Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-09-03

lngs as that may cost you your life Youfhaye
foully wronged me. Maitland, hut as Heaven is
my witness, ! cherish, not . single faeliag Of
revenge toward yea. 90 such hour,astthis.
let the past be forgotten. There is my hand
take 1t, and believe me, forgive you al tthat
has transpired between us"
1t was strange to see the altered demaaa0r of
Maitland, as in a low tone, MSseton said this.
He tried to speak, but hiG emotions choke his
utteranoe, while tear trembled on his .ageid,
and rolled slo&aly down his cheek. There are
better moments in the lives Of all men ;, 30 mat
ter how dehased they NAY have been, aal this
unlocked for forgiveness from q man.wb1m, all
his life, he had made it'his ain, to inipps touch
ed a hidden chord in Matland.G bosom which,
io years had been sumbering beneat a load
Of vice and sin. lie lay, passive as "a child in
its mother'e arms, whhe Moreton Yresaoved
portion ef the elothing and exam ned his
wounds. With careful hand he, pEeted them.
and then, taking bandages from the.esse he car
ried with hiHi, bound them up and p9y laced the
covering.
Can | live asked Maitland
" wish i could tell you yes but | ca nnot.
The wound in your side would have been. easi-
ly healed but the ether is beyoudltle po wer of
human skill"
"4t is as | expected. haveesne to just
end How long can suryive''
Moreton took bis hand within his own, and
noted the pulsations.
You may live through the night"
But you do not think thus--J know from
yeug looks you de'not. do not deceive me
tell me how long you expect netas urvive."
" You may live two houts. f[fhinE you will
4 live that time, hut not longer, though | think
Iit barely possible. | can give you an opiate
which will relieve your suferiaas somewhat"
! do it quickly then, torlI haqe much to say
TO those present before die"
Maretcn admins iotered poNesful opiate, and
Maitland having called Gertrnae and Carroll to
20 his'bcdside, began:
. In cl sing a career of sin and cri me- feel
that the confession am alom to ma ke cannot,
in any degree, geiieve my charActer of the dark
etains which rest 4lpon.it. Mek. sh all. at least
have one ray ef iight to gadten my darkcned
soul IN my dying hour, in the cons cousness of
having, at this late period, ,tdSne my duty, by
rghting, in measure, the wrong that have
done. My life has been enc da rk record of
crime, and If ever possessed virtues, they all
left nae at my mothers death.
was born in louisiana and the first years
af my life were spent in that State. Ny IA
ther was of Spanish extraction, and perhaps it
s to this fact that / am indebted for the nature
possess. He married earay in life lady from
the North who WAS stopping with a relative in
the town where my father reside d. | never
q saw wonan love hushaad as my mother did
4lm. aad yet, as in d ,urst of passion, he
would often bestow upon her hars words, and
sometimes blows, 1 wondered no she could
cling to him and laVish opon him so many at
Sentions as she did.
As grew up to childhood my mother watch
j, ed over me with that tendern ness Ind care which
a no one save mother can feel for an only child
, Each aight ere slept, she taught me to pray
4 and when had finished and lai d my head ur-
p on my pillow, she would knecl down by the
k bed aud ask God to keep me in the path of rec
q ttude and virtue. and made NE II blessing in.
:, stead of a curse which have )een to my fellow
r. men. was naturally wild and wayward
YOUTH bnt while she lived there was res
- training influence thrown around me. What
II agony, to think that ere the rising of another
t. sun, my mothers prayers will come up al
- proof of condemnation at the Judgment par o
v HeaVen before which mast shortly appear
A The torture suffer as | realize this, is wors
than thousand deaths Give me glass o
water, f you will, for am burning up will
thirst p"
,t. Gertrude brought the water, and Maitlan'
:" having quafed it, continued
- "Stand here at my pillow Gertrude, for
ne concerns you most, what am about to say
is Raise nay head little there, that is it,
All am easier a0w.
was nineteen when my mother died
to thought the blow would kill me, and for week
he had bat one desire, and that was to join hel
an But soon. under my fathers care threw til
70 feeling off, aud assocating, as he did, wit
men whose presence would cause blush I
mantle the cheek of the virtuous, | learne
the ways of dissi patton. From that time unit
ad now. can look back upon my lie with L
I'm other feelings than those of regret.
u A few years after my mothers death, my f
'' ther came to Missouri and purchased him
plantation. did not accompany him the
'"u having gone to the North to enter college
'"o knew not then why he took this course, but
i"' soon learned. He was proud man, and mo
:, ed amid tho first circles OF society, althoul
''u when out of them he was 50 morally debase
and he wished to see me accomplished, that
'sed TOO might do so.
en- In college was no favorite with my elias
mates, but being of u naturally quick min
cas- | easily mastered my tasks, and graduated, de
'ou pite their sneers at The head oil my class
That was proud day to me. | was proud
'ou not of my attainments, but because had Ii
saw umphed over them all. After leaving college
al went to Missouri, but ieud soon arising t
terry tween myself and my father left him al
went to New Orleans, where | passed nys
ling upon society as the son Of wealthy Virgni
lplanter, and the magic wand OF wealth open