered for America: that the price of provisions growing high, it hadtaken almost all his wages to support his family; that he had sent homehis last remittance just before he was taken, reserving only thetwenty-five guineas which had been restored him that day.--"But I havenever despaired, said he; the great Commodore of life orders all for thebest. My tour of duty is to serve my king and country, and provide formy dear Poll and her chicks, which, if I faithfully perform, I shallgain the applause of the Commander."
When the cartel was ready to depart, Alonzo, taking Jack apart from thecompany, presented him with a draught of five hundred pounds sterling,on a merchant in New York, who privately transacted business with theAmericans. "Take this, my friend, said he; you can ensure it byconverting it into bills of exchange on London. Though you once saw menaked, I can now conveniently spare this sum, and it may assist you inbuffeting the billows of life."--The generous tar shed tears ofgratitude, and Alonzo enjoyed the pleasure of seeing him depart, callingdown blessings on the head of his reciprocal benefactor.
The man who came with Alonzo and Edgar from the mansion, then wentbefore the magistrates of the town, and gave his testimony andaffidavit, by which it appeared that several eminent characters ofConnecticut were concerned in this illicit trade. They then releasedhim, gave him the money they had found in the cellar at the mansion, andhe immediately left the town. Precepts were soon after issued for anumber
of those traders; several were taken, among whom were some of thegang, and others who were only concerned--but most of them absconded,so that the company and their plans were broken up.
When Alonzo and Edgar returned home and related their adventure, theywere all surprised at the fortitude of Melissa in being enabled tosupport her spirits in a solitary mansion, amidst such great, and somany terrors.
It was now that Alonzo turned his attention to future prospects. It wastime to select a place for domestic residence. He consulted Melissa, andshe expressively mentioned the little secluded village, where
"Ere fate and fortune frown'd severe,"
they projected scenes of connubial bliss, and planned the structure oftheir family edifice. This intimation accorded with the ardent wishes ofAlonzo. The site formerly marked out, with an adjoining farm, wasimmediately purchased, and suitable buildings erected, to which Alonzoand