The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-26

mediate presence OF MS Ooo.
Nor was that is.ue long doubtful one. In
| the bottom of the box, EMBODIED In some arti
cles of wearing apparel, evidently for the pur
pose of concealment, was found the missing
letter with the money abstrscted, of which 4
mentioned the amount.
The young mans guilt seemed thus proven
beyond the possibility of doubt and the un
happy mother, who, when that proof was fouud
had raised her eyes in the full expectation tia,
the nearly ended search was vain, sank into q
state of insensibility, from which abe awoke te
the apathy Of despair. She would not quit heI
sons chamber, but sat gazing on the box, sigh
ing bitterly, and unconscious of all around her
The father, possessing strong mind and a firm
trust in the wisdom of the ways of God, bore i,
better. But the little garden was neglected
and the gray head Was oftener uncovered and
bent upon his bosom.
Jessie was the first to visit her brother in
prison. Poor girl, che had wept day and night,
and was sadly altered. But her brother declared
his innocence, and it lightened her heart, while
she returned to her parents to comfort them
with the assurance that all would be cleared up.
The young man persisted in his declaration,
bat to the almost stern questioniDgs of his
father he would give no answer; and his father
then strove to mitigate the overwhelming sor-
When they parted, the young mans words we're
always, I" Do not bring my mother here"
Alas ! she could not come.
James had expected that his friend would hy
to him whenever he heard of his misfortune ;
but he waited in vain. And, at length, when
be was about to be removed to Edinburgh to
take his trial, he wrote to him from the prison,
requesting an interview. Martin Allen came,
but how. changed, how cold. Neither alluded
to the circumstances in which they met. James,
at length, after a painful silence, spoke of his
sister, alluded to Martins protested attachment
to her /; for he had wrung from his sister in con-
fdence q confession of the sentiments with
which the young man professed to regard her.
"And if the worst should happen" eaid the
prisoner, with falling voice, "Alleu, you will
stand her friend? 2" BE paused, expecting q
reply, but he was met by the same embarrassing
" If there is anything can do for Miss Bussel,
l shall be glad to do it. If my purse"-
But the sentence WAS cut short by the en-.
trance of another individual, namely, the wor.
thy baker, whose intimacy with the family had
increased with their misfortune. And so Martin
Allen took formal leave, and departed from
a place where he was evidently i'll at ease.
Jessie's pale fsce-for tears had washed away
Its bloom-hushed q burning crimson, as she
answered "No," to her brothers question, if Al
len ever came TO see them at home. He had
won the heart of the innocent girl with his pro-
testations of love, and she felt pang at the
thought of his heartlessness but her present
grief for her brother was too great and her heart
too unselfsh to cherish such feeling, when
others demanded her sympathy.
Jessie and her father were to accompany
James to Edinburgh. His mother was pre-
vailed on to remain indeed, her strength was
unequal to such journey. But she saw her
son. Such scene of misery as that meeting
presented, it were impossible to describe and
the interview was shortened, for fear that the
reason of one or both would give way.
Sac ye're gaen to Edinburgh, Jessie 2"
said the young baker, when the day for their
mournful journey was fixed. "Folks say they're
no canny places, they big towns, for q young
bonnie lassie like you ye wad be better an
honest mans wife, Jessie, and then l would
gang wi you;" and he held out his hand to
her. But Jessie did not give him hers, though
her look told how deeply she felt the generosi.
ty of the now repeated offer, as she answered,
{" If ye love me, dinna speak of that again. She
does nae deserve ye, that gives ye not the first
and best o love she has to give. Stay and
comfort my mother while we're away, for she'll
need comfort sare."
The young man expressed his disappoint.
ment only by downcast lock, and assured her
that he would do everything be could, during
their absence to Tighten her mothers anxiety
and grief to keep her up" as he expressed
it. And, with this assurance, Jessie and her
father soon after took their departure for the
capital, followed by the sympathy of many in
their native town, for the story had now spread
far and wide
The trial came on, and, through the exer.
tons of several individuals interested in the
Young man, able counsel pleaded in bis behalf
But the letter was traced into his hands, and
found in his possession. He was condemned
to die. James's integrity of character was
uuavailingly urged in his defence. Crimes of
like Bsture had recently been frequent in &C.
currence. 1t was the betrayal OF an official
trust; and at that time offences of even Q
lighter nature were punished by the extreme
penalty of the lava punishment fearfully dis
proportionate to the offence-a punishment,
the necessity for which, if indeed there be one,
even in our days, when it ia reserved alone for
him who imbrues his hands in q fellow crea
lures blood, is deeply t. be deplored by all.
The prisoner was carried faiating from the
bar, and many days of his short time of prepa-
ration passed away before he fully realized his
awful situation. Still he chung to hope, though
he no longer persisted in declaring his inne-
cence to his father and the clergyman who at
tel ded him he comics sed that he took the
money, but only as loan, and with the inten.
ton of restoring it, for which purpose he had
kept the letter. 1t was too late to plead that
| now, for who would believe it? And even
more than this confirmation of his guilt, the
stricken father felt the falsehood of his son !;
but upbraiding would now alike have been
useless and cruel.
The clergyman saw that the young man had
all along trusted in the innocence of his inten.
ton, and in that trust had pronounced himself
euiltless at the bar; and, fearful that he might
trust in it for acquittal at the higher tribunal
to which he was Fastening, he said I" Young
man, it is vain thing to trust in intention, for
it is written, he that trusteth in his own heart
is fool" James remembered his intention
on the night of his temptation with the fatal
cards, and bowed his head and wept
Jessie and her father spent much of their
time with their unhappy relation, learning
themselves Lessons Of resignation, which they
| s.rove to teach to him. They knew whence
| alone could come the strength they needed.
! and, having sought, they failed not to find it.
But it was not until he could count by bours
the time that interviewed between him and death.
that calm settled, which now seemed to deepen
as the time sped on.
At last, the awful morning came. James
was no hardened criminal, enured to shame and
scorn, and, though he was prepared to die,
shudder after shudder convulsed his frame, aa
be thought of the vast crowd, the hum of which
already reached him, that would lock upon his
dying struggles. Alas that men-aye, and
women-shouId crowd to witness such scene
with its hardening influences, and to add an
other pang to the anguish of dying brother
however guilty he may be. His father was
with him that morning. Jessie had taken her
farewell the night before, never to meet again