Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-03-05


key for it 1 was told, Prisoners are al
lowed no useless articles From that
moment knew that she whom loved
was dead. Like wild freshet the agony
of that knowledge gushed in upon me.
With it came the memory Of my burning
wrongs-the scorn of man spent upon
my innocent head-the perfdy of my
only brother-the irredeemable helpless
ness of all things. And l shut myself
up in sullen, silent madness. A most
dangerous madness it was. From the
time that lost the tress five years were
to elapse before [ went out, and if in that
time revolt had sprung up in the prison
I had died fighting in its front, for was
ripe for any crime. As it was I only
bode my time. Once out l should wreak
condignest vengence on society-on law
on my brother.
The five years passed-fve years Of
dust and clinking in the yard-of dark
ness, muttering, low, smothered heart
burning in the cell. At last, one morn
ing, the warden threw open my door,
and | passed out with the slow lock-step
which l had been practicing nearly the
quarter of lifetime. | was going to
chapel with the rest-to hear of the
Prodigal Son and the Magdalen-they
the guilty, but the, welcomed-I the in
nocent, yet the thrust out. But the Of
ficer stopped me with these three words
You are freeP
did not cheer, nor wiring the mans
hand, nor even smile. One grows used
to forget these ways of the world after
fifteen years in prison.
But the revenge which, little by little
had stretched its fbrous roots through
the soil of my heart till every drop o
life-juice went to nourish the plant, now
began to put forth its blossoms, and
felt them bud into an ecstatic, poisonous
fragrance. My sweet, encyclopedia
| hour had come In few moment
/ more the despiSed convict should burs
| from his motley chrysalis, and be rush
ing like winged Nemesis to settle ac
counts with world which had the star
of him by fifteen years.
? l went to the prison wardrobe an,
: got back that dress which, in the day
long gone, had put off with the res
: of my humanity. They were clean fast
: idiously gentleman-like as when I lei
!, them. | seemed for moment, at thei
4 sight, TO be waking from the terribl
;. eternity of bad dream-to be findin
them folded by my bedside, where the
n had lain only since the last night.
d l had come in with the majesty of tn
: lava guard on either side. I wer
e out alone-no danger was apprehende
e of my escaping from that other prise
n the world. Leaving the high gra
1t walls behind me l struck into the roa
o for Hartford. Had / come out fv
f years before l might have been expire
sibly softened by the long unwonted mt
s. sic of the birds that, from trees and orcl
e ard-walls, made the air full of their io
;e Now I had lived past the time whe
=, sucl things could touch me, ard wake
10 still in the lock-step, looking Meth,
d about nor forward, but ever moodily &
2, the ground. And thus, late in the afte
d, noon, I came whittier commencement
it my recital finds me, and stood in the ma
IN ket-place of the town which had la
pit seen fade out behind me as l went aw;
p in scorn.
at No wonder that by all the passers
We was stared at as an oddity-something
be suspected and shrunk from for n
n grizzled hair was of the prison cut, n
fe clothing had gone out of fashion wh
ck the fathers in the street were childrt
Id and, not from fear but long use, l look
an no man in the face. And here and the
ly in knots, the people whispered about I
is sometimes with ar evident carelessness
IN to how loud. But only nursed dee
er and more quiet wrath.
nh There came along that way throne
in children just from school. Stepping
/ to one of them / asked, Does Geor
Of Markham still live in this place ? I
dy little girl turned up sunny spring mo
ny ing face and answered, i am his dau!
en ter, Sir-do you want to see him !?
lte A hellish thought suggested itself
ult me. / said, Yes, you may show me
ac- way to his house, | knew we sho
EAR take cross path over the fields and p
ch- long reach of lonely woods. In
up most solitary part Of that might wrt
lch upon the guilty head of George Markh
ing the most terrible vengeance which co
nld wipe out his bitter wrong to me. wo