American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-06-18
From the Columbian Magazine.l
THE IRISH HEARTH TRUE STORY
BY MRS. L. MARIA GELD.
fCoSCLuDED.

by MRS. L. MARIA GELD.
[CoSCLuDED.
And had James been criminal? In the eye
of the law he had been; but his sister was right,
when she said he had no intention to do a wick
ed thing Not long after his arrival in Ameri-
ca, he was ono day walking along the street, in
respectable suit of Sunday clothes, when a
stranger came up, and entered into CONVERSE
ton with him. After asking some Indifferent
questions, he inquired what his coat cost.
"Sixteen dollars" was the answer.
81 will give you twenty for It, y said the stran-
ger; "lor am going away in hurry, and have
no time to get one made"
James was as unsuspectng as a child He
thought this was an excellent opportunity tc
make four dollars to send to his darling sister
so he readily agreed to the bargain.
81 want a watch, too" said the stranger
"but perhaps you would not be willing to sell
yours for ten dollars?n
James frankly confessed tilet it was two dol
lars more than he gave for it, and very willing
ly consented to the transfer. Some weeks after
when he attempted to pass the money the stran-
ger had given him, he found, to his dislnay,
that it was counterfeit. After broodng over
his disappointment for some time, he came to
L conclusion at which better educated men than
himself have sometimes arrived. He thought
to hlmseli'-"lt is hard for a poor man to lose
70 much, by no fault of his own, Since it was
put off upon me, will just put it off upon
somebody else. May be it will keep going the
rounds, or somebody will lose it that can better
afford it than can"
1t certainly was a wrong conclusion; but it
was a bewiderment of the reasoning powers in
the mind of an ignorant man, and did not in
volve wickedness of intention. He passed the
money, and was soon after arrested for forgery.
He told his story plainly, but, as he admitted
that he knew the money was counterfeit when
he passed it, the legal construction of his crime
was forgery in the second degree. He had
passed three bills, and had the penalty of the
law been enforced with its Utmost rigor, he
might have been sentenced to the State Prison
for fifteen years; but appearances were so much
in his favor, that the court sentenced him fol-
five years.
Five years taken away fron the young life
of a laboring man, spent in silent toll, in shame
and sorrow for blighted rePrtalion, was, In
deed, Il heavy penalty for confused notions of
right and wrong, concerning bits of paper,
stamped with nominal value. But law, IN its
wisest and klndest administra Uon, cannot al
ways make nice distinctions between thought
hess errors and wilfu crimes
1t is probable James never felt the degree OF
conjunction, that it is supposed every convict
ought TO feel; for the idea was ever with him
that if lie had snned against government, he
did not mean to sin against God. That he had
disgraced himself, he knew full well and felt
most keenly. The thoughts of what Nora and
his good old mother would suffer, If they could
see HIM driven to hard labor with thieves and
murderers, tore his soul with anguish. He
could not bring his mind TO write TO them, or
send them any iidings of his fate. He thought
it was better that they should suppose him dead,
than know of his disgrace Thus the weary
months passed silently away. The laugh of
his eye and the bound of his steps were gone.
Day by day he grew more disconsolate and
stupid.
He had been in prison about four years, when
one of the keepers told him that young wo-
man had come to visit him, and he had recev
ed permission to see her. He followed silent
ly, wondering who it could be; and moment
after he was locked in his sisters arms. For
some time nothing but sobs we're audible. They
looked moulnfully in each others faces, then
fell on each other necks, and wept again
land SO you knew me, maDoTneen'' said
Nora, at last, trying to smile through her
tears.
"Know yon!" he replied, folding her more
closely to his breast. "a cuShia machree, o.
and wouldn't know your shadow on the wall
in the darkest cellar they coald put me in? -
But who came wld you, mauou,neen?"
Troth, and it was alone come run away
in the night. | hope it wasn't wrong to lave
the good father and mother when they had
spoke agin my coming. | wouldn't like to do
aaacbree, my heat was breakin widout you;