Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-11-20
MISC l. l. A n Y.
From Household Words.
THE POWER OF MERCY.

Quiet enough in general is the quaint old town OF Lam
korcgh Why s this hustle tn day Along the h'Vsge-
bound roads which lead it, carts chases. vehicles oi eV
cry description are jpgirg filled with countrymen; and
here aud there the scarlet cloak bonnet at some e
raafe occupying chair placed snewa uusesd'y behind
them. contrast gay with the dark coats, or gay Swock
frocks Of the front row from every cottage OF the snhero
some individuals Join the which rolls on Increasing
through the streets till il reaches the castle. The ancient
noat teens with dles and the hill opposite. usually The
Quiet domain Of score VI sheep partakes Of the sur
rounding agitation.
The voice of the multitude which surrounds the court
house sounds like the murmur of the ill suddenly is
raised to sort of shout john West the terror of the sur
rounding country the sheep steae and burglar had been
found guilty.
"wha is the sentence ?'' is asked BY hundred voices
''Ihe answer s Transportation for llfe.'
Bu, there was one standing aloof the hil whose in
r,no rye wandered over the crowd with indseraoe an
cuish, whose pad cheek grew and ghas,ly at
every enunciaon of the cuprt and who when at last The
sentence was pronounced fell nsens6e upon the green
sward II was the burg lars son.
When the boy recovered from his it was late IN
tho afternoon he was alone the faint nkng of the sheep
h. had ,ran replaced the sound VI the human chors Of
expectation, PN"NN'"' -
cud not understand why he lay there feeling 50 weak and
Pick Ele raised himself ,remduusly and Ooked around,
the turf was cut and spo by the ,rampng of many feet
An his life Of the last few months oated before his meno-
~ b;s residence in his fathers huve with rufany COM
ras the desperate schemes he had heard as he pretended
to sleep ON his lowy bed their expeditions a. night mask
cd and armed their hasy returns the news o his a'er
capture his own removal to the hnuse 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 or the great and Mer
eifu Father Of The atherless the child knew nothing lie
deemed himself alone in the world Yet grief was not his
prevailing feeling the shame of being known as the son
pf transport 1t was revenge that burned within him.
He thought Of the cuwd which had to feast upon his
fathers agony he unged to tear them to pieces, and he
pucked savageiy handful of the grass on which he leaut
Oh that he were man that he could punish them all
ahe spectators first the constabes the Judge, the jury,
the witnesses Of them especially, clergyman named
Ieyou who had given his evidence more positively, more
clearly than all the Others Oh that he could do that man
some inury-but for him his father would not have been
identified and convicted
Suddenly thought occurred to him-his eyes sparkled
with fierce delight. 81 know where he lives" he said to
himseSfs "he has the farm and parsonage Of Millwood
will 90 there a, oncet is almost dark already VIII &c
have heard my father say he did to the Squire
will set his barns and his house on fire. Yes. yes, he
shalt burn for it-he shall yet M more fathers transported.
To procure bnx of matches an easy task and tina
was the preparation the boy made.
The autumn far advanced. cold wind was be
ginning amongst the almost learss trees and Geo
Wess teeth chatteed and his i'll clad limbs grew num(
as he walked along the fields leading 10 Mllw""d. Iuck
IFS dark night this fire wind will fan flame nicely
he repeated to himself
The clock was striking nine. but all was quiet as mid
night not sou stirring, not light IN the parsonage Wit
dows ha, he could see He dared not apen The gate les
the click of the latch should beay him, Sd he s"iy clint
ed bu, scarcely had he dropped the other SIDE o IN
wall before the barking of dog startled him. lie cowe
ed down behind tue hayck scarcely daring to BREATHE e'
pecting each instant that the dog would spring upon h
II was smne time before the boy dared to STIR and
courage cooled, his thirst for revenge somewhat subside
aso ill he almost determined 10 return to LambOrough