The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-10-23
From he Philadelphia Caskci.
Leaves from a Lawyers Port Folio
THE VICTIM.
[CoNTINuED.l


Days, weeks, months passed by and still Howard
continued in prison, As his hopes grew darker and
darker, and his friends by one dropped oft, his
spirit began to give way under the accumulated
load of misery, and his health gradually declined.
His only soace was IN the constant presence of his
wife. Day after day, in summer or winter, in cold
hea, or mpes, she was found before the prison gate
at early dawn, waiting for the hour of admission
and when night drew on, and tho regulations oithc
prison forced hcr to depart, she was always the last
TO leave the portal. and could be seen slowly pass
ing down the street, looking around at almost eve
~ step, as if her whole heart was inferred within
those gloomy walls. And she too dropped. Though
supported by her relatives, and in possession Of
comfort if no, of luxury, every delicacy she en-
joyed only seemed to cut hero the heart the more
when she reflected that her husband was debarred
even from the pure air olhcaven. Oh! what tongue
can tell, what pen can trace the slow, wearsome,
increasing agony of such life as hers'
Oppressive as the system of Imprisonment for
debt is now considered, and amelioratcd ns is the
condition of the prisoner in consequence thereof,
we have only faint idea of the living torture in
lctcd upon the victim of poverty under the old
rcgimine in our prisons. Cut of from every COM
fort, confined in close and noisome cells, deprived
of all hope of release, unless by the reeIhing Of
their creditors, the poor, unhappy debtor dragged
on his being in misery and despair, until death
came to release him from his sulierings. Buried
III his living grave, iriendcss, deserted and forgot,
even sympathy was stranger to his dcsola,ed boz
som. His complaints never reached the open ar;
his very dying prayer fell unheeded on mcrcenary
ears; the hand Of love wiped not the sorrow nor
smooihed the pillow Of death; and the last agonies
of the departing soul, instead of being checrcd by
holy tenderness, passed too often amid The jeers
and curses and bIasphcnes Of the mos, degraded
of the human race.
What then mus, have been the agony of my poor
friend when he saw how hopeless was his freedom
and that all these miscres would sooner or later be
his lot. llo would not even seek consolation in
unburdening his bosom to his wife, lest he should
wound her gentle spirit with the sight of his tot
tu'si Dut lOTCcu HnnscH W aiiect IL CnctTluIines
before her, which only made the agony that preyed
upon his heart more fearful in her bscnce. How
day by day, and month by month, as despair took
deeper hold upon his breast, mnst he have suffer-
ed like Promeiheus undying tortures. How ter
rblc his struggles; how fearful his agony. DO all
he could he might not rend the monsters that en-
twined themselves about him. Like LAGOON be
was in the folds Of the serpent, and every struggle
only tighten their grasp. My pen ucmbles as
! recall it; but oh! the agony Of the reality.
Ihaye said that in the company ofhs wife How
ard found his only soacc, and its value TO one like
him can better be imagined than described. He
had always seemed to live in her presence-he
now adored her very footsteps as those Of IN an
gel. And 10 him she was one indeed bringing light
aud lie into his gloomy prison and leaving at her
departure nothing but woe and despair. But can
not dwell upon ii MY heart turns from the sight.
Winter came and with il the health of Mary be-
gan rapidly TO decline She had always been of a
delicate constitution and though her friends warned
her Of the consequences Of exposing herself as
she did to the bitteiest storms by visiting the prison
yet she felt she had higher duty to perform than
TO care for little illness, and thai death selfwoud
be sweet if it came in alternating her husbands
misery. She may have erred and God knows how
agonisng was the resi't.