The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-10-21

no uaHSer was uPPI6u6ndeu OI my ceOoP- |
ing from that other prison - the world
Leaving the.hish grey walls behind me,
struck into ahe road for Hartford. Had l
come out fyesyears before, might have
been expressly softened by the long, unwon-
ted music Of the birds, that, from the trees
and orchard walls, made the air full Of their
joy. Now had lived past the time when
such things could touch me, and walked still
in the lock.step, looking neither about nor
forward, but ever moodily on the ground.-1
And thus, late in the afternoon, came
whittier the commencement of my recital
finds me, and stood in the market place of
the town which had last seen fade out be-
hind mo as, l went away in scorn.
No wonder that by all the passerS was
stared at as an oddity-some,hing to be sus.
pected and shrunk from;. for my grizzled hair
was of the prison cut, my. clothing had gone
out OF fashion when the fathers ip the street
were children, and not by fear but long use,
looked no man in the face. And here mid
there in knots, the people whispered about
me, sometimes with evident carelessncss as
to how loud. But only nursed deeper
and more quiet wrath.
There came along that way throng OF
children just from school. Stepping up to
one of them, l asked, "Does George Mark
ham still live in this place 7" The little
girl turned up sunny Spring morning face
and answered, 81 am his daughter, Sir; do
you wish to see him :"
A hellish thought suggested itself to me,
I said, ayes, you may show me the way to
his house." knew we should take cross
path over the fields and past long reach OF
lonely woods. In the most solitary part Of
that, might wreak upon the guilty head of
George Markham, the most terrible ven-
geance which could wipe out his most bitter
wrong, 10 me. I would kill his child and
bring her home to him, confessing that did
it, and glorying in the end Of that horrid
game of quits OH whose first throw he had
stoked my heaven and lost it.
The little maiden took ny'hand, confid-
ingy. That might unnerve me; SO loosed
it and told her to 60 befofe while followed
She tossed back her curls and went bound.
ing ahead at a-rate my strides were hardly
equal to. Still | kept my eye upon her,
After a while we came into low brook
0 course between two hills, over the foremost
! OF which l could just see the chimneys oi
h my brothers house. looked about me-
e no one was in sight--rescue was impossible
j. The devil whispered snow % Then call
IF ed,her to stop, saying that must look fo
k something had dropped. She obeyed, ant
n stood amusing herself with making wreath
IS CT the fiulets which grew by the water side
n while stopped to find heavy stone whic
,r might do my Bidding of vengeance surel!
!. and silently. All around me in the bed o.
i. the brook were nothing but pebbles.
s, walked few steps further down in m!
= quest. The little girl must have thought
nt was leaving her, for, all at once, heard he
CT call gently, II am waiting for you!"
t. "Gracious God f.! who spoke? Do tn
L. loved that are forever lost cry to us out {
paradise I? 81 am waiting for you !''-foa
nj ed down through the prison bars from he
II whom the Father had just numbered wit
10. the saints.
M stood up and wandered back, then NOR
i'd dreaming than awake, to the spot wher
ed George Markham's daughter still stood pla!
If ing with violets. She turned to me with
On smile and said, 81 did not mean to hurry yo
,lv Sir, but my father is very unwell, and
Of ought to be at home. Will you please te
N me how late it is I"
3D. For the first time after those fifteen yea
he in prison, in which knowing toll and dar
mt ness only, had asked no other measur
ng ment of time, mechanically put my hal
ng to my breast and drew out my long restor,
- watch. Was | sane The second hal
ut, stopped at the last kiss Of agony given
so. nv beloved, whether by miracle or the ns
tation of my grasp, knew not, sudden
os, moved on. Like lightning fash rushed
ut. me the memory OF my vow--"Till we me-
tho this watch shall never count time again"
lon Yes, we had met--met in that voice
nth quiet waiting--met in this wondrous ON
,.. of the watch--met when knew not--Wh
I she was by none but God and her sister 4
oor gels. The wrathful embers went out in
breast of John Markham, and, viewles
in. lowering over him, the long cherished de
Ger smiled blissfully as she saw that in that
1ou ment there had entered into him new SO
clasped the little one in my arms.
and told her that her father was my only brot
get and then waited humbly to see her rec
,ars from that loa,hsome convict. But with
chidlike Joy she hugged me closer Oro'
had the neck, and cried, "Oh am so glad !!
soil am so glad Poor papa has been talk
vent about you these four days, and saying
9th oh, he must die !--"'I cannot die till j
ecs. comes home.' '"a
,po. "Not so, my BROTHER" l answered,
mo. emnly, II from my soul forgive you. +
o,,d much more shall He who pitieth his ct
,,.h, rem ? For me, He hath this day wiped
,nnts the past like a tablet; and looking uI
hv Him as both Of us condemned in His 81
~ let us join hearts. making no difference
NR-