The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-10-14

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b "As for his womanly face" replit
of Mr.. Barker, " there is no trusting
!, that. The worst villains are not alwa,
it the worst looking. AS for his being il
toxicated, there was no telling whetht
: 1t is true OF not. The cunning lawyt
}, may have made up the story for th
s1sake of exciting compassion, and th
II witness may be more than willing to b,
: lieve everything strange in the prisoner
conduct was the result of intoxicatior
. Moreover, it won't do to admit that pie
in explanation for then, don't you see
man who wants to kill his enemy ha
} only to get drunk in the first place.
anybody killed my Joe, drunk or no
drunk, I should want him to swing f.
it."
By such remarks, urged in his vehe
ment way, he swayed minds more timic
and lenient than his own, without being
fully aware of what he was doing. H,
was foreman of the jury; and when the
awful moment arrived on which depend
ed the life of human being, he pro
nounced the word 4" GUILTY in firm
strong voice. The next instant his eye
fell on the prisoner, standing there sc
pale, and still looking at him with such
fixed despair There was something in
in the face that moved him strongly. He
turned quickly away, but the vision was
before him-always and everywhere be-
fore him. This is Weakness" he said
to himself. 81 have merely done my
duty. The law required it. I have done
my duty" But still the sad young face
looked at him: always and everywhere
looked at him.
He feared to touch newspaper, for
he wished not to know when the day of
execution arrived. But ofheious neigh
bors, ignorant of his state of mind, were
eager to talk upon the subject; apd
when drawn into such discourses, he
strove to fortify his feelings by dwelling
Notwithstanding all his efforts, the night
preceding the execution he had troubled
dreams, in which that ghastly young
face was always conspicuous. When he
awoke, he saw it in the air. 1t walked
beside him as he plowed the fields, and
stood before him on the threshold of his
own door. All that the merciful jury
man Lad suggested came before him
with painful distinctness. Could there
be doubt that the condemned had
really committed murder? Was he in
toxicated? Might be have been intoxi-
Gated for the first time in his life? And
he SO young! But he drove these
thoughts away, saying ever to himself,
"The law required it. I merely did
my duty" Still everything looked
gloomy to him. The evening clouds
looked like funeral pals, aud pale des-
pairing face gazed at him forever.
For the first time in his manhood he
craved companion in the darkness
Neighbors camo in, and described the
execution; and while they talked, the
agitated juryman beat the frebrands
into thousand pieces, and spoke never
a word. They told how the youth had
written q letter to his mother, and had
died calm and resigned. "By the way,
perhaps you knew his mother, Mr.. Bar
ker," said one; "they tell me she used
to live in this neighborhood. Do you
remember girl by the name of Mary
Williams ?"
The tongs dropped from Mr.. Barker,s
hand, as he gasped out, Mary Will
liams Was he her son? God forgive
me. Was he her son" And the
strong man laid his head upon the table
and wept
There was silence in the room: At
last, the loquaeious neighbor said, in
subdued tone, 90 am sorry I hurt your
feelings. I did MT know she was a
friend of yours"
The troubled juryman rose hastily,
walked to the window, looked out at the
stars, and clearing his choked voice,
said, "It is many years since I knew
her. But she was a goodtempered,
pretty girl, and it seems but yesterday
that we used to 60 together to pick our
baskets full of berries. And SO she was
his mother ? I remember now there was
something in his eye that seemed famil-
lar to me-"
Perhaps the mention of. Mary's beau
ty, or the melting mood, SO unusual with
her husband, might have excited vague
feeling of jealousy in Mrs. Barker
W hatever mil ght have been her motive,
she said, in her demure way, without
raising her eyes from her knitting
" Well, it was natural to suppose that
the young man had mother; and 9th
er mothers are likely to have hearts that
feel as well as this Mary Williams"
He only answered by shaking his head
slowly and repeating, as if to himself
" Poor Mary, and SO he was HER son." "
Joseph came in, and the details of the
dreadful scene were repeated and dwelt
upon, as human beings are prone to
dwell on all that excites strong emotion.
To him the name of Mary Williams con-
iured up no smiling visions of juvenile