Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-09-26
miscellaneous.
THE POWER OF MERCY.

The quaint old town OF Marlborough u
quiet enough in general. Why all this
hustle todayl Along the hedge-bound road
which leads to It, carts, chaises, and vehi-
cles Of every description are jogging along
filled with countrymen; and here and shere
the scarlet cloak or straw bonnet Of some
female occupying chair, placed somewhat
unsteadily behind them, contrasts gaily with
the dark coats. or grey smock-ffocks Of the
front row; from every cottage of the sub
urb, some individuals join the stream. which
rolls on increasing through the streets till it
reaches the castle. The ancient moat
teens with idlers, and the hill opposite, us
ually the quiet domain Of a score or two Of
peaceful sheep, partakes of the surround
ing agitation.
The voice Of the multitude which sur
rounds the court house, sounds like the muir
muir Of the sea, till suddenly it is raised to
sort of shout John West, the terror Of
the surrounding country, the sheep-stealer,
the burglar, had been found guilty.
what is the sentenced is asked BY a
hundred voices.
The answer is Transportation for Life
But there was one standing aloof on the
bill, whose inquiring eye wandered over the
crowd with understandable anguish, whose
pallid cheek grew more and more CHASTITY at
every denunciation of the culprit, and who,
when at last the sentence was pronounced,
fell insensible upon the green sward lit
was the burglars son. 40 rc
When the boy recovered from his swooa,
it was late in the afternoon; he was alone !;
the faint tiukling Of the sheep-bell had a.
gain replaced the sound Of the human cior-
US Of expectation, and dread, and testing;
all was peaceful, he could not understand
why he lay there, feeling SO weak and sick
He raised himself TREMENDOUSLY and looked
around, the turf was cut and spoilt BY the
trampling of many feet All his life Of the
last few months h0ated before his memory,
his residence in his farther's hovel with ruff
6anly comrades, the desperate schemes he
heard as he pretended to sleep on his lowIy
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 town, the court,
the trial, the condemnation. 9 90 2
The father had been harsh and brutal
parent, but he had not positively ill-used his
boy. OF the Great and Merciful Father Of
the fatherless the child knew nothing. He
deemed himself alone in the world. Yet
grief was not his pervading feeling, nor the
shame Of being known As the son Of tran
sport. 1t was resenge which burned within
HIM. He thought Of the crowd which had
come to feast upon his fathers agony; be
longed to tear them in pieces, and be pluck
ed savageiy handful Of grass on which be
leant. Oh, that he were mani that be
could punish them all-all-shs spectators
first, the conssables, the Judge, the jury, the
withesses-one Of them especially, acler-
gyman named Legion, who had giveo his
evidence more positively; more clearly. than
? al the others. Oh, that he could do that
man some injury-but for him his fashsr
would not have been identified and convict.
ed. ~ 70 sssses1 - i .1sseis'ls 9
a Suddenly thought occurred to him,-
his eyes sparkled with fierce delight. Z
know where be lives said be 70 himself;
'he has the farm and parsonage II Mill
wood. ! will 60 there Al once-it y almost
dark already. will do q heard my
father say be once did TO the Squire. wil
eel his barns and his howse on Ere. Yea.
yes, be shall burn for is--he shall ses NO
! more fathers transported i7@sao5 * saii..
To procure 4 box Of mstcAes was an
easy task. and that was II The preparation
the boy made. ~ 4, X t.ss@ ~
The autumn was far advanced. a cold
wind was beginning to moan amoasst the
alm0nf laaneas tees smA G>n~~> R~~ss~