The Litchfield County post., 1827-10-25

my soul and OverCame II. | uttered a loud
cry, and fell into trance.
How long remained in this swOOn know
not. When | awOke from it, beheld love-
iy female hanging over me in an attitude of
pity and atfectiOn-it was my sister. She
bad heard my voice, and risen to give me as
sIstancc, Tears streamed from her beautiful
eyes but there was IA shudder from her frame
had, unknown to myself, muttered some
thing of the dreadful truth, land she had heard
it.
Next day the body of Mary ElIston was
found, and the news spread like whirwnd
over the country. They reached Eliza ears
confirming the dreadful ideas she began to
entertain. passed the time in state Of mind
which no language can depict. 1t was not
fear of punishment which distressed me SO
bitterly, but the terrors ofan awakened con
science. Two days passed on but nothing
was elected to throw light on the transaction.
On the third day my house was entered by
officers Of justice, and was hurried to the
prison of Stirling. 1t were in vain to attempt
TO relate my state of mind during my confine-
ment in the felons' cell. | had no consoIa-
tion--no comfort. / saw an ignominious
death before me. saw the gallows with all
its dreadful accompaniment. | had al
ready heard, in dreams, the sentence of the
Judge pronounced upon my guilty head.
was led out to execution amid the execrations
of the people. In perspective I beheld nv
form hung in chains, like the pirates on the
shore. and saw the passers-hy point frightful-
ly at my withered bones, saying, "Behold the
murderer!' And to increase my horrors, the
phantom would not stay away. Nightly she
came before me as at first, and gazed upon
me with her dark eyes. 1t was vain to try to
forget her. That dreadful monitor refreshed
my memory with ten-fold force, and drew un
anew what would have given the universe to
plunge into eternal forgetfulness. REPENT
REPENT! REPENT THE same words swept
forever over my imagination. They were the
only sounds that come from her lips, and
thousand echoes gave them back unto my
heart.
My tra. came on, and the evidence addu-
ced was most convincing. My house-keepcr
and one my servants saved my life. They
swore an abb in my favor, declaring in the
face of irresistible facts, that was in bed at
the time the murder was committed. Never
was perjury so grossly criminal Poor wretch
eS 1t was love to my sister which made them
guilty ofso dreadful step, and they lisked
their eternal souls to save one whose crimes
deserved thousand deaths
was discharged; but never did a criminal
come out ofcOurt with baCker character By
the verdict ofthe jury, and the admonition Of
the judge, the mark of Cain was virtually set
upon my forehead.
My life has been marked with desolation;
and another being was soon doomed to feel
the effects of its career-It was my sister.
My crime, discharged as was by the laws of
the country, was too evident to admit of
doubt in any m nd. She knew this, and her
heart was convulsed, no less at the thought
of my guilt, than at the loss of her friend and
the ruined honor of our family. She faded
away like flower beneath pestilential va
pOr. She felt that she was kin and blood to
IL murderer, and she shuddered at the
thought Still she did not hate or shun me
but as she herself drew nearer to the grave,
she seemed to cling with greater ardor to the
last and worthless remnant of our line. She
died, and her last words to me were to re-
pent.
never knew my sisters value till / had
lost her: never loved her till now. As |
looked on her form beautiful even in death, |
remembered what she had been to me, and
recalled from other years the image of my
Il
last sad duty to thee at least with sincere
heart. | shall perform thy mournful wake
alone, | shall weep in repentance for what
have done to thy gentle bosom. None shall
hear me, unless perchance, thy spirit, hover
nigh, may catch the tones ofremorse and af-
fiction from thy wretched brother
Such were my thoughts, and / burst into
tears-the first that had watered my eyes
since childhood. felt desolate, companion
less, and hated upon earth: and the fount-
aims of sorrow broke forth at the spectacle of
the only one who loved me so bitterly taken
away.
twas the fatal hour, and remarked it not
so utterly was occupied with my own med
itations; but it passed not by undistinguish
ed. 1t was the hour of ten, to me full of
sorrow and of crime. heard it strike and
when looking intently on the body ofmy sis
ter, / saw-no twas the phantom of my i'm
agination-I saw the pale form Of Mary. She
was still the same as she had hitherto appear
ed to my imagination: but her visit seemed
not to be for me, but for the corpse of her
friend. She looked with unspeakable alfec-
ton over it, and kissed It again and again.
was transfxed with establishment. l tried
to speak; but my tongue was tied. | tried
to move; but remained Supplied and bound
to my seat, as if by enchantment. Then the
form threw her arms around my sister, who
rose to receive her embraces. The pale
cheeks of the latter became flushed with pri-
meval beauty-her eyes were terminated and
sparkled as bright as ever--her lips burst the
silence which enchained them-she spoke g.