The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-04-30

were finished he fixed his eyes ia silence, for
second or two upon bis son, and turning TO the
magistrate, with bis eyes swimming in tears, he
exclaimed, have carried him many a score
miles on my knarsack, your honour
There was something 50 deeply pathetic IN the
tone with which this fond rernonstrance was
uttered by the old soldier, that every person
present, even TO tire very gauier himself, was
Affected by it. 4 have carried him many a
score miles on my knapsack, your honor, re-
pested the poor fellow, whilst ne brushed a
way the tears from his check with his rough
unwashed hand, and then continued, But its
all over now-he has done-and-so have J!
The magistrate asked him something of his
story.
He said be had formerly driven a stage coach
in the north Of ireland, and that he had small
share in the proprletorship OF the coach. About
that time, lac married young moman with lit
tie property, but he failed in business, and after
enduring many troubles, he enlisted as a soldier
in the 18th, or royal Irisl. regiment OF foot and
went on ser, ice with his wife and four children.
Henry 1.-THE prisoner was his second son, and
his darling PRIDE At the end of nine years,
he was discharged in this country without pen
sion, or friend in the worId-and coming to
London, he with some trouble got employed as
paviour by the gentlemen who manage the
streets at Mary-ie- bone
Two years ago, your honor" he continued,
my poor wife was weared with the world, aud
she deceased from me, and Twas left alone with
the children, and every night | came home |
washed their faces, and put them TO bed, and
washed their little bits o. things, and hanged
them O. the line to dry myself-for Pdno money
your honour, and so could not have a house
keeper to 10 them, you-know. We'll, your hon
our, was as happy as | could well be, consider
ing my wife was deceased from me; but some
bad people came to live at the back of US, and they
were always striving to get Henry amongst
them, and was terribly afraid something bad
would come oft, as It was but poorly could do
ior ell--and SO Id made up my mind to take all
my children to Ireland. If he had only held up
another week, your honor we should have gone,
and he would have been saved. But now
Here the poor man looked at bis boy again,
and Wept-and when the magistrate endcavor-
ed TO console him by observing, that bis son
would sail tor BOTANY Bay, and probably do
wei there--he replied somewhat impaticntly,
Aye, its fine talking, your Worship pray to
the great God he may never sail any where, I'M
less he sails with me to Ireland ! and then, after
a moments thought, he asked, in the humblest
tone imaginable, Doesn't your honour think
little bit of petition might help him''
The magistrate replied it possibly might, and
added, ifyou attend his trial at the Old Bailey
and plead for him as elcquently in words and
actions as you have done here, think it would
help him still more
Aye, but then yon won't be there, I sup
pose, will your" asked the poor fellow, with
that familiarity which is in some degree sacn-
toned by extreme distress--and which this wor-
ship replied that he should not be present, he
impatiently reoined, [" Then-what's the use of
il There will be nobody there who knows me
and what stranger will listen to poor broken
hearted old fellow, who can't speak for crying p