Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-05-12
From the Peoples Journal.
THE FIRST CRIME A TALE OF IRISH
FAMINE
BY ELIZABETH w. TRACY.


manned in all its oppressive tervor. Brian OSuli-
van looked round upon his wife and helpless children
and momentary CLEAN of ferocity flashed from his
| sunken eye-for the first time, the murmur of inn
J patience from his lips. The cry for food had
| died away but when he met the subdued glances
OF his poor starving cdildren his heart sweled with
! intoerable anguish. No sound was heard, save
caslonay the stitled groan of the youngest child,
the little Norah, who lay straw pallet, resting
| her evered head upon her mothers breast Thus
| the hours passed unmarked by any change. Some
times, but very seldom, there was heart rending
/ appeal for food and the low cry of hunger burst
from the lips of the younger children. Midnight
| came, and found the mother still watching by the
bed of her dying child; the inmates of the wretch
ed howell had sunk to rest upon the earthen floor.
! Mary OSullivan sat in breathess silence, listening
| to the uneasy and undressing slunbers of her
helpless family and gazing the wasted face of
her favorite child. Sometimes a heavy sigh
low attracted her attention; and, directing
her eyes to where the sleeper lay she would descry
by the feeble rays OF the flckerng rushlght, sAe
Teton stretched forth, or the shadowy figure of
some child, who had arisen to obtain little water
to cool It's parched lips At length from mere ex-
hauStion, she fell into heavy slumber, from which
she aroused by the tones OF her husbands voice
She started wildly for never before had words of
such fearful meaning met her ear.
can get you food " he exclaimed a have been
driven to this not through my own faults but from
the heartless cruelty and oppression OF those who
can, and will not save us. shall see my children
dying around me while there is plenty i'll the land
His wife terrified and amazed, glanced timidly in
her husbands face, and there she met look that
chilled her very heart blood-the look of deenni
ned guilt and vengeance. Bursting into tears and
unable to reply she pointed to their sleeping child
thaii md INF
the severity OF his gaze disappeared; but the ema
clateI face OF his poor. patient wife recalled his re-
collections and the awful thought that she also
dying for want of food almost maddcned him.
Mary, arilsh ,nachree must | lose you tool he
exclaimed wildly God of heaven, she is dying!
And have crouched upon my knees, and begged
or part of the dogs iood crumb of bread, to
save you, darling OF my heart but | was spurned
from the oppressor door, and told to be gone, and
work for my food. Even then | could have torgi-
ven the hard hearts that worked our ruin | could
have bic. sel them on their beds OF down. and prayed
that the chIs OF poverty might never reach them;
but the cup OF sorrow Is filled, and will not
see my treasures die before have made another eff
fort II save them.
He arose hastily and trembling from exhaustion
quilted the cabin His eldest son, boy OF fifteen,
rushed after him, and oyertaking him few steps
from the door, besought of him to return They
t."
soon the morning dawned, he would seek for some
employment.
My poor boy said the agonized father, you
cannot change my purpose; return home and let me
away, for il crime must stain this hand, 1t must be
in the darkness of night when no human eye can
see the blush Of shame on your fathers cheek"
." But the eye of God, said the boy mildly, "you
cannot hide Aut.'
90 Shawn say no more was the reply. "God
will forgive me- for he knows the sore trials have
borne"
The boy still entreated but in vain; he then beg
ged that he might be permitted to accompany his
father, but Brian would not hear of this. He could
not bear to be the means of leading his own child
into the path OF guilt and shame; and, .! how the
strong heart of the unhappy father throbbed with
agony, as he thought OF the time not far distant
when his children knelt around him, and with Their
infant voices Joined in the prayer, Lead us not into
temptation" Brian O,Sulliyan remembered this;
and embracing his son, he besought HIM with tears
TO turn to the home of innocence, and let him do
the errand alone. And thus they parted.
Shawn stood for some moments, listening to the
sound of his fathers footsteps as he fastened on his
ouely way. His mind was strangely confused by
all he had heard and witnessed, and he could not
bring himself to believe in the possibility OF his IA
! theirs committing a crime; that father who had
seemed, to has Young Imagination, the very emblem
of all that was good and holy lie could not be-
evc that the God he had served so faithfully would
| desert him now in the hour OF ula and danger.
The summer : morning daWned, and brightly the
sunbcams ,etl upon the home OF misery. Honlc dld
I saw Alas how many such homes darNen our
beautiful and fertile land; how countless such
scenes OF desolaton. The happy birds, fitting
among the green branches sung their song OF praise
and the fragrant breath Of the fresh flowers arose on
the breeze to heaven Without, all was JOY, peace,
and contentment; but within the wretched ho'el
there was deep sorrow, sorrow that might hot be
controlled
"Whe!e is father" demanded low, sweet voice.
O. mother, there is something tearing me! pla-
cling her hand upon her wasted breast.
| "Hush Gvilish hush!' whispered her weeping
mother. you Will soon be free from pain, eroon!
She knew not how truly her words would be We
riGed One of the children arose and fastened to
the door hoping to obtain tidngs OF his father
! Gloomy and disappointed, he returned to his place
| by Norah's bel \ convuiSiye splsm shook the
chds frail body and again her brother sprang to
the door to look IN vain for his father return The
DYING sufferer clasped her little hands IN agony sac
srove but iruitlessy to reach her mother that she
might embrace her, once again before she died.
Her head ie back. and the glazed eye and parted
| lip told that all was over. Just then step was
| heard ON the threshold and Brian o Sullivan strobe
or rather totcred into his wretched home. Fling
ing a small bag OF patatoes on the ground he rush
ed to the bedside.
| ~NIary-Norah-dcss aguS ashore m0chree =
he cried, wildly | have brought you food. But,
Father OF Merces, what is this!' touching the life
less hand of his child Dead! Q, my darlings
and are YOU gone forever gone from the hearts
that love you! But year soTows are over; and per-
hans it is better he continued mildly, ''ar better,
that no forbidden food has stained those spotless
lips would not have that departed spirit proclaim
| her fathers sin among the angels OF heaven: No,
Ihagrr! your eyes cannot now upbraid him and
! your ears are Geif to the voices that mourn
| your curly death"
The elder children aroused from their stupefac-
| - .l,a znI hae+nnaA - S,,ra,1