UNEXPECTED MISFORTUNES.
"MY life," said Mr. Eldridge, "till within these few years was marked by no particular circumstance deserving notice. I early embraced the life of a sailor, and have served my King with unremitted ardour for many years. At the age of twenty-five I married an amiable woman;one son, and the girl who just now left us, were the fruits of our union.
My boy had genius and spirit. I straitened my little income to give him a liberal education, but the rapid progress he made in his studies amply compensated for the inconvenience.
At the academy where he received his education he commenced an acquaintance with a Mr. Lewis, a young man of affluent fortune:
as they grew up their intimacy ripened into friendship, and they became almost inseparable companions.
"George chose the profession of a soldier. I had neither friends or money to procure him a commission, and had wished him to embrace a nautical life: but this was repugnant to his wishes, and I ceased to urge him on the subject.
"The friendship subsisting between Lewis and my son was of such a nature as gave him free access to our family; and so specious was his manner that we hesitated not to state to him all our little difficulties in regard to George's future views.
He listened to us with attention, and offered to advance any sum necessary for his first setting out.
"I embraced the offer, and gave him my note for the payment of it, but he would not suffer me to mention any stipulated time, as he said I might do it whenever most convenient to myself.
About this time my dear Lucy returned from school, and I soon began to imagine Lewis looked at her with eyes of affection.
I gave my child a caution to beware of him, and to look on her mother as her fe,,end. She was unaffectedly artless; and when, as I suspected, Lewis made professions of love, she confided in her parents, and assured us her heart was perfectly unbiassed in his favour, and she would chearfully submit to our direction.
"I took an early opportunity of questioning him concerning his intentions towards my child: he gave an equivocal answer, and I forbade him the house.
"The next day he sent and demanded payment of his money.
It was not in my power to comply with the demand. I requested three days to endeavour to raise it, determining in that time to mortgage my half pay, and live on a small annuity which my wife possessed, rather than be under an obligation to so worthless a man:
but this short time was not allowed me; for that evening, as I was sitting down to supper, unsuspicious of danger, an officer entered, and tore me from the embraces of my family.
"My wife had been for some time in a declining state of health:
ruin at once so unexpected and inevitable was a stroke she was not prepared to bear, and I saw her faint into the arms of our servant, as I left my own habitation for the comfortless walls of a prison.
My poor Lucy, distracted with her fears for us both, sunk on the floor and endeavoured to detain me by her feeble efforts, but in vain;they forced open her arms; she shrieked, and fell prostrate.
But pardon me. The horrors of that night unman me.
I cannot proceed."
He rose from his seat, and walked several times across the room:
