The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-09-18
MIS- C Ell A N Y.
From the Frond of Virtue.
Confession Of acOndemncd Criminal,
Only thoughts, my words my crimes forgive.
And since | soon must cease TO 1--we,
Instruct me how . de-

Murder is my crime. I have taker
lie. With ienLish frenzy | have stfan'
ered my victim, and IN unison with The
myfmidJns OF hell, as his face grew
black, nod his bursting eyebalIs pro-
trudtd from their sockets, have felt he
sweetness If 'evrng1, aud even after had
slain he man who made me what am,
sat down by his dlSfgcred corpse and re-
iuirpd 10 lhluR that he was dead, lfeless,
and his lyIag tongue forever ceased. Oh
it was stnnge, ye was happy happy
that | bad revenged myself; happy that |
could spurn with my foot the man who in
my life bad spurned me- happy that be-
fore me lay the proud and naughty Ceve-
land ia the silence and stiffness Of death.
But 10 my story. seltled in q flourish.
ing Town, a, the head of navigation in one
of The western States, and tor upwards of
III rse years saw nothing to mar the pros.
prct which then seemed bright before me.
During hat time had become acquaint>
ed with lovely girl, aud in Helen SyI-
veSter | found all that my imagination
had ever pictured Of loveliness ami purify
in woman. She was not surprisingly
beautiful, though she was surprisingly
lovely aud in the quietness OF her dis.
position and the intelligence which con-
SANITY lighted up her bine eye, found
enough to 'uake me strive to possess her
and win love which knew would be
lsIng. succeeded bat better would it
have been for US if | had not wooed and
won.
For one year we KEEP. our mutual af,
feCucn !Ir each Ier secret from the
wori: aad during that line cur conduct
never tyr moUenl gave rise 10 suspicion
iha. We were brtTohed. L,verjng Syl-
vps.-r, The father Of Helen. was wealthy
merchant. and De VIZ Cleveland n veal
thy Pr ie's son whose father had been
the early friend Of Mr. Sylvester, was des.
tined BY me pirens Oh both sld's 10 De The
hlsolnd Df her whose whole affection and
love were my own. I WAS dong business
for Respectable h Iuse N The village, b0! |
my salary was insufi.isn! 10 support Hell
en and nYs'iF, hence the delay upon the |
par, of Us both. to mike known TO her IA,
thar cur engagement aud determination !
We knew he wss proud; We Ielt anger |
wnnid be !Iindied a9ains, us, and we fear
ed the cons, quYncrs. 49, Young Cleveland |
returaed from Princeton, where he had |
finished his co!lega.e urse, G. had scarce
" been ut home week when Helen dis !
covered his discrimination 10 address her. !
Wuh tears 10 her ewes she one evening |
met me al the house OF her aunt; aud at |
ter dlselosia, all thar Cleveland had said, |
an! her ri az lon of his haad, she added
Nelson. NV fahe! mas spohrn 10 me- OF.
ta- subjec' Of young CIeve!and's attention
10 ave. H rs urged nat as he was &c.
comp'ished, wealthy, and ths sIu OF an Old
friend, i. wae my du Y tor his sake 10 ma9
~ hin. confessed oar engagemFnl,a and
have bvs0 70 b!dlen my fathers house
II persist il my determination 10 marry
you, snd ha sccGses yuD OF having clhn
desiinely engaged yonrsrif TO me, wuh
the hope OF evrn0aliy bpnrf ing Yourself
in pecunary point OF view. He says
that f we afe n1rriaI il would break bis
head; AMI though | am his only child,
he will forget parents feelings aud a IA.
ther's tenderness, Poor Helen flashed
though it would have 10 be KEEP, secret
fron her flhcr, yeI she would uever cease
10 love me or look up, N me in the light of
ii betrothel. urged upon her TO marry
mS hen, to hy from her farhar's house.
AMI repo>e in me that confidence which
fth deserved q become at Once my vile.
t. mis- she would uol cousenl, out cher
i2hrd the d"Iuslve hope that Cleveland
would forget her when he discovered our
at,nc hmen', and her fljher ultimately be-
co ne recoucipd TO our union. We part
ed, alas forever. Helen his gone 10 the
grave land the constant nose OF the works
men without my prison walls, gives me
notice era the sun goes down on the NOR
row, thai 100 will BE- in the land Of
'prus io.noV my future destiny.
LIT parents learn lesson from what
follows, ana be careful Dow they restrain
their children in matters of the heart.
Af'er | had parted with Helen, return.
I'D 70 the store, but spent sleepess night
IL turning over in my mind the events Of
the day, AID The probable d lfficuIlies which
lay in the path of Helen and myself A
week p ,sSed away, and had not dared
10 visit her whom so dearly loved. Al
the clos Of the sixth or seventh dav OF our
p,r'ing I received lhls mole by Mr. SyI
westerns servant who mereiy placed it in
my hand an hurried away.
"Dear Nelson You have acted wisely
in not wishing me, and though 1 shall re.
greet il exceedingly, yetiI viii III the end
BE- better for US bOtn that you should for
sore time avoid my ttehrr's presence. |
plAjnly luld Mr. Cleveland on last evenng
thn yoa possessed me, and although he
dropp a Tie subject, which has become
more 'han p'int!I 10 me-, observed dark
aud coolempn5us look upon his COUNTIES
nance \" hen your ga .IIr was mentioned. -
L z