The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-02-21

. in verdict Of guilty! The sentence oi DEAN
was passed.
r The summer had passed away. The hand Of
autumn had begun TO tingc with mellow hnss the
magnificent scenery Of the forest. I:was even.
ing. and the clear moonbeams were shining
through the CRATES Of the prisoners cell. The
> unhappy man, haggard, attenuated, and heart
5 broken, was lying upon his wretched pallet, re-
necting alternately upon the early wreck OH
+ bright hopes, the hour Of ignominy that was Just
!, approaching, and the dread futnrity into which
J be should soon be plunged. TWAS the season at
!, which his marriage with Ellen was to have been
solemnized. With what pride and Joy had lie
, looked forward TO this hour! And nov, instead
Of the wedding festivities, the lovely bride, and
the train Of ofcongra,ulaing friends, so often pic
tured in fancy, be realized fetters dungeon, and
disgraceful death!
i The well-known tread of the jailer interrupted
the bitter train Of thought. The door opened,
and as the light streamed from lantern across
The cell, he saw female form tmdIy approach
ing In moment Ellen had sunk on her knees
beside him, and their hands were silently clasped
together. That noble hearted girl had believed
10 the last, that her lover would be honorabIy ac-
quilted. The intelligence Of his condemnation,
while it blighted her hopes, and wiihered~ her
health, never disturbed for one moment her con-
vcton OF his innocence.
| There is an union OF hearts which is indestruc-
tible, which marriage may sanction, and nourish,
and hallow, but which separation cannot destroy
Ia love that endures while life remains, or until
its object shall prove faithless or uiwofshy-
Such was the affection Of Ellen; and she held her
promise TO love and honor him whose fidelity TO
her was unspotted, and whose character she COLI
sidered honorable, TO be as sacred, as iftbey had
been united in marriage. When all Others farsook,
she resolved fever to forsake him. She had come
TO yisithim in his desolaton, and TO risk all, TO-
save one who was dear and innocent in her esti-
nation, though guilty nthe eyes ofthe world
The jailer, blunt, though humane man, briefly
disclosed plan which he, with Ellen, had de-
,ised for the escape of Grason. Hehad consent
ed 10 allow the prisoner 10 escape, in female dress,
while she was to remain ia his stead, SO that the
whole con,rivace should seem TO be her own.
81 am plain man., concluded the jailer, "bu'
know what's right. Il 'aint fair to hang man
TO stand in mans way-especially friend
who has done me so many favors as you have,
go in for giving every fellow fair chance. The
tracks, clear, Mr.. Grason, and the quicker you
put out, the better"
To Ills surprise, the prisoner peremptorily re-
fused the offer. 81 ain innocent," said he, s'but
would suffer thousand deaths rather than in
i e.. e. ri II
"Go Charles-my dear Charles,'' she sobbed;
sfor my sake, for the sake Of your broksn-heart-
ed father and sister,
sDo not tempt me-my dear Ellen. will not
do that which would expose you 70 disgrace"
"Oh! who would blame me!''
sThe worll-the unchari,able world-they who
believe me murderer, and have tortured the
most innocent actions into proofs OF deliberate
vilainy, will not hesitate to brand you as the
victim of cool. blooded felon. And why should
| I fy to live wreiched wanderer, with the brand
of Cain on my forehead, and a character stamped
with infamy!''
| He would have said more-bat the form, that
during this briet dialogue, had sunk into hisarm,
was lying liieless on his bosom. He kissed her
cold lips, and passonately repeated her name,
but she heard him mother pure spirit had gent
ly disensaged itself, and was flown forever. Her
heart was broken. She had watched, and wep,
and prayed in hopeless grief, until the physical
energies ola delicate frame were exhausted; and
the excitement OF the last scene had snapped the
attenuated thread OF !ife
Grason did not survive her long. His health
was already shattered by long confinement, and
the chafng ofap proud spirit. Ellen had died for
him; and his own mother-Oh! how cautiously
did they whisper the sad truth, when he asket'
"why she who loved him better than her own life,
had lorsak en- him in the hour Of afcton!'' She,
too, had sunk under the dreadful blow. His faith
er lived withered, melancholy man, crushed in
spirit; and as his sister hung like guardian an
gel over his death bed, and be gazed al her pale,
emaciated, sorrow-strcken countenance, he saw
that she, too, would soon be numbered among the
victims Of this melancholy persecution. When,
with his last breath he suggested, that they would
soon meet in heaven, she replied, 81 trust that
God win spare me TO see your innocence estab-
lshed, and then will die contented." And her
confidence was rewarded, for God does not disap-
point those who put their trust in him.
About ayear afterwards, wretch who was
executed at Natchez, and who was one OF the
three persons named in the commencement OF this
narrative, confessed that he had murdered Dor
sey, with pistol which he had found atthe place
where the two friends had slept 81 knew it
would be so''-was the only reply Of the fast
declining sster-and soon after she was buried
BY the side of Charles and Ellen. Reader, this
is no fiction. y.
Action is life and health; repose is death
and corrupton.-Elisa Cook.