The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-10-08
BY louis GAYLORD CLARKE.

| Quently ana more cordially reClprOcate
ne confidence of children. How hard il
is to convince a child that a father or
mother can do wrong Our little people
are always our stud5est defenders; they
are loyal 10 the maxim that 1.-The king
can do no wrong" and all the raonarchs
they know are their parents. | hcared
the other day. from the lips ola distin-
guislei physician, formerly OF Sew
Totk. but now liviesg in elegant retire
ment in beautiful country town OF
Long Island, touching illustration ol
the ruth Of this sentiment.
Il have had" said the doctor, ga good
deal of experience, IN the long practice
of my profession in the city, that is more
remarkab bic than anything recorded in the
diary of a London physician 1t
would be impossible for me to detail to
you the hundredih part of the interesting
and exciting things which saw and
heard. That which affected me most oi
late years, was the case of boy, not.
think, over twelve years old. first
saw him at the hospital. whittier being
poor and without parents. he had been
brought to die. He was the most beau
tiful boy ever beheld. He had that
peculiar cast of countenance and complex
ion which we notice in those who are
afflicted with hemorrhage of the lungs
His brow was broad, fair and intellectu-
al; his eyes had the deep interior blue
of the sky itself; his complexion was
like the lily, tinted, just below the
cheek bone with hectic flush
GAS on consumption's wanin check,
Mid ruin blooms the rose,"
and his hair, which was as soft as floss
silk, hung in luxuriant curls about his
face. But CHI what an expression of
deep melancholy on his countenance, so
remal ka Bile that felt certain that the
fear of death had nothing TO do with H..
And was right. Young as he was, he
had no wish TO live lie repeatedly
SAID that death was what he desired;
and it was truly dreadful to hear one so
young and beautiful talk like this. "Ohr
lie would say. let me die! let me die.-
Don't try TO save me; want to die:-
Nevertheless, he was most aflectionate,
and extremely grateful for everything |
could dc scr his relief. | soon won his
heart, but perceived with pain that his
disease Of body '.as nothing 10 his sick
ness of soul, which could not heal. He
leaned upon my bosom and wept. while
at the same time he prayed for DEATH
| have never seen one of his years who
! courted it is so since rely. tried every
way to elicit from him what it was reI-
oercd him SO Unhappy; but his lips
were sealed, and he was like one who
tried to turn his face from some thing
which oppressed his spirit.
1T subsequntly appeared that the
iather of this child was hanged for mu--
der ip B-county, about two years be-
fore. 1t was the most cold blooded
homicide that had ever been known in
that section OF the country. The ex-
citement ragged high; and | recollect that
the stake and gallows We'd with each
other for the victim. The mob labored
hard TO get the man out of Jail, that they
might wreak summary vengeance upon
him by hanging him TO the nearest tree.
But law triumphed, and he was hanged.
Justice held up her equal scales with
satisfaction, and there was much trum-
peting forth of this consumation. in
which even the women-merciful, ten
derhearted women-seemed to take
delight.
"Perceieing the boys life to be wan
ing. | endeavored to turn his mind to
religious subjects, apprehending no diff
ficulty in one so young; but he always
evaded the topic. l asked him if he
had said his prayers. He replied:
"' Once; always-now, never.
"This answer surprised me very
much; and | endeavored gently to i'm
press him with the fact that more de-
vout frame and mind would be becom-
ing in him, and with great necessity of
his being prepared to die; but he remain
ed silent.
"A few days afterwards, asked him
if be would nos permit me to send for
the Rev. Dr. B, most kind man I'm
sickness, who would be OF the most SER
vice to him in his present situation. lie
declined to solve the mystery, and un
derstand his strange phase of character III
mere child My dear boy said |. i
implore you not TO act In this manner.
What can have so disturbed your young
mind? You certainly believe there is
God, to whom you owe debt of graft
tude?'
"His eyes kindled, and 20 my surprise
Il almost may say my horror heard
from his young lips
mo, don't believe there is God.
Eyes, that little boy, young as he was,
was an atheist; and he even reasoned In
a logical manner, for a mere child like
him.
"' T cannot believe that there is
! God,' Said he, for if there were God