Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1838-12-25

U v T-
Early the second morning, took a walk into the
county along The Duhn road, vaguely hoping, meet
early Eealous attorney returning TO I'll
white handkerchief s,ica ang from the window tf his
posi- chasr that idea lad act INTO my heed hkc pic.
tute. sud wou fecut ever, moment ! met HIM not
fingered the road heard our town clock pealiur
twelve-lhe boyhsd bat 40 hour to live looked Il.
wards the county ISL WIN her he had been removed for
c1eculion-lhe black a. waving over lis drop.
door. Clsncing once more slodg the Dublin road !
ran iastas could iows-ds the jail Arriving at the
ga,r Of US outer ya,t was scarce conscious Of
the multitude which sat height confronting 1t, all
hnshed ead silent Of a. strong guafd Of soldiers
the gate I'LL Of ,hem i{uscd The way trbed the
sergeant TO convey nv nanr To the governor Of the pr
son snd admitted. 4 siinto the outer yard then by
The guard room door long colombo of pillars
connected witt iron W either hand into the inner
courts of the jail
The guard room was under the execution room and
both formed building in themselves, separated from
the main pile the colonade Of which have rpoken
leading from 10 the other VIVA, Dad sent TOE where
now found myself, was impui,e 20 bcsccch the
sheriff (whom knew, and who was necessarily in the
Jail, TO accompany the condemned to Me door o the
execution ROOM for short post ponemtnt oil the Ia
tai moment He out to me IN OF the courts
at either side OF the colombo spoke IN whispers
the good and kind. hearted governor and Aad done
though there creature to overhear rs in the
deserted sunny spaces all around. knew the sheriff
must at his peril make change in the hour but
told him our case and his eyes frightened vita zeal
and bencvolence while lac put hrs watch back three
quarters of hour asseverated with my uncle Toby
all their clocks wrong, and let them hang hmucf
for the mistake
Our point arranged, we sunk into silence II was
inpos ible 20 20 talking in conscious wins
pers- n clock soon struck! The governor pale and
aeitaed, appeared, making a sad signal to the sheriff
We beckoned him 10 and he shown the in
lallble watch, and retired again without word, NV
friend and stood side by side in resumed silence, and
oil, too silence around u.s. few most
melancholy, most appalling soundsonce caused by the
step OF sentinel under the window of the condemned
cell at an unseen side of the Prison-another by the
audible murmurings OF the condemned and his priest,
heard through that wudow-bJth growing more ferv
ent in prayer since the jail clock had pealed one and
third was made by some person, also unseen, striking
single stroke with wooden malet, about every half
minute upon large mufiied hell at the top Of the pr
son-Yes, can recall two other sounds which rritat
ed me greatly-the ehrpng of the sparrows in the
and thought that tlieIr usually pert notes
strangely ssd-and the tick, tick duthe sherifs watch
which heard distinctly IN hls fob The minutes flew
felt panied in the throat-burning with thirst-and
losing my presence of mind. The governor appeared
again-rny friend entered the prison with him. re-
maned alone, confused. Ia a few moments the COVER
came ont, bare headed and tears Oh his
cheeks. The young clergyman, and his younger pc mi.
tent followed-the former had passed an arm through
Of the manacled Of the latter, and the hands
OF both were claPed and pointed upward and they both
were praying uudIbly lily old school fellow, the ccr.
gyman, wept Ike a child Ny poor client had passed
the threshold into the collonade with firm siep-his
knees kept peculiarly stiff as he paced along and his
eyes wld-ned aud beamed and Fl xed the steps
M.
did not yet me gazing at him As the sheriff ap
peared behind him and his priest, also bare headed
rapidly snntched my hat from my head. The action at
tracted his atenlion-our glances met-and oh how
the flush instantly ursOok bis forehead aud his checks
and his olDsed-while cold PRECIPITATION
burst out on his brow and he started, stopped and fat
tered Did he recognize as the person who had
spoken kindly 10 hun IN tins cell before hs trial. and
perhaps, with all my precautlon given him vague
hope or was ii that the respected appearance Of
human creature staring at hun utter commsse ration
in that otherwise lonely court yard had touched the
cord oil human associations, and called him back 10
earth, out of ms enthusiastic visions OF hcdVsn know
mott cannot even gurss-who can As he ialtercd,
the young priest pressed his arm around his body aud
gently urged him 10 his knees aud kne with hin ks-
sing his cheeks his lips pressing his hands, and in
der whispers, manning hun again for facing shame and
death, and Eternity.
The governor the sheriff and !, nsnctively assum-
ed the attitude Of prayer at the same moment. But
hate 10 give character Of captrap 10 real though
defiu occurrence, by continuing too cirCumsantiay
Moyas own boy never mounted the steps Of the
| execution room. We were first startled while all
knet by II afterwards proved, her shrieks at the
outer gatesshe had caped from the OF her
family and had 10 the jail, nssiing being
Rcd to him. vivid the rope itself round ms neck live
a widow Tor hIm iorever-and next there was a grand
shou, from the multitude the .ural heights the
white handkerchief streaming through the window o
his post chaise, realized, though every il
but And Moya sclitfsItsported for life /,
Van DiemaDs Land, some weeks afterwards, happy
and coucnted wife, her family having yielded 10 hel
wishes, at The Instance # advocates tlsu herself
/ ard put some money IN her purse also