The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-05-11

X
the possession Of the young lady. AT the
court, she arose, and in low tremulous &C
cents, broken with sobs, she reluctantly de-
posed that the clothes worn by her brother,
on his return home from that fatal journey,
were torn, soiIed, and bloody! An audible
murmur ran through the crowd-the witness
was borne away insensible-the prisoner
bowed his head in mute despair-the argu-
ment proceeded-the jury brought in YER
dict of GUILTY!-and the sentence of death
was passed.
The summer had passed away-the hand
of Autumn had begun to tinge with mellow
hues, the magnificent scenery of the forest.
II was evening, and the clear moon-beams
were shining through the CRATES of the pris-
oner's cell. The unhappy man, haggard, at
tenuated, and heart-broken, was lying on
his wretched pallet, rejecting alternately
upon the early wreck of his bright hopes
the hour of ignominy that was approaching,
and the dread futurity into which he should
soon be plunged. 1t was the season with
which his marriage with Almira was to have
been solemnized. With what pride and Joy
had he looked forward to this hour! And
now instead of the wedding festivities, the
friends, he realized fetters-a dungeon
disg,aceful deathn
The well known tread of the jaiIor inter-
rupted the bitter train of thought. The door
opened, and as the light streained from Ian
tern across the cell, he saw female form
timidly approaching. In moment Almira
had sunk on her knees beside him, andtbeir
hands were silently clasped together
There are occasions when the heart spurns
all constraint, and acts up to its own die
tates, careless of public opinion, or prescri-
bed forms-and when that which under 9TH
er circumstances would be mere unlicensed
impulse, becomes hallowed, imperious du-
lty. That noble hearted girl had believed
to the last, that her lover would be honora-
bly, acquitted. The intelligence Of his con-
domination, while it blighted her hopes and
; wihered her health, never disturbed for q
moment her conviction of his innocence
There is a union of hearts which is indes-
tructble-a love that endures while life re-
mains, or until its object proves faithless or
unworthy. Such was the affection of Almi
ra-she held her promise, to love him whose
I fidelity and character she considered un-
spotted, to be as sacred as if they had been
e united in marriage. She had come to visit
him in his desolation, and to risk all, to save
J, one who was dear and innocent in her esti-
: n,ation, though guilty in the eyes Of the world
The jailor, blunt, though humane man,
briefly disclosed plan which he with Almi-
), ra had devised for the escape of Hamilton
u He had consented to allow him to escape in
Z a female dress-she wes TO remain in his
!. stead-so that the whole plan should seem
u to be herown. Il am plain man, said the
Tailor, shut know what's right-it amt fair to
d hang no man on suspicion, g. morethan that /,
1t am not going to stand in no mans way
ESPECIALLY friend who has done me favors
is as you have.'
h To their surprise the prisoner perempto-
1t rily refused the offer. Il am innocent said
he, sbut | would suffer thousand deaths,
J. rather than iniure the fame of this confding
y girl
Is eco, my dear Dudley she sobbed; 'for
# my sake, for the sake of your broken-heart-
3 ed parents and sister,
:, sDo not tempt me, my dear Almira-I will
/. ppt do that which will expose you to disgrace
el ooh, who would blame me!'
stl sThe world-the AapchaEitable world
h they who believe me Smurderer, and ha We
Z, tOItuI AhOSs NAAoSSus oSstOhS uAeO PaOoA
e Of deliberate vilIany, will not hesitate to
s. brand you as the victim of q cold blooded
s. felon And why should fly ?to live a wretch
,e ed wanderer, with brand of Cain on my
/, forehead, and charaoer stamped with in
n famyn =
n, He would have said more-bu: the form
a that during this brief dialogue, had sunk into
IN his arms, was laying lifeless on his BOSOM
of He kissed her cold lips, and passionately
to called her name-b1t she heard him not
vii her pure spirit had flown forever! Her heart
Ia was broken. She had watched, wept, and
ar prayed, in hopeless grief, until the physical
he'll energies of delicate frame were exhaust
en- ed and the excitement of the last scene,
ed had snapped the attenua,ed thread of life.
ce Hamilton did not survive her long-his
of health was already shattered by the long
OF confinement, and the chatting of a proud spiri
q; His mother-oh! how cautiously dld they
IN whisper the sad truth, when he asked why
TX she. who had loved him better than life-ha(
forsaken him in the hour Of affiiction-shs
Of too, had sunk under the dreadful blow
ir. His father lived withered, melancholy
Ho man, crushed in spirit sister hung lks
&c. a guardian angel over his death bed, and a
nd he gazed on her pale, sorrow stricken coun
s1tenance, he saw that she too. would soon b
as numbered among the victims Of this meiau
led oholy prosecution. When with his las
hat breath he.said that they would soon NEE
- she replied, 81 trust that God will spare m