The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-24
THa riRsr OFFENCES.


THa Fret orFBNcB.
In the Early pars 81 the present century. In one
n the principal tesus cf the north Of Scotland
lived family VI the name Of bussel. IL consisted
IL . hesband and wife aud their two children, g
brother aud sister. They teuAnieda small sssi-
,outaiasd house In narrow back street. The
seldom 1treamsd 10 81 the front paftour
window, making the mstes dance 10 It's rays, ''se
n million atom worlds, and causing everything 70
look mean aad dusty. IL was always qntet aud
shady, some might say dull,--not we, for We love
ofali things, 10 the shape Of apartments, quiet
ltetle parlour, bat 80 d not Jessie Brssel aud %
id nat her favoritc lianet, for he would nos slns
when she hung his cage Ia the pariour Wnnuo~ !.
sad she could aos slug without him. so the pAr,oar
waa len 70 lie rcpoae. The kitchen thst i@oked 70
the back wac quite = contrast e. the front OF tns
dwelling. There the SOU shope all day long anu
the window looked out CT small paien o. s,ouua,
whose scanty spAee WA eeonom'ea,iy u'sa a..
a bleaching green. . fswor and kitchen garden.
Beyond this Was oaly tho open sea, WHO its ~hto
crested waveless and everlasting nlurmuring-neN
loud and near as Il almost washed the wan OF the
little garden, now coming co tie ear tke distant
whisper over track Of gtistening SAND. .
The suo shoue In at the little window, when IL
shous st all: aud there are moro e1nny days than
cioudy ones even as we believe there is more hap
piness than misery IN the world, though We hear
most ofthe latter for they that are the ioadsst 10
too, the lisnet. whistied ell day long, and Jessie
went about her work singing TO him. while her
mother sat spinuingin her clean white cap ana
check apron. And ia the Afternoon Jessie would SIT
down TO her wheel, and her mother throw her apron
over her head aud take snsp In the easy chair ;
then she did not sing. and the innet, as II 10 sym
pashy ceased his wal bling TOO a.. II he did begin.
the warning foyer ofhis youthful mistress checked
his uotes. fhea she had only to raise her head TO
see her father at work 10 the eardenhis sole oceu'
paton for he was quite blind yet be could feel tue
daily growth Of his plants and flowers, and aus
tinguish them one from another. He knew every
inch Of the ground, and To sou aud weed, ana WAFER
IL was his hourly aud daily pleasure.
a The family we're, at the time we write CT IN easi'
ar circumstances than ever they bad been Mr.. Bus
sci, who was By trade gardener, lost hts siSht py
4 Inflammation when bis son James wasa boy al schoo'
and Jessie but an infant in arns His VIE iterai-
~ toiied day and night for her husband and chill
iyen. and with some assistance from her husband .
former emyloyer, brsvely struggled 90; bat health
Vas Lost ia the struggle aud ere better days arrived
chs had become sad spirited broken down woman
Yet she had found happiness IN her endurance,
and nov every blessing Of her lot seemed double
from the trials that had passed away. James, the
pride of his mothers heart, had grown up to man.
hood and was now repaying her Tor all her soi anu
care With the fruits Of his talents aud industry
talents and industry which PROMISED YET mofo
abundant harvest. :,
He had profited by the education which his moth
or had striveu hard 20 obtain for him, AID was now
q clerk In the postofice of his native town Ills
-. ,... hrs .maii considering that he had 10
saIaIy va ~; uus I'd s;.tsr lar owing 10 the
delicate health OF his mother aud the householJ
duties of his sister, their joint earnings added but
iittie IN tha general md vet with economy, IL was
sufficient, and James, as he poured his earnings
in,o his mother's Ian, never dreamt that be made
q sscr,6ce
Jessie was very lovely girl, yet she never had
q lover, though she was nearly through her teens
only the baker over the street-an honest, hard
..,ian si,h ,his modest little Customer aud often
. .ss 49, s..a;i % thav !. aikad to church. and
go 800 a,.Iv :at " hole evening in the kitchen
oI,,;ar NTH NJ Rnssel without cace speaking a
ssa.sncs with Jessie.
