Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-05-26
From Howitt's Journal.
THE CANKER AND THE CURE.
nY SILYERPEN

profoundest lawyers on the judicial bench; TO say
nothing of his extraordinary research amidst such
cthic doctrines relate TO the origin OF evil; TO say
nothing that these doctrines always stated by
him precisely and logically, that the mlnutest
link in his chain of causation never showed a flaw;
to say nothing that he had espcd the very topmost
bough of the goody tree Of sin, and dug down--in
his own opnon--nearer to its far hidden and OBJ
scure root than any other man; to say nothing OF
these things, lie SO viewed all reormatory law for
crime as twaddle from the humane school of philo-
sophy, that had he had his own stern will, every
statute and every law against the criminal should
have been burnt and replaced by those two very
tangible and summary processes for curing evil
the halter and the eibbet.
Thirteen years ago this very next Lcnt-term, the
baron had gone circuit to the north. lis old clerk
Rednot had gone circuit too, and old Joe Bottle,
who prlded himself upon having been the Judge
servant lorty-tWo years had taken coach that very
morning to visit some country relatives None
were left in the old dull house in the old dull
square, but the maid Of all work, and the cook and
the housekcepcr, summed up in the person oil
Becky; for the Judge had neither a grand house,
grand cquIpage (tor an old iobing coach had taken
him down to Westminster, and on circuit for the
last twenty years nor many servants but simply
very grand library. every book in understanding
to the fully united opinions OF RcdnOt. Bottle, and
Becky--he knew by heart, from its first letter to its
colophon; excepting certain books a certain
Tghthand Shelf OF the large bookcase, at which he
had been seen to smile satircaly and 50 often,
that they were supposed TO contain opinions not
worth a tarthing to the great mintage OF the Judges
mind but were doubtless simple rrcyercnt, and
untrue Be this as it may--upon this certain morn
ing, Becky, whose simple heart knew no bounds in
its reverence and duty to her stern master,
busy in the library, when her ear was caught by the
lowvolcc OF a child outside the area-ras. She had
at that moment Lifted up from the library-table
oldashlOucd massive silver inkstand and turning
round saw that it a Wretched, sharpaccd child,
who probably attracted by her cap as seen above
the window blinds, had stopped to beg Her kindly
thoughts in a moment were travelling fast between
the twopcncc in her pocket and the hot roll left in
the oven from Joes breakfast when the posman's
quick rap was heard at the hall door 1t was let
Ter from her master, Becky was sure, and ali in
anxious trcmor-ior Ihrashcm wrote but seldom
when from home and thea only on some urgent
point--she hurried bleathlcssly to answer the
door with the duscr and inkstand yet IN her hand.
Recognizing her masters stiff, strait characters
on the letter. and as the postage was to pay She, in
the anxious absence of the moment, set down the
duster and the lnksand on the step, while she divcd
down for her purse into the hidden mysteries OF her
CapacOus pocket The pOstman was leaning care
lc>sly on the ratings looking down the street:
and when she had stepped to him, given him the
money ana come PACK d9lil,ttc lnkStanQ was gone
the slNe ukstand that the Judge priced so high
ly! Ia the FIRST moment of doubt and establishment
she knew not what to think but rccoiecting toe
kccn-idccd child, who but the instant before had
been IN sight she hurried from the door, and look
ing down the street and calling upon the postman
to follow her. saw the child running onward with |
breathcss speed. The postman's quick step was
however, match he seized upon the thief Just as
she had thrust the inkstand beneath the ragged strip
of shawl that hung about girl some year or two |
older than herself TO half cry with 10y was Bee |
kys first impulse when the nkstand was again safe
10 tremble at the bare thought the Judges stern
displeasuc, had it been loS-to almost sink in heart
at the idea OF doubt upon her longtricd homes
ty-all these for the instant were paramount; but
all sunk into mere nothngncss, or rather were
merged into one feeling OF womanly and simple
mercy, when She glanced down upon the child up
turned face OF terror hunger and pain.
You - commenced the poStman.
Had no whites, spoke the child sullcnv
These words robbed the heart of the Judges hon
est servant Of its last tonch Of anger She said
something about letting the child @o+ but too late.
a crowd had collected, policeman stepped in, and
the thief III few miutcs was locked safe IN the
station-houSc.
1t was asowowul night that, to the compasson-
a'c heart OF Beck; though her fire was bright, her
tea good, and even the barber from little street
hard by had stepped in to talk over the mtttcr with
her And she was still more sad the next day when
IN her best gown she curtisied to the magistrate
the police court, and the child in the dock,
more haggard and pale The case was fully proved.
My good woman, spoke the magistrate, in his
kIndeSt voice, 4" know your master would prose
cute this case to the fullest extent of the law but
to what end Here is a child seven years old or
Whereabouts. without home without one human
friend and, great God! apparently without name;
the scum and refuse of tins citys streets whilst yet
baby. III send her to prison, she will probably
come out only more confirmed in precocious wick
eneSs if sent back into the streets, hut to starya-
ton or something more Neutrality-suspicious. proSti-
tuition. But were there some one to save by teach
lug, and
Becky. the great Judges poor servant looked here
at the magistrate and then at the criminal child
" Please sir and the sympathy of our diyncst ma
urc justified itself I've hlty-scven pounds sixteen
and siNpencc in the Savings Bank. that Mr. Rednot
has the receipt of and Just two spycrc.gnS more in
the spice boN--so ita little schooling might-"
Might do more than the prison the law can
do-tum gulltlcSs sin into good, and if with work
Yes. yes interrupted Becky, pleased with the
magistrate manner and Interpreting the matter in
her own way; il she were to turn ont tidy. and
could keep the thing from masters ears. why could
teach her to roast and bake, and set his room to
rights, and"
And il You should succeed in hale chimcd in
the magistrate, You'd show yourself protounder
lawyer than either / WHO sill upon this Bench or
your master Baron OF the ENchequcr. lie ,rbo
cures rice is greater than he irto pani>hcS IT,"
Becky did not understand half of this only this
much, that nobody could be 50 great as the Judge
her master; So curtsyng less respectfully than she
otherwise would have done she waited for the child
10 be released from the dock, threw q large silk
handkerchief from her pocket across its shoulders
that it might look less like 4 vagrant, and then re-
vertug back to the due disposal of the two pounds
in the spceboN, she took the childs hand, and
made her way 70 the cab outside the door followed
by the wondering and circulating barber,
To wash the child well by the kitchen fire To
bake cake for tea, 10 invite the barber theremto
70 reach the child hNle pictured cup from the
closets topmost shelf were matters of course with
Becky and much did she calculate, and more did