Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-01-24
From the Chicago Times, Nov. %.
Incident in Real Life.

penitentiary by a boy, whose age, or want
of age, did not permit him to receive the
sentence which would have been awarded
to an older offender. 1t brought wildly
to our mind scene we saw in the same
room before the same court but a very short
time since, the principal actor in which,
having since been removed beyond all
means of discovery, there exists no longer
any delicacy forbidding its publicity.
Near small town, in one of the southern
counties of Michigan, some months ago,
lived respectable and well to do farmer,
named Jackson; he owned and occupied a
well stocked farm, which by years Of pa
tlent industry he had brought to state of
great productiveness and profit He had
four sons, strong, hearty, honest, upright
fellows, to all of whom OH arriving at their
majority ne had given an interest in the
yield of his farm. These young men all
resided In the old homestead, in whose
shadow from infancy they had been reared
One of them, the oldest, was married, and
from the day of his marriage, his wife had
been installed mistress of the household
all yielding to her that respect and defer
ence which her gentleness, virtues and
careful attention to the household duties,
richly deserved. Their mother had been
long dead. In that happy family there was
yet another--the dearest and most beloved
of alEthe old mans youngest child, and
only daughter, Kate Jackson. She had al
ways been the old mans idol-the object of
her brothers deepest, proudest devotion.
At the time we saw her, and it was but a
very few moons ago, she had just passed
her seventeenth birthday, but of form SO
delicate and features so childlike in their
beauty, that to the casual observer she
would appear as child of fifteen.
Promising to our readers, that the name
We have given in this account to this fami-
ly, Is not the true one, and assuring them
that we have disguised the facts sufficient
ly to prevent any location of the events. or
discovery of the real parties, we will brief
ly state the circumstances, which are deep
iy interesting and strongly illustrative of
the many unthought-of realities transpir-
ing daily in our midst without our knowl.
edge.
Mrs. jackson had brother who had re-
sided in one of the large eastern cities,
where, step by step, he had been led by
one act of folly to another, until he had los t
all employment, fallen into habits of intern
pcrance, and finally imprisoned to await
his trial as person engaged in passing
counterfeit coin. His parents, his sister,
and her husband and rcla ives, upon hear
ing the matter, were deeply grieved; to
save him and themselves from the humili
alton of his conviction and Imprisonment
for the felony, they gathered from their
earnings the sum of five thousand dollars,
which was carried to the city of his confne-
ment by one of the young Jacksons, and
deposiiing it with a professional procurer
of bail, the young man was released. 1t
was thought best, in order to avoid any
search that might be made for him, that he
should return with young Jackson, and in
the retirement ofan industrious life upon n
farm, he might repent bis past misdceds.
and become good and honest man. In
the fall of 1854 he reached the home of his
sister, and terrified at he danger he had
just escaped, he was really and truly repent
ant. During that winter, and indeed far
into spring, he was industriously occupied
in aiding the brothers in their labors. He
had often rccounted the scenes he had pass
ed through, and the many temptations
which life in city constantly presents to
young men; and III confessing his oft re-
pented falls into error, his tears never fail
ed to touch the hearts of the kind friends
around him. Handsome, with a tempera-
ment when not made sorrowful by remi
niscences of the past) cheerful, happy and
full of kindness, he did not fail to awaken
in the heart of Kate Jackson, emotions of
tenderest pity for his misfortunes, and sym
pathetic hope in his future.
We must be brief In our statement, and
therefore we will merely state that many
months had not passed before they loved.
A few weeks more, and they with the cheer
full consent of her father and relatives.
were engaged to be married; the marriage
to take place on Kate's eighteenth birth
day Alas! that day will never come to
her in this life. The sun, when it rises on
that day, will not reflect its fresh tints to
garlands for her nuptial banquet; in the
sparkling dewdrop on her grave, and in the
falling tear of those who remember her
sweet and winning smiles, it will find all
belonging to her on earth, to which it can
give even momentary brilliancy.