Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-10-08

UP in sullen. silent madness A most
dangerous madness it was From the
time lost the tress five years were to
clapse before went out and if in that
time revolt had sprung up in prison. !
had Giod fighting in its front, for was
ripe for any crime. As it was, / only
bodc my time Once out, would wreak
condign vengeance on society-on law
on my brother
The five years passed five years of
dust and clinking in the yard-of dark
nsss, 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 had been practicing nearly the
quarter Of q lifetime. / was going to
chapel with the rest---to hear Of the Pro-
digal Son and the Magdalcn--they the
guilty, but the welcomed--I tho inno-
cent, yet the thrust out. But the officer
stopped me with these three words
"'You are free p
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 fibrous roots through
the soil of my heart, till every drop of
life-iuice went to nourish the plant, now
began to put forth its blossoms, and
felt them bud into an ecstatic poisonous
fragrance My sweet, long -hoped-for
hour had come! In few moments more
the dcspiscd convict should burst upon
his motley chrysalis. and be rushing like
a winged Nemesis, to settle accounts
with world which had the start of him
by fifteen years.
went to the prison wardrobe and got
back that dress which, in the days long
gone, lad put off with She rest of my
humanity They were clean, fastidious-
ly, genteman-lilIe as when | left them
seemed for moment, at their sight,
to be waking from the terrible eternity
Of bad dream-to be finding them fold
ed by my bedside, where they had lain
only since the last night
had come in with the majesty Of the
lava guard on either side. / went
went out alone-no danger was appre-
hended of my escaping from that other
| prison-the world. Leaving those high
gray walls behind, ! struck into the road
for Hartford Had come out five years
before, might have been extremely
softened by the long, unwontcd music Of
the birds, that from 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 modify on the
ground 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 behind me as | went away in
scorn.
No wonder that by all the passers ]
was stared at as an oddly something to
be suspected and shrunk from; for my
grizzled hair was Of the prison cut, my
clothing had gone out Of fashion when
the fathers in the street were children,
and, not by fear, but by long use, | look
ed no man in the face. And here and
there in knots the people whispered about
me, sometimes with evident carelcssness
as to how loud. But | only nursed q
deeper aud more quiet wrath.
There came along that way a throng
of children Just from school Stepping
up to one of them, asked, Docs
George Markham still live in this placer"
The little girl turned up sammy Spring
morning face and answered, Il am his
daughter, sir; do you wish to see him ?"
A hollish thought suggested itself to
me. ] said, Eyes, you may show me
the way 20 bis house" knew We should
take cross-path over the fields and pass
long reach Of lonely woods. In the
most solitary part of that might wreak
upon the guilty head of George Mark
ham the most terrible vengeance which
could wipe ont this most bitter wrong TO
nc would kill his child and bring
her home to him, confessing that l did
it, and Clarifying in the end Of that hor-
rid game Of quoi.s on whose first throw
he had stakcd my heaven and lost il.
The little maiden took my hand, con-
iidingly. That might unnerve me so |
loosed il and told her to go before while
| followed She tossed back her curls
and went bounding ahead at a rate my
strides we're hardly equal TO- Still !
kept niy eye upon her After a whilc
we came to low brook-coursc between
two hills. over the foremost one Of which
] could just sec the chimney Of my bro.
theirs house ! looked about memo
one was in sight-rescuo was impossible.
The devil whispered, "Noww Then |
called to her to stop, saying must look
for something had dropped She obey
ed, and stood amusing herself with maxi
ing wrcaths Of the yiolets that grew by
the water-coursc, while ! stopped TO find
a heavy stone which might do my bid.
ding of vengeance surely and silently.
All around me in the bed Of the brook
were nothing but pebbles. walked o
few steps further down in my quest --
The little girl must have thought me
leaving her, for all at once | heard her
call, gently, II am Visiting for You !"
Gracious God Who spoke? DO the .
loved that are forever lost cry 10 US out
of Paradise? 81 am waiting for you p
hoatcd down through the prison bars from
her whom the Father had just numbered
with the saints.
] stood up and wandered back. more