se1 Wehi,. Jsmas had a communion Of the name
=. as,.n ,xhom he bronpbt with him as a visitor
~ h ..,,,.,s dva,i;nS Uis visits soon became
,..u sr.nnsnt. and the baker over the way seldom
; oi,.d ,hsu nov far he was generally at Jessie s
Ia III ma,, bona With them 10 tea when they
.ams ont Of chnreb
Martin Alien was a gay, extravagaut young man.
Of handsome person and elegant manners, at once
hold and In siauating ia his sdiress,-a very dau-
rerou companion for the timor0us aud complying
James.
az say Russell" said Allen, one evening, as they
left the house of the f,rmer armin for even
ing At roll and visit to one Of Aliens acqusintances,
she 3 sweet lassie that sister Of yours; but was
going TO whisper something fine la her tonight,
sad IF Won had only seen the look che gave me.'
the yonng man. gravely.
s.Tut man, was euly going TO call her pretty
they ali like that. intend to court her some of;
these days aud make her my little wife and you
nv very good brother"
NJ, ,ho,oh, ,.t |. al sIreadv ms ssed tn ron Oh
I.s.,Saas ans ha haa I'd the balties.inp word A.
= S.ma ton of his dsa rest wishes for his attach.
49,, 10 nd r.yerapce for Allen was uubounded
But james heart misgave him as he entered she
,iacs Of ass,;nation that night. lie knew he was
- ys,nass ths scenes of a gaming table, though he
,w.n, ,ri,b tho ..inteotioun not to pIay. Bat his
S;nna n,re.tej mat he wouid only learn the game:
;alasa tha 90 rds we're in His hand ha was learnt,
80 a,,a,n was nrged To engage with his friend
,na.a. ~, trial NJ ali III. apain tina weak Young
man comnlisa At length they PLAYED for money
and Ia Lat His los was a +. w shiings more than
his nnrse contained. He apologized and rose from
tho fahIa Ha and his friend took their leave to.
ra,har Jamas took notice of the debt he had In.
eurred as thew walked home
ay.yer mind. my dear fellow" said Allen, "you
can nav IL tomorrow"
lame. entered his home with burning cheek
.ra a djsturhed mind that night and for the first
,;,sa s;oca his bovhood forgot to knesi In prayer
ore he Law dawn to rest Bat he did not rest He
nus, Il sfrav his debt on the IN ,rro y, and he did
$3.50 how Ills ousrter's salary was nearly
ans lint then II would look so meas to wait till
then. and Allen was not mean His mother he
Eraw would suppIy him: but he had already spent
Too mnch. and she had none to spare. Besides he
da ra NOT meat her questioning, He would borrow
~ Favarsd with the Unusual excitement OF the
svsnino he nassed a sloeplsss night: and in the
n;orainS ascaning from the. for once. uuwelcoms
s.l;etnds of hs mothar and sister. he hurried pale
= :, 10 r.,ara To Mia offica. y
That evening he discharged his deb: of honor.
.ocaJiad and his CAV friend pocke,ed the trifipy
sum with supreme indifference, aud urged him to
win n hack but in vain More than a week pass
ed away, during which time James avoided the
company of his friend, complaining Of illness, which
his look beied not; he retired every evening at an
early hour to his own little chamber.
One afternoon, Ia that qniet home, all were pur
suing their usual routineJessie was spinning, her
mother mapping iu the old easy chair and her father
at work 10 his garden,-when they we're disturbed
by strange and unwelcome visitors. These were
criminal officers, come to search the house for proofs
of crime. under suspicion of which James Russell
had that day been arrested, namely, for the alb
straction OF 4 letter containing a small sum Of
money. The amount was oniy one pound; but the
penaity for such q crime was then death-certain
death. e q & 3