Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-06-04
re You quarter-of-an-hour to look up your

| Holderlin now made bundle of few neces
saries, and taking an affectionate leave of hi
family and his weeping wife; adding, 'thert
| would be no justice on earth if they condemned
me. There-stay with mother continued he t.
| the little boy who chung to his knee-I shall
soon be back Farewell! FAREWELL
IN 90 with you sobbed Annette. Well al
go; and I'll beg the judges so hard, that they i
set you free again
Nay it can't be-, said Holderlin: you mus
stay here, my poor Annette. But never fear
| 1t win all come right in the end
And he tore himself away, lest the tears Of
his dear ones should rob him of his remaining
gratitude.
He now walked along in the midst of his es
cort, who, knowing him to be an honorable man
were satisfied with his promise not to endeavol
to escape, and dispensed with the degrading
ceremony of binding him.
When once Holderlin was delivered up to
Justicei weeks, yea, months, few past, without
Annette's hearing, much less seeing anything
of her husband. Many time had she gone to
town with both her children, whom she con.
yeyed in little cart drawn by goats, in the
hope of getting q sight of the poor prisoner
But she was sent from pillar to post, from one
official to another, to obtain the desired permits
sion, and each time she met with a refusal on
the plea that nobody was to communicate with
the prisoner till judgment had been given. In
her distress, the unhappy woman had even ap-
piled 70 their brother-in-aw the cause of all
their misery, and besought him to withdraw his
complaint, or, at any rate, to tell the whole
truth She had patiently borne the abuse and
curses heaped upon her by the vindictive man
as he lay on bed of sickness, but not spark
of pity could she awaken in his obdurate.
breast.
At last, when autumn was nearly over, and
the Alps were covered with fresh drapery of
snow poor Annette received the intelligence
that Judgment had been pronounced on her
husband, and that she might now see him and
speak to him. This news was sudden ray of
Joy amidst despair, and she hastily made her
little preparations TO set off with the children to
fetch ber long absent husband home.
Although the costs of the trial had sadly i'm
poyerished Holderlin's household, and encum-
bered his little property with an unavoidable
debt, still Annette packed up large loaf, a
couple of pots of butter, four goats milk chess
es and three dozen Of apples, to offer as pres
ent to the goaler. These provisions were soon
placed in the goat-cart, as well as the tive chill
dren, and off they all went to Aarau, where
they stopped in front of she prison. Annette
then took her baby on one arm, and the bundle
on the other, while the little boy chung to her
skirt and made her way through the crowd as
sembled before the building.
Let me I'M said she to the gendarmes on
guard; Il am Hoderlin's wife, and Mant to see
him directly
They fell back to make way for her, and
Annette was too full Of her JOY to observe their
plying looks. Her spirits were, however,
danpened by the moist atmosphere of the place
Its black walls, dark starcases and passages,
Its ponderous, iron-studded doors, and small
windows, and other attributes characteristic of
a prison, that met her sight for the first time.
But this painful impression was removed on
perceiving the goaler approaching her, when
she hastily gave him her bundle of provisions,
saying, there good man, take what poor wo-
nan is able to offer you. And now, lead me to
my husband
Il was Just going to fetch him. observed the
iailor for the cart is waiting below for him and
his comrades. Come here, into my dwelling
place, and You shall see him in minute
No. nor said Annette; i must see the place
where my dear Franz has been shut up so long
So pray, show the way, my good man.
I. us no such pleasant sight to see,' muttered
with her request
On reaching the cell, in which several prison
ers were confined, she started back, half alarm.
ed, on seeing man with pallid face, disorder
ed hair and rough beard, rushing towards hei
with open arms. 1t was only the well known
voice that changed her fright into joy, by reveal
ing to her that this strange figure WAS her long
mourned Franzi.
After long embrace, Annette put the baby
who had been scrambling aloud, in its fathers
arms; Now, kiss Gabi, who has cut four teeth
since you saw her. and here s Toni, who dosen't
know father, because Of his ugly beard. And
now, let's be Off, Franzi. There's cart below
in readiness for you, but I'll wager that you'll
be able to walk home with us; so come along
While Annette was speaking, Holderlin hung
his head, as if overcome by painful feelings ,anC
IN hnra IN 10 tIor he
said dreamiy, Home, Annette, did you say!
Are you mocking met
What can you meant Grid she; has this un
wholesome air turned your brain?'
Il suppose it has, said the poor fellow
striking his forehead; and he again repeated
Home! why, don't you know my sentence, An
nette?
What sentence? exclaimed She astonished
at Franzi's strange manner; what can it be
except to set you free, after suffering he1e SC
lonc!'
My sentence condemns me-, said Holderr
hesitatingly, TO the house of correction for foul
years and half
WHO pronounced such sentenced said the
unhappy woman, the moment she recovered hel
senses.
Take me to the wicked judge, Franzi, that
may strangle him.
OH cried Franzi, bitterly, the Judges woult
all answer-'Iti is not l who condemned you blu
the law
What is lawl' asked the bewildered An
nette.
Thick books that the judges have read by the
month together, in order to pick out my sentence
from Them answered Holderlin.
a curse upon law, them shrieked Annette
which sends the best of men to the house o
correction, and does nothing to scamp VIII,
beats his wife, and filings his brother-in-laV
against the wall. After all you only did wha
the Bible allows-an eye for an eye, tooth TO
a TOOTH
Hush Annette! said Holderlin, sorrowfully
you are wrong. What the Old Testament al
lowed was cancelled by Christianity and tn,
New Testament. Ny ribs only cracked wheI
my brother-in-aw flung me against the wall
while broke two OF his. And if you compare
the bruises gave him with the one scar on ny
temple, the odds would be terribly against me
But | didn't think of that in my passion; and Al
| happened TO get hold of a log, | thrasheC
him like bundle of corn. Still it was not OF
my account, bat for my sisters sake, that bea
HIM. However, what's done is done, and can
be helped now
Didn't you beg for mercyl' asked the weeping
Annette.
Hard as it is to ask for mercy when on,
dosent feel guilty of any great SIM, replied
H0lderlin,-still, for your and the childreni
sake, | did attempt it; and my lawyer did a.
that could be done. But the answer was tn,
law must take its course 1t is bitter thing t
be shut up in the house Of correction, but th'
shame of it is worse still-and that I'm sure
shan't survive. But don't cry, my poor An
nette; bring =p our children to be good ant
honest, and never tell them what became Of thei
father. Now, FAREWELL
Poor Annette had sunk on the ground, over
whelned by grief, while her husband laid hi
hand on her head, silently invoking blessing
upon her after which be gave parting kiss t.
each of the children, who sried afresh, as hi
beard prieked them
During this painful scene, even the criminal
respected the grief of the unhappy couple, anC
maintained deep silence, only broken by An
nette's sobs. Aud now she followed out tn,
groups of prisoners who were fetched away anC
while they got into the cart surrounded by TIL
gendarmes, and admist the gaze of the mnltitud,
she hastily placed her children in their little 70
hicle, without even pereeiving that the conscien