Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-04-15
AvENNA OHIO, WEDN EsDA4, APRIL Is, 1876 Y

-.
party, whatever that party might hap
pan to be. Al native of Brittany, he
had been forcibly enrolled at Brest, and
when his regiment was sent into the
interior of the country, he was neces-
sarily compelled tc combat on his ma.
tive soil, and against his own people.
This peculiarsposition was well under
stood by the peasants, for it had been
the fate eof many Of their children, and,
| the deathsef the youth was .lamented
therefore IKE that 81 a friend. =
| This sympathy fol. the, victim was
of course accompanied by the deepest
indignation 'gainst the murderess. There
seemed such double-dyed wickedness
in the deed, that every heart was re.
volted by it. He had fallen by the hand
OF a woman, while he was appealing 10
womanly tenderness and The mean>
ness Of the motive seemed to add a
deeper guilt to the henious crime. As
III always y, happens in these gene.
rous reactions Of feeling, when party
spirit is suddenly quelled for moment
by the voice Of equity, the people SEEM
ed as if they could scarcely express
thairjindignation with sufficient force.
As the laws either could not or would
not punish the criminal, public opinion
took upon itself the task. The girl was
driven out ofthe community, and avoid
ed by all, as if the taint of eprosy was
upon her. No farmer could employ her
to labor in his fields; no proprietor
could rent her cabin on his domain.
Her only refuge was the church porch,
where she clouched like an accursed
thing at the door Of the sanctuary she
dared not enter. Every one shrank
aside as her shadow fell upon them in
her aimless wanderings. Ifshe approach.
, ed the fountain, whence the village
, drew its supply of water, the women
usually assembled there would instantly
/ hush their idle gossip, snatch up their
, halt. filled pitchers, and hurry away, ex-
! claiming, Make way for the murder.
essp - ''..5s's YIN s & $3.50 4 M 81.
To set the final sealupon her public
/. reprobation, a ballad was composed, set
+ ting forth her horrid crime in all The
!. coarse but graphic language of popu.
!. lar poetry. Wherever the unhappy
s creature yentured to appear, she heard
} the tone Of this vengeful song. Her
: punishment was now no longer the or.
' dinary penalty tor crime, having its
!. limit Of time and place, and demanding
: only the liberty or life of the offender
/ Her guilt, by this new species of ret,
: ribution, had become public property
y its punishment was identified with the
: most durable memorials of public NOR.
). ais and manners. 1t was not recorded
IF in the dusty volumes of the law. but il
q was sent abroad on the wings of music
q and poetry, to reach every ear and
i turn from her every heart. The mari
i Of Cain was upon her brow; her fellow
h beings. were her tormentors, withhold
d ing their hands from her life, yet in
fiicting daily death upon her by then
e loathing and scorn. In vain she seugh
to fly from the scene Of her guilt. Hel
crime seemed borne on the very winds
Of heaven, and wherever the voice O
the shepherd broke the Stiffness Of ma
ture, there resounded the frightful bur
den OF that avenging song. ts7 N sl-,
g; Once, as she wandered away from
n human scorn, she beheld in a meadow
T. at some distance in Auray, a child a
Is play among the daisies. A sudder
IS yearning filed her heart, she approach
ed the merry boy, and seated hersel
$, beside him. For more than year the
Il desolate creature had not touched /,
Is human hand, or listened to the sound O
g a kindly human voice, and she nov
d found moment Of inexpressible happi
d ness inthe innocent caresses Of the hap
/. py child. s' 9|o' ..,, e., y. mr. [.,.'
IS Too joyous to know anything offear
IS he nestled beside Of her, glad TO find ;
n companion in his sports, while she press
g ing him to her bosom, amused him, al
n ter the manner Of a. tender mother, b,
L tales and songs. The child had listene,
e with delight, but when she had finishe,
II he looked;in herface, as if, ing his sim
$, plicity, he sought torcpay her kindness
N he said 5g;l e7SS as9iiFa aGb iEtw teT@ga
Ie "My father taught me aprettier SON
t> than yours;"and he began u sing. - =
L "Oh listen, Christian ncighbor. TO a crime {
~ ai!ys aeePcstt Pet hue, aE % as6auai s3i aaE
Marie Maker with ber sickle has killed tn
le su wounded Blae.Es eay oi eta.igeara,
ls At these terrible words the lunhapp,
!. girl utteredsa wild cry, and dropping
Lol the unconscious child from her knee
70 fed like afhunted wild beast into tn
E. woods II was the final blow Of the un
al seen avenger; Her punishment wa
al greater than she could bear, and from
e lhaatt hat hour hooaarr Marie became ahopeless ma
fe nlac,sJsd .n9t alss.B y41eI bslt
IdI When first saw her she had bee