Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-09-24
CARROLLTON, OHIO--FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2l 1871


cordinRiy, when the evening came, he took bis
way toward the splendid mansion on the bill.
4 lie found the gentleman sitting up in his bed,
supported BY pillows, his face deadly pale, and
his counIenance bearing an expression Of deep,
confirmed despair. lie requested him in feeble
voice 10 close and lock the door and seat himself
al his bedside. After silence Of some minutes,
he drew a long breath and, apparently with a
mighty effort, addressed The traveller as follows:
81 am about to make full confession Of what
! feel have already betrayed by my want Of
that seli-commuud which the guilty can never
thoroughly acquire, though ever so hardened By
a long course Of crime and long habit Of con.
cealmenI. ! have sought it for alnsT twenty
J years, but the effort was vain. Though ! be-
, heyet that my crime had 10 eurlhy witness but
/ myself, myself was my own witness and accu-
ser. knew too that there was one other witness
above, and that whenever il suited his purposes
he could bring me to justice. But enough OF
this; let me tell the tale while have breath to
give il utcrance."
Here the wretched man paused moment, as
, II 10 gather strength OF brace his mind for the
crisis, and then Proceeded
, al am the younger Of TWO brothers, both born
and bred in great commercial CITY, where al
most The sole pursuit Of every human being was
money. From my earliest recollection all saw
and all | heard vas calculated 10 impress upon
my mind belief that money constituted the sole
means or happiness as well as the only reward Of
q life Of perpetual slavery. Myparens contrbu
ted 10 strengthen this common but dangerous il.
lusion, by holding up TO me daily, no, merely the
necessity Of labor aud economy as the means OF
acquiring those comforts OF life which are indis
pensabIe as is supposed to the very existence Of
civilized man, but as the sole medium for the ac-
qusiIlon of distinction among men. They pon-
led out to me at the same time examples Of more
than one person who had acquired enormous
riches, either by preying on the necessities ol
Others, resoring 10 every artlhce Of superior cum
ming, or by Withholding from their fellow-crea-
lures those offices of charity and good neighbor.
hood enOined upon all, at the same time holding
them up as objects of emulation and envy, on ac-
count of the influence they exercised in the com.
muniiy by their superior wealth. Thus was |
early imbued with an exaggerated idea of the
value of money, which has been The bane Of my
life and the parent Of my crime.
81 will not enter on the particulars Of my ear.
Iy youth farther than 10 say that all my thoughts
and actions were directed TO one sole object, the
acquisition of wealth. Yet was not miser,
who acquires money only for the sake Of hoard
ing it. My object was the qualification Of my
pride, my vanity and my ambition, and sought
it as the sole means OF rioting in luxury, spIendor
3 and power. Ny elder brother married, while
was yet boy, u rich heiress, whose properly be-
ing principally in lands, he took up his residence
in the country, where his wife brought him an
only son, and quilted this life almost al the same
moment she had given life to another.
! "My brother survived her about eight years
and then died, leaving me sole guardian 10 his
son and sole heir to his estate, provided he did
not reach the age of manhood, or died without
issue. In his will he expressed wish that the
boy should be brought up in the country and i'm
. bued if possible with taste for country lie,
for reasons which he enumerated, as well as that
l would quit the city for The purpose OF living
with him and experimenting his educaon;
/ have fulfilled his wishes" he exclaimed, fall.
ing back and covering his face with his hands,
: Recovering himself he proceeded:
0 "To make it worth my while TO relinquish the
pursuits. or rather pursuit in which was enga-
$ ged, my brother bequealhed me handsome pro-
/ pery, quite sufficient TO satisfy one not devoured
e bv the nsatiale cravings of avarce. According
: " left the city and established myself in the
: fine mansion you probably saw, when--when-
, but no matter-we shall come TO that too soon
I Nv lule nephew, who was called Leonard aieI
me, was fine, manly, intelligent, good tempered
k boy, but had one peculiarly. Hewasa somnam
r bust, and one of an extraordinary class. he
i. would sometimes get up at night and perform
4 task SET him by his teacher, without knowing an!
G Thing about ii in The morning, and carry on
d regular, connected conversation in his sleep, TO
. tally unconscious al The time, and Of which h'
afterward had not the least recollection. He wa
f very fond Of boat while awake; was much CIV
/ en- 10 rambling in the night, especially by moon
G light, in his sleep, and on such occasions never
}, failed TO find his way 10 the river, which ran
. the foot of the lawn in front Of the house, wher
d boat was always moored. Aftcr rowing abou
II till he was tired, he would return to his bed, a
d waking in The morning without the least recoI
n lection of his excursion. The in6rmty seeme
10 increase with his years, insomuch that II be
: came necessary 10 lock his chamber at night.
a "ButI daily on my way, like a guilty coward a
l. am, afraid TO face The crime was not afraid |
d perpetrae. The accursed thirst Of gold, Whlc
!, had become part of my nature, was rather ag
= gravated than alIayed by the liberal bequest c
!. my brother. was perpeually goating over III
l. idea Of the far more splendid fortunes OF my ne
If phew and that were il not for him they would b
e mine. BY degrees became SO accustomed
y these contempatoEs, could not Danish ther
e moment from my mind. They occupied m
ID waking hours, they beset me in my sleep, the
n haunted nv dreams, and at length saw nothing
ot | felt nothing but that between myself and III
object Of all my wishes there was nothing but III
:. boy. 'Oh that he would but follow his parents
Of did often mentally exclaim. But he continue
10 live and TO exhibit more and more every yea
,e The frame and complexion of long life eo( healt
ID so that had little hope of surviving him. The
n i know not precisely when or how-but
10 length the fend that had beset me all my lll