The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-12-22
S ASHLAND, ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO WEDNESDAY MO

er knew of the others danger, and botE
retained their reputation for wealth.
Under these circumstances, each looked
to the contamination of this contract oi
marriage, as the most available means 81
avoiding bankruptcy; and accordingly
Louis pressed his suit urgently, and
Marshall aided him with all his powers
of persuasion. [ was soor, aud Marsh
all was ain short it would have beer
worse than useless for me TO have spo'
ken then. ...,,,7 s,.s5-..,
And SO the time had gone forward
into. the summer, and one afternoon
accidentally brought Mary and myseli
together in one of the city book stores
While there, chatting over the books /
purchased one of them. and gave it e
ber, paying for it with bank note Of
some large denomination. ...-..-r.
And now, let mo hasten over a
portion of my life wafch can give. you
little pleasure in the hearing, and u
certainly bitter in memory.
'The next morning was arrested
charged with having uttered counterfeit
money. I need not tell you that I was
astounded. 1 knew not uhich way to
turn, or what to say There was the
bill 1 had passed the day before, with
Counterfeit written across the face by
Louis Milton, who, in entire Ignorance
of the fact that had passed it, had
thrown it cut when presented for
deposit. I could not deny having given
it, and, even if it could have been any
avail, I was unable to say whether il
was counterfeit or not. S.me old en-.
nifty against my father prompted the
proprietor of the book store to vindic.
tive prosecution of the charge; and bit
terly was he revenge :; for my convic
ton, which followed close upon my
arrest, killed my poor mother
The old mans voice trembled, and
pausing, nervously knocked the ashes
from his pipe. turned away my face,
and in the sight Of the stars only, brush
cd away the tears that would come in
spite of me.
Well. the tri,l came on. did all I
thought could, but could not deny
having given the note. 1t seemed that
there could be no doubt of its spurious
ness, and the prosecution was pressed
with singular vindictiveness. l was
convicted an9 sentenced to imprisonment
in the States prison. To be an innocent
man in the sight of God, shut out from
all held dear in lifei deprived of that
great birth right of humanity, liberty;
my name rendered imam Gus, as thought
forever; is it any wonder that [ prayed
for death to terminate my sufferings
Her utter hopelessness of agony, under
that terrible trial, no human tongue can
tell,
The old mans tongue grew tremulous
again, and Mrs. Elmroe, as had done
before, turned her face toward the slow
marching stars.
Meantime the great world outside my
prison house moved on unheeding.-
Pecuniary pressure gradually tightened
around both Marshall aud Milton, until
each felt that the last hope, lay in the
union of Louis and Mary. How fsl
lacious was that hope, the sequel showed
but soon. Mr.. Marshall had long since
ceased endeavoring to persuade his
daughter TO this step and had tried
commands. Both means failed entirely,
and he now resortcd to entrea'y. He
faithfully represented to her the condi
tion of his affairs, and urged her to save
him from ruin and disgrace by marry
ing the son of the rich banker.
Startled tthe prospect Of her father g
impending penury, SO vividly set before
her utterly desolate at heart; feeling
keenly that all her hopes of happiness
were wrecked entirely and forever, she
finally yielded, a martyr as she thought,
to her fathers good aud they were
married. Alas how vain the sacrifice
Within a week after their marriage mu
tual explana tioDs disclosed the truth,
and both houses failed the same day =
Twenty four honrs thereafter found Mar
shall dead. Poison. self administered,
was suspected, but the truth is not
known to this day. Louis Milton, CIV
ing way to the magnitude of temptation
to dishonesty, gathered together all he
could of the scattered remnants of both
fortunes, regardless of his father or his
creditors, and departed suddenly, meme
knew whittier, carrying with him his
humbled and sorrowing wife.
The commeaical worl / was startled
for moment by the extent Of the fail
ures but in a few brief weeks the thing
was almost forgotten, save by those
who suffered immediate loss.
All these things l learned long af-
terward. 1t would profit nothing to
detail to you the wearying and humilia-
ting routine of my prison life. Let me
pass to the close.
Il had been shut out from the world
nearly tive years, and one evening was
sitting on the low bed in my solitary
cell, dreamiDgly wandering among the
gardens of memory Sorrowful enough,
is this, even to him to whom time has
brought no shadow of disgrace, who
while he looks into the irrevocable long
ago. dozes beside his fireside, surround'
ed by those who ltFe him, and those he
loves? Who shall say how many grim
forms of unrepented error, look out from
its shadow upon even the happicst mani
How much less, then, shall any tongue
tell how bitterer than gall it was to lool
into the past, to me, who, while YET
young, had seep my name stained witt
the foulest dishonor, ali my aspirations
in moment crushed, and my dearee1
hopes, even in their broadest noon, blot
ted into instant night.
And so 1 was sitting, in the gloom o
that autumn evening, mentally living