imself in ranging through silent glens in
loneliness. His thoughts were absorbed in the gloomy experience of the
misery of a painful separation from a dear and beloved object; he wept
for her whose mild and winning graces had power to soften and illuminate
the darkest shades of life, or alleviate the distressful scenes of
adversity.

[[This unidentified paragraph about Alida's widowed father reads
like the description of a young romantic hero.]]

His mind was wholly absorbed in those gloomy reflections that scarcely
admitted a ray of consolation, when the weekly newspaper arrived from
the neighbouring village; he took it up, hoping to find something to
amuse his thoughts; he opened it to read the news of the day; he ran his
eye hastily over it, and was about to lay it aside, "when the death list
arrested his attention by a display of broad black lines," and he, who
had not yet become reconciled to his present misfortune, was now about
to experience another equally severe.

[_A&M_ (Alonzo reads of Melissa's death):

He returned, and as he was entering the door he saw the weekly
newspaper of the town, which had been published that morning, and
which the carrier had just flung into the hall. The family had not
yet arisen. He took up the paper, carried it to his chamber, and
opened it to read the news of the day. He ran his eye hastily over
it, and was about to lay it aside, when the death list arrested his
attention, by a display of broad black lines.]

What could equal his bitterness, his surprise and grief, when he read
the disastrous news that his youngest son (who had lately gone on a
foreign expedition) had died of a fever in a distant land a few weeks
previous!

The paper fell from his palsied hand,--a sudden faintness came over
him,--he fell back almost senseless in his chair,--exhausted by excess
of grief, he remained a long time in a stupifying anguish.

[_A&M_:

The paper fell from his palsied hand--a sudden faintness came upon
him--the room grew dark--he staggered, and fell senseless upon the
floor.
...
Exhausted by excess of grief, he now lay in a stupifying
anguish....]

The tidings were so unlooked-for of the premature death of his
unfortunate son, who about this time was expected to arrive in New-York.
For him an only brother was inconsolable; and Alida, who had long been
accustomed to his kindness and caresses, was overcome with a dejection
that time a