The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-10-21

Uhough well remember it seemed an hour to me
what must it have seemed to poor Eleanor!) be-
| fore the jury returned into the room. There was
considerable busting and crowding to the bar as
| they entered, and then, lor the first time, per-
ceived slight change in the counle'ance oil Flea,
nor Her face grew paler than it was before, and
the blood totally forsook her lips, which slightly
uuvered with some lrrepressble emotion. 1t sub
sided with the noise, into that deep and notion
less interest which seemed to chain all her iacu-
ties, and her eye rested on the judge with fixed
ness Of expression, piercing, 50 intense, that 1t
seemed as if her whole soul were in that gnze. A
slight shudder passed over the judge as his rem-
bling fingers fumled at the paper, which the FORE
man of the jury handed to him. and he seemed to
be making great internal effort to gain his COM
posure and nerve himself for his tying duty. At
length the unloded paper lay open before him and
he began TO read, hut in n voice so slow and so
carefully modulated, that it was evident to all
what struggle his feelings were undergoing" We
find the prisoner, Wiiiiam WoodriIie, guilty."
The words had scarcely left his lips, when shrek
ran through the apartment, so piercing, so shrlll,
that it seems sounding in my ears this very minute
All eyes-and many Of them streaming with tears
were turned in the direction of the sound, which
had burst from Eeanor's anguished heart. As the
Judge began to read the verdict, she rose gradually
u
charmer-slowy and gradually she rose, while the
veins in her high pale forehead swced like whip
cords, and when the word "guilly' struck on her
ear. the emotions of her breast, subdued and kept
down till nalure could endure no more, burst out
in that piercing cry, as she uttered which, she
tottered towards the bench; but her strength tailed
her before she reached it, and she sunk down IN
temporary death upon the floor.
have several times undertaken tn shorten my
story; yet continue to dwell on its incidents with
a prolixty which must be very tiresome TO my
readers, and which they can only excuse on the
score of my being an old man, whose world is now
the world ofmcmory, As | was an eyewitness of
the occurrence which relate, can scarcely avoid
being particular; but feel am not doing justice
to my young readers, who cannot be expected to
have tina, interest for William and Eleanor that
had, and, of course, cannot relish my crcumstan-
TALLY. will therefore pass hastily over in,erme-
date events, and come with all possible despatch
to the conclusion of my narrative, Were it strict
" advisable, might relate few other clrcum-
stances connected with this trial which, if they pro-
, yed tenth part as interesting in my narration, as
they did to every body in that part Of the country
where they happened, would amply repay the time
that the pcrusal would occupy. But as there Is
not space for these, they must necessarily DO
+ omitted. will therefore not attempt 20 describe
the anguish of of the venerable old father Of Flea
, nor, and how he bent over her insensible form,
crying out, 'my child my child Father of mcr-
cics, give my old heart strength to beat this heavy
hour" will not portray the broken hearted ell.
forts Of William to maintain his outward compo-
, sure, as he raised his lovely and unconscious wife
, from the floor and endeayored 10 call her back 10
this wrelchcd life. Nor will | endeavor to paint
, the allclion of poor Mungo, who with hoarsc
! 4 add nscplt hp Iuuu IN
pIoling mercy for ''his dear massa," and offering
TO 90 to PRISON in his stead, These circunlstan-
ccs leave TO the renders Imagination.
Alter Eleanor had been conveyed from court,
and composure was in some degree restored, the
Judge proceeded to pronounce sentence of death
upon William who listened to his fate with mod
est trnness that made him more than ever an OBJ
ect of interest. lie was then removed to prison,
and as he was about entering its door, crowd OF
4, the inhabitants, young and DID, some that had
known him from his infancy, and some that had
been his paymnes at school, pressed forward 10
grasp him once more by the hand, showing by this
mute nci-ior few Of them were able to accompa-
nv it with words--,heir undimlnishcd regard, al
though they believed that in moinen, of ungov'
ernublr passion, excited by an insult which no man
could have horne, he had mbrued his hands in u
fellows blood. As for the robbery, Williams
own account of the manner in which he became
possessed of the pocket-book was generally be-
eved.
The prison of the village was wooden cdfce;
bu, the apartment in which William Woodve
, was confined was strongly secured with iron bolts.
aud the single window that opened into it was
guarded with huge iron bars. 1t had been nnlici-
! pa,cd, and may say hoped, by many of the in
habiiunts, that he would be enabled, previous TO
the day appointed for his execution, TO make his
escape; ard there were not many persons in that
part of the country who would 10. have been will
ling to facilitate such an occurrence. One of the
few, however, who were anxious that the sentence
Of the law should no: be frustrated was the jailor.
He was a coarse, vulgar man, who had been II
, participant in many Of the wild adventures Of
Thornton. and shnrer in his midnight carousals
and he now looked upon the prisoner in his cuslo-
dy with an eye of personal enmity, for having de-
pryed him of a source from which he had contrI-
we'd to draw large accession TO his proper in
come. This feeling was kept alive by the arlful
nsinuaiions of Quirk, who hated Woodyille morc
than ever on account of the general sympathy
manifested for him; and the consequence was, that
our unfortunate hero was guarded with a degree
of vigilance that seemed to preclude all hopes Of
his beng enabled TO eudc his fate.
From the time tina, the door of his masters cell
was fist closed on him, until few days previous
to tina, when he was to yield his life to the viola
|, ted laws of his country, Mungo had been a con-
stan, viser at the CRATE. supplying the prisoner. at
the promp,ings of an affection which was incrcas.
ed, not lcssened by the awful circumstances il
which he stood, every comfort tina, his contracted
situation admitted. Eleanor had wrung an unw-
ing assent from the aiIcr to visit her husband in
bis narrow abode, and, for several weeks scarcely
quilted him for moment. But, agitated beyond
his strength BY the circumstances in which his dar-
ling daughter, and almost equally beloved son
were placed, a fever had at length fastened on her
parent which soon increased TO such an alarming
degree as to require the constant presence Of his
child at his bedside. Every attention that kind
ness or affection could suggest was rendered TO the
H., and Laval hv all b,s