Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-09-06
THE POWER OF rEERCY.
From Dickens Household WorIds

day! Along the hedge bound roads which lead
TO II, carts, chases, vehicles of every description
are Jogging along filled with countrymen: and
mere and there the scarlet cloak or straw bonnet
OF some female occupying a chair, placed some
what unsteadily behind them, contrasts gaily
with the dark coats or grey smock frocks OF the
front row; from every cottage of the suburb,
some individually join the stream, which rolls on
Increasing through the streets till it reaches the
! castle. The ancient moatteems with idlers, and
the hill opposite, usually the quiet domain of a
score OF TWO OF peaceful sheep, partakes of the
surrounding agitation.
The voice OF the multitude which surrounds
the court house sounds like the rnurmur of the
sea, till suddenly it is raised to sort of shout.
John West, the terror of the surrounding coun-
try, the sheep stealer and burglar had been found
guilty.
"What is the sentence?" is asked by hun
| dTed voices
The answers Transportation for Life''
But there was one standing upon the aIoof on
the hill, whose inquring eve wandered over the
crowd with Understandable anguish, whose pallid
cheek grew more and more CHASTITY at every de-
nuncation OF the culprit, land who when at last the
sentence was pronounced fell insensible on the
green-sward 1t was the burglars son.
When the boy recovered from his swoon. it
was late in the afternoon he was alone, the faint
| tinkling of the sheep bell had again replaced the
sound OF the human chorus of expectation and
testing; all was peaceful; he could not under
stand why he lay there feeling so weak and sick
| He raised himself tfemuously and looked around
the turf was cut and spoiled by the trampng of
many feet All his life of the last few months
had tloated before his memory, his residence in
his fathers howell with ruffianly comrades, the
desperate schemes he heard as he pretended to
sleep on his lowly bed their expeditions at night,
masked and armed their hasty returns, the news
OF his fathers capture, his own removal to the
house of some female in the town. the court, the
/ trial, the condemnation.
The father had been harsh and brutal parent
but he had not positively i'll used his boy OF
the Great and Mercitu Father of the fatherless,
| the child knew nothing. He deemed himself
alone in the world. Yet grief was not his per-
vading feeling, nor shame as being known as the
son OF transport. 1t was revenge which burn
ed within him. He thought of the crowd which
had come to feast upon his fathers agony; be
longed to tear them to pieces and he plucked sa-
vagely q handful of grass on which he leant
GA, that he were man that he could punish
them ail-ai. the spectators first, the constabes.
the Judge, the jury, the witnesses,-one of them
especially, a Clergyman named Leyton, who had
| given his evidence more positively, more clearly
titan all the others. Oh, that he could do that
| man some injury-.bat for him his father would
not have been identified and convicted.
| Suddenly a thought occurred TO hin,-his eye
sparkled with fierce delight 81 know where
he lives, he said to himself; :" he has the farm
and parsonage Of Miiwood. | will 90 there at
once-t is almost dark already | will do as |
have heard father say he once did TO the Squire
will set his barns and bis house on fire. Yes,
yes. he sail burn lorit, he shall get no more fa-
theirs transporter.
To procure box Of matches was an easy task,
ard that was all the preparation the boy made.
The autumn was far advanced. A cod wind
was beginning 10 moan amongst the almost leaf
less trees, and George Vests teeth Chartered
and his ill-cIad limbs grew numb as he walked
along the fields leading to Milwood. Lucky
it's dark night this fine wind will fan the
flames nicely he repeated to himself.
The clock was striking nine, but all was quiet
as midnight; not soul stirring, not light in
the parsonage windows that he could see. He
dared not open the gate lest the click of the latch
should betray him, SO he softly climbed over
bnt scarcely had he dropped on the other side of
the wall, before the loud barking of dog start
led him. He covered down behind the hay rick
scarcely daring to breathe expecting each instant
the dog would spring upon him. 1t was some
time before the boy dared to stir, and as his cour
age cooled, his thirst for revenge somewhat sub
sided also, till he almost determined to return to
Marlborough but ne was too tired, 100 cold, too
hungry,-besides the woman would beat him for
staying out so late What could ne do where
should he go? and as the sense of this lonely and
forlorn position returned, so did the affectonate
remembrance ofhis father, his hatred of his ac-
cusers, his desire to satisfy his vengeance; and,
once more, courageous through anger, he rose,
took the box from his pocket and boldly drew
one of them across the sand paper 1t famed;
he stuck it hastely in the stack against which he
rested lit only flckered little, and went out
| in great trepidaton, young West once more
grasped the whole of the remaining matches in
his hand and ignited them, but at the same in
slant the dog barked. He heard the gate open,
step is close to him, the matches arc extlngush-
ed, the lad makes desperate effort to escape
but strong hand was laid on his shoulder, and
a deep calm voice inquired, ''What can have ur-
ged you to such crime?" TheE calling loudly
the gentleman, without reinquishng his hold
soon obtained the help of some farming men,who
commenced search with their lanterns all about
the farm-Of course they could find no accom-
plices, nothing at all but the handful of half con-
sumed matches the lad had dropped, and he all
the time stood trembling and occasionally strug-
master who held him.
AT last the men were told to return to the
house, and thther, by different path, was
George led till they entered small poorly fur
nished room. The walls were covered with
books, as the bright flame of the fire revealed &c
the anxious gaze of the little culprit. The cler-
gyman lit lamp, and surveyed his prisoner at
tentively. The lads eyes were fixed on the
ground, while Mr.. Leyton's wandered from his
pale, pinched features to hissscanty, ragged at
TIRE, through the tatters of which he could dis
Germ the thin limbs quivering from cold or fear
and when at last, impeed by curiosity at the
long silence George looked up, there was some
thing SO sadly compassionate in the strangers
gentle look, that the boy could scarcely believe
that he was really the man whose evidence had
mainly contributed to transport his father Al
the trial he had been unable to see his face, and
nothing sc kind had ever gazed upon him. Hi:
proud bad feelings were already melting.
''You look half starved said Mr.. Legion
''draw nearer to the fire, you can SIT down or
that stool whilst question yon; and mind yor
answer ne,the truth / am not magistrate
bat of course can easily hand you over TO Jus
tee if yeu viii not allow me to benefit you II
my own way
George still stood twisting his ragged cap II
!