Eastern times., 1855-09-27

an early-developed love of gaming, so intense,
SO lnfatuating, so consuming, that it had Sc
duced him on and on in vice, until at last the
felon's cell embraced him within its massive
and frowning walls, a guilty, daring culprit.
Often, while his confding wife, who felt his
alienation from his family, and perceived the
embarrassment of his pecuniary circumstances,
but was unable to penetrate the cause-often,
while she had supposed him reluctantly de-
tanned from home by the pressing claims of
business, had he been wasting the hours of
the night in the society of the vile and profit
gate, e,-rattling the dice, shufliing the cards, or
rolling the billiard balls-polluiing his lips
with the ribald song and the blasphemous oath,
and lavishing upon the forms of beauty that
fitted around him but TO lure him to sin, and the
eyes of light that shone but to lead him to ruin,
those Establishments of affection which be-
longed alone to her-the deserted one All
this did James May confess to his wife and
much more; and as one of old, in the con-
seriousness of guilt, prayed to Him who was
the embodiment of purity, Depart from me,
for am sinful mani so did the conscience
stricken husband conclude his fearful revela-
lions of the past to his injured and innocent
wife, with the prayer that she would cast him
off forever, account him as one of the dead j,
and leave him TO meet alone the rigors of the
offended law.
No wonder that Frances May went forth
from that interview with face of marble
whiteness, and passed another long night in
agony that was speechless, from the made
quacy of words to express it. No wonder
that, as she bowed before God, her over
whelmed spirit could find no utterance of its
big and bitter sorrow, and that her supplica-
tions TO Heaven were but the deep groans of a
nearly broken heart. The playmate of her
childhood-the companion of her girlhood-
the chosen ore of her heart-the father of her
children-how far had he fallen! How en-
tirely had ne forfeited the love and respect of
all who knew him, and how had he cast him
self down to the lowest depths of degradation!
But would Frances May now cast off forever
her SHINING husband and would the entrea-
ties of her aristocratic friends and relatives
that he might henceforth be left to his own
fate, and that the interests and sympathies of
the twain might be hereafter eternally di-
vorced, avail with herr Never! neuer, Not
thus had she loved him; and as she thought
of him, guilt-bowed and sorrow-stricken in his
lonely CELL and beheld his face in miniature in
the innocent counienances of her blessed chill
dren, her whole soul went out to him in love
and pity, and she resolved that she would
prove his savior, and would win him back TO
goodness.
Morning came, and no expostulations or
angry threats could detain Frances May from
the city Jail. Another hour was passed in that
dim CELL and oh how like an angel of God,
she pleaded with her husband to form pur-
poses of reformation which would be immedi-
ately acted upon; to bear submissively the
punishment att led TO his crime by the law !;
so that when his guilt should be expiated, and
his term of Imprisonment ended, he would
come forth into society reformed man How
she reminded him of the innocent days of
youth, of the blessedness of a clear conscience
by an outpouring of her own affection, TO win
back his love to herself and her babes
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and more the holy work of reformation, and
Strengthening, in the secrecy Of the soul, that
good willing, which must necessarily precede
good acting, until the day of trial came; when
Frances May appeared in the crowded court
room, that her presence might sustain the pris-
oner. Too timid to lift her eyes beneath the
strong in heart to endure any extreme of dis
grace with her husband and although the
public revelations of his dissipation, inconstan-
cy and dishonesty, seemed to destroy the sym
pathy of others for him, and sometimes paled
her cheek with strong emotion, or crimsoned
it with shame, they dimmed not the look OF
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to her heart an emotion of anger. Guilty,
was the verdict of the empanelled jury, and
Ten years Imprisonment and hard labor in
the State Prison, was the sentence pronounced
upon him; doom which his wife shuddered
to hear, for she feared lest hope would expire,
and good resolutions would vanish, and evil
passions would attain fearful supremacy during
that long confinement.
Noble woman how she soothed, and en-
couraged, and Gained him, and depicted the
far-off future that would succeed his release
in pleasing colors ; until, like herself, he be-
came submissive, and resolved to do right to
the utmost of his ability And how she
hushed his selfupbraidings and expressions Of
remorse, and kissed away his tears as he wept
over his children, who visited him the day be-
fore his removal to Charlestown, and promised
that they should be taught to love and cherish
him! And, though her own heart was near
ly breaking with sorrow at the dismal future
before them both, she yet spake cheerily to
him, and smiled her Sweetest upon him, and
bade him be of good cheer, for better days
were yet in store for him. Noble Frances
would that every child of guilt and sin, every
imprisoned criminal, possessed a friend of kin
dred faithfulness and Affection friend OF