The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-05-06

saw radiant bellies and beauties of the
republican court. At the President s
leyses they thronged the East Room, and
amidst law -givers and nabobs, they bore
them loftily, but none, none was SO fair
as she. They drove away in carriages.
she walked leaning upon my arm, for we
were married. I had gotten q small
clerkship-a nero nine hundred affair
but it supported US while " nursed'
my claim. 1t may be enc day decided
for me. / know it must I for.
got myself, my Bible, and my GOd,
sometimes. There is only one passage
in the Scriptures, that remember al
ways. When I am gone from these
pleasant Capital grounds, let them dis
sect me, and they will find it epgraven
upon my heart. 1t is, "pus not your
trust in princes"
CT got government ofice, as I told
you. When I spent my money; when
the greedy Congressman had sucked me
dry drank up my wines and eaten my
dinner, the scoundrel who just passed us
curses upon him procured me it,
and then, thinking me his tool,
his servant, he dared to insult my wife ;
my POOR Nelly my patient companion
in adversely.
i" 1 kicked him from my doors. 1
kicked him out and he wrote to me: II
will not challenge you, beggar that you
are beneath my notice, but you shall
rue this day while you live-you shall
not get your claim" I laughed at his
threats, fool that I was.
"My claim came up at last, and
would have passed. was assured that
it would pass. I sat 10 the gallery ex-
pectant-joyful. My wife was with me;
happy and confident, when saw this
miserable scoundrel pass slip of paper
to his ncighbor; it went from hand to
hand; there was little whispering and
confusion-my bill was lost ! Lost.
"I remember little of the weary days,
and the burning fever, when Ne'ly's
cool and patient hands caressed my hot
brow. or held pleasant draughts to my
parched lips. The fever passed away,
and 1 recovered to find my ofiice gone.
my jewelry puwned to supply, our
wants, and my sweet Nelly's pale lips
trying vainly to smile comfort. We
went into humble lodgings, and Nelly
my poor Nelly-took in needle work 10
support us, while nursed my claim.
"During. the sessions there was ex-
citement ard 1 enjoyed the hideols alter
nations of despair AID hope. I have
never wagered money on card. have
nevcr bet on the black, nor backed the
red know nothing of the agony which
I have seen on strong mems faces, as
they wat,hed the revolution of the ron
lcttc, with the swiftly wbirling ball;
but was gambler on larger sca'e
than this, and my cards were the mem
bers of our Congress. Alas +! never
held the deall
"In the dreay blanks between the
sessions, came and sat here upon these
iron seats, and my head grew white and
my limbs feeble, waiting here, and
watching the stream of otlzcr lives glide
by. Still my sweet Nelly labored at
her needle, aud smiled upon me in our
quiet evenings. could have been hap
py then, with her soft hand in mine; her
head upon my shoulder, but my claim
was still ungranted.
At length 1 assaulted a member,
who had moved to lay my bill on the
tn BILE when it was to have passed to the
third reading, and l Was arrested. 1
remember little of the trial, save only
the white face of my poor Nelly. Had
the Judge no pity for her, when he pass
ed his cruel sentence Had he no
thoughts at the bottom of his stony
heart, of my wife's, SORROW? No cord
of sympathy to be reached? went to
Jail, for 1 could not pay the fine impos-
ed by law, and lay there while Congress
sat, and my bill might have passed,
while lay there Gagged behind stone
walls
"A At that time wrote long letters to
the public journals. Nelly took them,
and I waited eagerly, day by day to see
them in print, and spread abroad thro'-
out the land. But they never printed
them, sir-never SO much as noticed
them when a brief column in the Her
aid or Tribune, or Intelligencer, would
have ensured my claim.
The people went on voting for their
all unknowing that one of
incarcerated in Washing
ton, that Government might pass his
claim silently by. I think that Gov
ernment bribed those journals, that my
claim might not be liquidated. think
the President himself ordered those
journals to beware-ahd yet VIC call this
! free land |! But, I forget myself.
vas telling you my story.
:" L came on: at length, and went
,ome with Nelly. The poor room was
brighter than my cell, and I was content
was I not free again to nurse my
lain ?
"I called upon our new President,