St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-23

4 oSSSSo
, reached him, but to which he was un.
able to reply, had occasioned both him
and the faithful and sympathising dog,
who barked vehemently; /; but as it
proved, in vain.
From the moment of this tragic oc.
currence Robert Patterson was con.
stantly in attendance at the Mount
on his friend. He slept in the same
room with him, and attended with
Ellen as his nurse in the daytime.
From this moment the cloud which so
long hung over the spirit Of Ellen Max
we'll had vanished. She was herself
again /; always kind and open, yet
with a mournful tone in her bearing
towards Robert, which surprised and
yet pleased him. 1t looked like re-
Igret for past unkindness. AS they
sat one evening over their tea, while
George was in profound sleep
in the next room, Ellen looking with
emotion at him, said, in low, trem-
ulous voice, " Robert, l owe much to
you" aE h
To me? said Robert, hastily. "Isn't
George as much brother to me as to
YOU"
1t is not that which mean," add
ed Ellen, coloring deeply, yet speak
ing more firmly /" it is that l have
done you great wrong. l believed
that you had said a most ungenerous
thing, and acted upon my belief with
too much pride and resentment. l
was told that you had jested at me as
the daughter of u convict"
Robert sprang up. 1t is false 1
never said it," he exclaimed. "Who
could tell you such malicious false
hood ?"
"Calm yourself" added Ellen, TAX
ing the young mans hand. l shall
tell you all.
Hear me patiently; for must i'm
press first on you the strange likelihood
of what was reported to me. You
were driven to stockman's hut, it
was said by a storm-you and a young
friend. You were very merry, and
this friend congratulated you in
sportive style on having won what he
was pleased to call the richest young
woman in the colony And with a
merry laugh you were made to add,
and the daughter of the most illustri-
Gus Of lags ="
Robert Patterson, with the calmness
of concentrated wrath. asked, in low
measured tone: "Who said that?"
"The woman whom you saved with
all her family. 1t was Nelly Fehan."
nelly Fehan I" said Robert, in
amazement "what have l ever done
to her that deserved such stab 2" 4
You threatened to send Fehan to
prison for bush-ranging. You remind
ed him of his former life and unexpired
sentence"
"That is true," said Robert, after
pause of astonishment "And this
was the deadly rcvenge-the serpents
But, o Ellen! why could you not
speak? One word, and all would have
been explained" i
81 could not. speak, Robert
Wounded pride silenced me. Bnt l
have suffered severely have been
fearfully punished. l can only say
forgive mel"
One long embrace obliterated the
past. Gfg
The late Mr.. Maxwell had been trans
ported for the expression of his liberal
political principles in hard and bigoted
times. There was not man in the
penal settlement, who did not honor
his political integrity and foresight,
and who did not reverence his charac-
ter. But the convicts as a body We're
proud to claim him as of their own
class, though sent thither only for the
crime of Hampden or Sidney.
Whenever reproach was thrown on the
convict section of society, the insulted
party pointed to the venerable exile,
and triumphantly hailed him as their
chief. No endeavours, though the Y
were many, and conducted by power
full hands, had ever been able to pro-
cure q reversal of his sentence. The
injuries of a man of his noble nature
might be comparatively buried at the
antipodes at home they would be a
present, perpetual~and damaging
reproach. He had lived and died a
banished, hut highly-honored man.
Still, as he rose to a higher estimation
and an unusual affluence, there were
little minds who delighted occasionally
to whisper After all, he is but q
lag" And it was on this tender point
that the minds of his children, whose
ears such remarks had reached and
wounded, had become morbidly sensi-
tive. eal % g5
Amid the general calamity, this rec
|onciliatiop was like song of thanks
giving IN the generous heart of Robert
Paterson, and quickened it to tenfold
|exertions in aAeviating the sufferings
ii his neighbors. His Joy was made
boundless and overflowing by q cir
camstance which appeared to be little
short of a miracle When Robert rode
up to his own station, he beheld his
mot her-not seated in her wheeled
chair-but on foot light, active, and
alert going to and fro amongst the
people whose destitntion still kept
them near his house, The mass Of
misery that she saw; around her and