Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-07-30

Mary- orah-acnshld agus ashore ma
chree!" he cried, wildly, 81 have brought
you food. Bat, Father Of Mercies, what is
this Z" touching the ~lifeiess hand of his
child. "Dead! o, my darling! And are
you gone forever gone from the heart that
loves you But your sorrows are over and
perhaps it is better" he continued, mildly,
I" far better that no forbidden food has stain
ed those ~srotless lips. | would not have
that departed spirit proclaim her fathers sin
among the angels of heaven! No, ahagur!
your eyes cannot now upbraid him and your
ears are deaf TO the voices that mourn over
your early DEATH"
The elder children aroused from their stu.
pefaction by the sight of food, FASTENED to
spread the scanty fare, consisting of a few
cold potatoes they would not touch the
miserable food, until they had prevailed on
their father and mother to share it with them.
Brian O'Sullivan, lifting his eyes to heaven,
f%rrveDtly returned thanks TO God for his mer-
cies, and besought a blessing on their scanty
meal; he had, for the moment forgotten the
means by which that food was procured, but
when the remembrance of his guilt crossed
his mind, he was paralyzed with horror that
he should presume to lift his hand 10 heaven,
he who had broken the commandment Of God.
The blood rushed to his temples, and cover
ing his face with his hands, he burst into
tears. Deep sobs were only heard and bit
terly did they reproach themselves for having
given way to one word of complaint, and thus
causing their father such agony of SOUL
His feelings becoming more composed, he
strove TO speak some words Of comfort 10 his
children, and with ~faItering voice desired
them to eat. The children looked at each
other in silence, then at the food, and their
souls recoiled from the idea of touching it;
had it been the deadliest poison, they surely
could not have loathed it more. Poor and
humble as they were, they had been nourish-
ed on the bread Of honesty, and they dared
not to violate their sacred principles.
"Father,'' said the eldest boy, "we cannot
touch that, we would sooner die; we do not
blame you, father, mavourneen; it was not
done for your own sake, though the hunger
was sore on you, but for the sake of your
starving children"
"Now | can thank God with an unblnsh-
ing face" said Brian. Il can thank him for
his mercy in keeping you untouched by
guilt, among SO many trials and tempta-
tons, and may he pardon me for my many sins
The latch of the door was raised. at is
the sogarth," exclaimed Brian, fastening to
meet his beloved pastor. Joy illumined the
countenances of all, on beholding their only
friend, into whose faithful bosom were pour
ed their sorrows, and although poor himself,
he lost no time in supplying their wants; but
one young heart was stilled forever; no hu-
man aid could make it lhrob again. Not in
the secresy of the confessional did Brian o.
Sullivan relate the fearful adventure of the
previous night, but in his lowly cabin, by
the bed wherein his dead child slept, he, on
his knees, confessed to the minister of God
that crime which to him appeared Of awful
magnitude. The good priest was deeply
moved, for never before had the lips of that
humble penitent breathed forth such a decla-
ration never before had the soul Of the pros
trate sinner been stained with guilt, and as
he smote upon his breast and prayed aloud
for mercy, the glance of displeasure faded
from the priests face, and as the tears rolled
down his aged cheeks he whispered in the
poor penitent's ear the welcome tidings that
the broken and contrite heart is not d~espised
in heaven. By the voice of the world, Brian
O'Sullivan would be branded as a thief-a
midnight robber. O., if those who would
thus coldly and heedlessly condemn him
could have but entered his poor home, how
would their hearts have melted into sorrow
Could they have but gazed on the ~lifeless re-
mains of the child whose spirit was with
" 40 ShO a. Oh ~ ihskEu pCbg hOlhilS
in her cold grasp a bunch of wild roses-af-
f~ection's offering to the dead-and listened TO
the voices that arose to heaven, seeking for
g~iveness the cold world would deny, surely,
in such a scene, they would have read their
own condemnation.
The charitable and anxious priest FASTENED
to restore the stolen food to its owner, and to
obtain from him forgiveness of the crime,
without exposing the criminal, and thus o.
Sullivan was saved from the consequence of
that guilt into which want and starvation had
plunged him
This is no exaggerated picture of the suf-
ferings or the virtues of the Irish peasantry.
Surely a brave, moral and religious people
will no longer be permitted, in the midst of
plenty, to endure such sufferings. We might
have turned a still darker page, and vet not
have dealt in exaggeration; we might have
consigned the victim TO a loathsome prison,
and left him to rot there without a shadow of
hope. We might have followed his wretch
ed family through lonely wanderings, and
seen them spurned from the door Of plenty
by pampered menials. Surely, such a state
of things cannot last forever. Surely, the
peace and comfort, nay, the very lives of the
community, are not to be sacrificed for the sake
OF the children Of prosperity. 1t is time that
the great ones of our land would consider the
cause of the people. Fearful is the calamity
impending over them and unless active steps
are taken to avert the threatening ruin, we
fear much of the virtue of our poor country
men will fall a sacrifce-the virtue that no
trials could overcome. You, who shudder
at the recital of crimes committed bv the
Irish peasants, bestir yourselves to endeavor
to remove the cause of those crimes. Not
for the love of guilt do our poor countrymen
resort 10 the " wild justice of revenge :" and
you who thoughtlessly condemn them, know
but little of the struggles often endured be-
fore they stumble in the path of virtue.
Paper Glass.
Prof. SchGnbein, of Basic, who invented
the gun cotton, has lately to a certain point.
discovered malleable glass He renders no,