Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-30
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TIE CONVICT.


Robert Wilson was q market gardner.
Early in life bc married n deserving
young woman, whom he loved with en-
lire tenderness, and by whom he had
several children. No man OH earth could
be- fonder Of his lille offspring than Will
son; and they on the other hand had al
mos. worshipped their father, taking de-
light in nothing so much as dong what
he wished. Wilson was not very wise,
nor was he at all learned; but his heart,
which as | lave said, was all of tender
ness, told him with unerrinS Instinct that
his children would be governed more
perfectly, aud with moro wholesome CT
!cct under the dominion OF love than UNI
dor !ia, of fear; and his was indeed a
happy family, where affection, pleasure,
obedience and faith (faih iii each other
went haad in hand Tilson was well
situated for passing his life comfortably,
and nationally, his garden being just far
enough ont Of London, to render incon-
%vcnIrni his mixing in tho sqna!id profit
sacies Of tic town chad he been so in
clincd;) and yet he was not so entirely
in tho country as to harden linn into the
robust callousness and ignorant vices of
village life. lie could just hear enough
of the stir Of n great Babel to interest
him in it, and to keep his faculties alive
and awake, to the value ofhis own quiet,
! and 10 the unaffected care s ofhis dear
wife end children, which always appear
cd more and moro precious, alter he had
been hearing, in his weekly visits to town,
some instances of mercenary hypocrisy
and observation-disclosures.
lodged two years in his house, and
have often seen him on a summers even
ins sitting in al open part Of his garden
surrounded by his family, in unconscious
enjoyment of tho still and rich sunset
| was his guest tho last time l saw him,
poor fellow, in this placid happiness -
We drank tea in the open air, and amused
ourselves afterwards, | rcco'lect, in read
ing the previous days newspaper, which
Wilson used to hire for The evening"
We sat out Of doors later than usual,
owing probably to the dcliciousness Of
the night, which instead Of deepening
into darkness, kept up 4 mellow golden
radiance sweeter than the scorching day
light, for before the colours Of the. sun
| had entirely faded in tho west, the moon
, came up over the eastern horizon, and
the effect was divine. My poor host,
however, did not seem so happy as US
ual. He had been thoughtful the whole
evening, and now became more p~ensive;
and nothing reused him even into mo-
mcntary cheer, except the playiulness Of
his eldest daughter-a merry little girl
Of about four OF five years Of age. II
vas sad to see him, with his detected
face, striving to laugh and romp with the
child, who in a short time began to per-
cciye the alteration in her fathers man
ncr, and to reflect in her smooth face
, tho uncasihess Of his. But their pastime
was Of short continuance. There was
nothing hearty in it, except the dance Of
the chiid's forehead locks tossing to and
fro in the moonshinc.
l soon found out the cause Of this de-
preston. lie was beginning to be pinch
cd under an ugly c~oalition-an incroas-
ing family, decreasing business, and
times taxed TO the uttermost. The gen.
tlefviks, living about the great square,
did not spend so much money as former
ly in decking their windows and balconies
, with ea.ly flowers and rare e%xotics; and
this was an important source of Wilson,
revenue. He bore up, however, with
sad patience, for a long time, til! hunger
tiinncd and stretched the round laces o,
has children, and his wifo's endearmcnts
Instead of coming with hope and encour-
agcmcnt, seemed like tokens Of love
growing moro spiritual and devoted I'M
der despair, they were embraces hallow.
cd and made sublime By famine. The
failing voices Of his unconscious children
were like madness bringing sounds tc
his. ears, and m night, losing in the tn.
mutt Of his thoughts all distinction be.
tween right and wrong, he rushed for.
ward and committed n robbery.
1 shall never forget, as long as | live,
the hour when he was apprehended by
the officers of justice.
A knock was heard on 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 hus
band; who, although he expected anc
dreaded such an event, was so staggered
by it as to lose for a few moments hi
consciousness Of all about him. The
first thing he saw on coming to himself
was his wife stretched ut his feet in ;
fearful swoon; and, as he was hurried of
lie turned his head towards her with ;
hcart-broken expression, calling out in q
tone half raving aud half impIoring-