The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-04-14
A Startling Confession.

A Startling Confession.
Mordecai Paine, saddler doing business
in South Ninth street, Philadelphia, was
called home from his workshop on Satur.
day morning, by messenger who brought
the meloncholly intelligence that his wife
| Barbara, had taken arsenic for the pur-
pose Of committing suicide, and was then
at the point of death. He FASTENED to her
bedside, and found her in more agony of
mind than of body. She declared that
there was something on her mind which
she wished to confess to him before her
departure, with the hope of obtaining his
forgiveness. Mr.. Paine with great emo
tion, desired her to 60 on with the disclos-
urc, adding that she might assure herself
of his forgiveness before she had made
known her offense.
"Ah, Mordecai," said she, you re-
member our large white pitcher was broken
some time ago pretended that the cat
broke it it was false, for / myself did
it." ..... ....
"Oh. my DEAR" said Mr.. Paine, don't
concern yourself about such triAe. I
had forgotten the pitcher, and it matters
not now how it was broken" ..
There is another matter" said Mrs.
P, after some hesitation. The six silver
spoons which 1 made you believe were
stolen by the Yankee clock-nsnder I
pawned them to raise money to pay the
uilliner for doing up my pink satin bon.
net" . ..t.......
"Never mind it, my love- said Mr..
Paine encouragingly. 81 hope heaven
will forgive you as freely as do"
After short pause, Mrs, Paine began
again: re.o 'g, .oo .1ra.
%" Your best razor, which you missed
last summer, and made 20 much fuss, about
l swapped away to pedlar for tortoise
shell comb" r.t t.--f.r- .o.
"Well, WE'LL" said Mr.. Paine, reconcil-
ing himself. "that is oil done now, and
cant be mended, think no more of it."
A" could not leave the world with an.
other thing on my conscience" replied the
fair penitent. .f.t,,s 49,. a.
."Go on, go on" cried Mr.. Paine, "I
told you that I could forgive anything at
slch time as this" Mrs. P. resumed /:
"You remember our boarder Simon
Drake, who ran up bill for six weeks,
and then went off in hurry without pay.
ing cent He and I had agreed to elope
together ; but he changed his mind at the
last moment, and ran away without me-"
" Fire and fury| cried Mordecai in
great excitement. But as you are dying
wont reproach you. I'll leave you now
to settle the affair with your own con.
science" i'.
" Stay and hear one thing more" cried
the repentant Barbara. The dose l took
this morning was intended for you Iput
it into your cup of coffee, but in my hur-
ry to get the thing done, I gave you the
wrong cup and took the right one myself"
The devil fly away with you, you jadsp
roared Mordecai, as he flung himself out
of the room.i In the entry he met the
apothecary who had sold Mrs. P. the fatal
powder. This medical man had heard of
the commotion at Paine's house, and sus-
pecting the case of it, he came to admins
ter hope and comfort to the afflicted.
I-1" DON'T be alarmed, Mr.. Paine" said
he, =, the drug I sold to your wife was
nothing but magnesia. l judged that she
wished to destroy herself, and tricksd
her in this way to save her life," ,ol
fr" You swipdling rascal" shouted Paine
how dare you cheat customer in that
shameful manner on false pretences 2 Be-
gone7"a's ,'r-sa srT ,,,,, o~.f o,-
And with this exclamation be violently
elected the astonished apothscary from his
front door. The man Of physic, suspsctins
of courseo that poor Mordecai was derang-
ged, sent two officers to, provide for his
safe keeping. His relation of the pro-
eeeding dialogue, however, soon obtained
his discharge. ;r,,-I .-. Fac
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