Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-10-24

WHICH, lnstedh OF deepening INTO 0aFkneSs,
kept up mellow golden radiance sweeier
than the searching day light; for before
the colour Of the sun had entirely faded
in the west, the moon came up over the
eastern horizon, aud the effect was divine
My poor host, however, did not seem so
happy as usual. He had been lbougslifuI
| the whole evening, and now became more
fpensive aud nothing reused bin even
into momentary cheer, except the play
fulness Of bis eldest daughier--a merry
little girl Of about four or FIVE years Of
| age. 1t was sad TO see him, with bis de-
jected face, striving TO laugh and ronpi
with the child, who 10 short time began
10 perceive the alteration 10 her fathers
mauueF, and to reflect 10 her smooth face
the uDeasiness Of his. But their pssiime
was of short continuance. Ii was melan-
choIy pretence. There was nothing hear
| ty in ii, except the dance of The child's
forehead locks tossed 10 aud fro in the clear
tmoonshine.
/ soon found out the cause Of this de.
preston. He was beginning 10 be pinched
under an ugly coaition-an increasing
family, decreasing business, aud times
taxed to the aftermost. The geHllefolks
living about the great squares did not spend
so much money as formerly 10 decking
their windows and balconies with eariy
flowers and rare exotics, and this was an
important source Of Wilson's feTsHue.
He bore up, however, with sad patience,
for long time; till hunger thinned and
stretched the round faces Of his children.
! and his wife's endearments, instead OF
coming with hope and encouragement
seemed like tokens of love growing more
/ spiritual and devoted under despair; they
we're embraces halIeged and made sublime
by fame. AL this was more than the poor
! man could bear. The falling voices OF
his unconscious children were like mad
uess bringing sounds in his ears; aud one
! night, losing 10 the tumult OF his thoughts
1 all distinction between right aud wrong,
be rushed forth and committed a robbery
| shall never forget, as long as i've
The hour when he was unprecedented BY
the officers of justice.
A knock was heard at the outer gate,
and on Mrs. Wilson's going to open it,
two men rushed by her into the house.
and seized her pale and trembling has
band; who, although he expected and
/ dreaded such an event, was so staggered
by it as to lose for few moments his con.
seriousness Of all about him. The first
thing he saw on coming to himself was
his wife stretched at his feet in a fearful
swcon, and, as he was hurried off, he
turned his eye towards her with heart
broken expression, calling ont in tone.
half raving, and half imploring, !. look
there-look there"
I II would be vain to attempt descrip-
ton Of the wretched hours passed by him
and his wife in the interval which elapsed
between this period aud the time of his
trial. The madness of his utter despair,
perhaps, was less intoIerable than The
sickeniDg agitation produced in her mind
by the air-built hopes she dared to enter
tain in weary succession, and which we're
only born to be soon stricken back into
nothing. This, indeed. was CHASTITY and
whitening conflict. The poor woman,
after enduring it for three weeks, could
not easily be recognized By her old &C
quaintances. There were no traces left
Of the happy, bursting wife. She moved
silently among her children; her face was
emaeiated and hectic, and her eyes were
red with The constant swell of tears. 1t
was mighty change.
i The day of trial at length came on
j Wilson was found guilty; and sentence of
death was passed on him. The laws in
their justice condemned him to be hanged
and the laws in their justice had enlor
ced the taxation, the hard pressure of
Il which had so mainly assisted to drive him
into the crime. But the world is mex
plicabte.
i His wife did not survive this news many
hours. She died in the night without a
struggle. 1t was of no use to let the con-
1 demned man know this. knew he would
\ never ask TO see her again; for their
meetings in the prison had already been
ltormenting beyond endurance.
/ visited him 10 his cell two days be-
fore the time appointed for the execution.
He was silent for many minutes after L
\ entered, aud did not attempt TO rouse
him. At length, with voice qaiyerins
under an effort to be composed, he said
4 g Although, Mr.. Saville, do mol request
| (I was going to say | did not 'vish, but
GoD knows how false that would be) to
behold my wife again 10 this bitter, bitter
world; because such dreary meeting
would drive her mad, yet ! think it would
do me good il could see my child, my
eldest girl, my little Betsey. know not
why it is bat have an idea that her soft
prattle, ignorant as she is of my fate,
would take something away from the dis