Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-10-07

How well he remembered the Juryman',
tplea for the youth Of hHoxicatfehi b nd will
what IN agony <ofselGreproach lie recallea
his own hard answer! With intense anx.
ie,y he watched The ,counienances OF, the
jury for some CLEANS Of compassion. : Bu.
ever and anon a. pale young face loomed
up between him and them, and gazed .,
him with fixed despair. The vision Of
other years tarIied 10 haunt him; and
Joseph his only. son, stood beside H. pair
and handcuffed, as he had been. The voice
that pronounced his, son guilty. sounded
like an awful echo Of his own.;- and he
seemed TO hear Mary Williams whisper,
Sand nay son was also very young.''n,
The vigorous off:shoot from his own
existence, so full of life and feeling, and
alas! Of passion, which nisgdides Us I'LL
he must die! Noaearihly power can save
him. May the ALL MERciFUL sustain
that poor father as he watches the heavy
slumber Of his only son in that dark pris-
on, and; while. he clasps the cold hand,
remembers so we'll the dimpled fingers he
used to hold in his, when little Joe sat up.
on his knee and prattled childish love. ,
And the ALL MERcIFUL sOas with him,
and sent influence to sustain hun through
the terrible agony. It did not break his
heart it melted and subdued him. The
CONCEALED sympathies Of his nature flowed
under this ordeal Of fire, aud, for. the firsl
time had q realizing sense that every hu-.
man being is or has been somebody's little
Joe. -.
'How kind you are to me-" said the
prisoner, in answering TO his soothing
words and nffsctionate attentions. austas!
8 lie replied .meekly, "W ould that, had
always been sof' Then turning his face
away, and earnestly pressing Juseph's
hand, he said in ar ngitated voice, "'fell
me truly, nv son. does it ever occur to
you that have been to blame, for this
great misfortune lha, has befallen you?''
You, dear latheIe' he exclaimed, g.!
do not understand what you can mean"
Still keeping his face turned away, and
speaking with effort, Mr.. Barker said, s'Do
you remember, once whenl was beating
my horse cruelty fyeu wers a boy of
twelve .hen,) neighbor Goodwin remark
ed to me, that was giving bad lesson 10
my son. | was angry with him at the
time; and perhaps that resentment helped
TO make me hard towards a poor young
fellow who is dead and g,ne but his
words keep ringing in my ears. May
God, in his mercy, forgive me if have
ever done or said anything TO lead you in.
10 this great sin. Tell me, joseph, do yon
ever think i. might have happened other
wise, ifyouhad had less violent falhsr?'
"My poor father" exclaimed the pris-
oner, pressing his hand convulsively. FL,
almost breaks my heort to hear you thus
humble yourself before me, who so little
deserve it at your hands. Only forgive
me my violent outbreaks, dear father! for
in the midst Of them all, always loved
you. You have always sought to do me
good, and would rather nave died than
led me into any harm. But since l have
been here in prison. ! have thought OF
many things that never occurred 10 me
before. The world and all things in it are
placed before me in q different light. 1t
seems TO me men are all wrong in their
habits and teachings. see now that re
taliation and hatred are murder. | haye
read often, Of late, the exbortation Of Jesus
to forgive our brother his offences, not
only seven times, but seventy times seven ;
and feel that thus il ought to be with hu.
man beings in all their relations with one
another. What ! lave done. cannot be
undone; but if ii will be any satisfaction
to you, rest assured that did not Intend to
kill him. | was wretched, aid was q
fool 10 drink and then knew not what
did. Violent as my temper has been, |
never conceived the thought Of taking his
life." 90, - i a. . - ~ .'
Il know it, my son, know it," he said;
and the reflection consoles me in some
degree. While have loaf of bread !
will share it with the mother and sister OF
him--' he hesitated, shuddered,. and
added in low deep tone-"you murdered: !"
"a was goin to ask that Of you" +" said
the prisoner sand one thing more, dear
father; try to bear up bravely under this
terrible blow, for he sake Of my poor pa
tient mother"
81 will, will, he answered "und now
my dear misguided boy. say you forgive
your poor father for the teachings OF his
violent words and actions. did not 10
! see the consequences, my child; did
it in my ignorance. But it was wrong,
wrong, all wrong" ....-.-.-.-...-......
The young man threw himself on his
fathers bosom, and they had no other Ut
terance but tears. .-7 q q .r., tts2as
After this strong link to life wns broken
by the strong arm Of the law, Mr.. Barker
was changed man; silent and melan.
choly, patient. gentle, and forgiving to
all. He,never complained Of the sorrow
that wasted away bis life, but the, neigh.
bors saw how thin and sad he looked, ande
the roughest natures felt compassion fol
| him.
Every year sfc who had been Mary
Williams reeeived hundred dollar note
:. He never whispered to any one that it wa
sent by the juryman who helped to con
denim her son to death but when he died
a legacy of a thousand dollars 10 her show
ed that he meyer forgot the pale desPelrln!
face. that for years had haunted hl
drenms. .-...-. -...-, -....!y -. q.