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


brought to a position whose sublime aw-
fulness could not be equaled by anything
else on earth. Quicker by far than
can write, yet in this channel had my
thoughts run.
My brother, three days ago, gave me
in private a heavy draft to be collected
at another banking house, drawn in his
favor by one of his correspondents and
endorsed by another. remember that
he looked restless when ne gave it to
me; that he hurried from the room i'm
mediately afterward. + presented the
draft l received the money; it was
put into his hands the books, which ]
keep, bear no account of it. He forged
the paper. l am the suspected one. l
have no means of proving my inno-
cence, unless, perhaps, by proving his
guilt. That, most like, is impossible
AT any rate, what terrible step for
man to take against his dead mothers on
| ly other child And he has a lovely
wife whom it would slay. Yet l myself
have-oh God shut out her image
from me Il must I OF see it; shall 90
mad
In this groove my thoughts rolled back
and forward through the night. Facing
this alternative 1 stood till the day of my
trial-just one month. My brother came
often to see me; he lavished tears and
embraces upon me; he retained for me
the best of counsel--yet he always SEEM
ed like one in the delirium of fever,
and ever just as the turnkey swung back
the heavy door to let him out, he would
stop for moment, trembling, and with
his lips half opened, as if about to say
something more to me-then, without
meeting my eye, he would rush from the
cell. Suffering as was-sufering still
more, as was about to be, from the con.
sequences of his sin-I could pity him
, deeply. l could forbear with the COW.
ardice which could not confess for
knew how priceless liberty must be to 6
man who, losing it, leaves his other sou
in that most heart-broken of all widow
hood-the widowhood of a convict:
, wife.
! She whom l loved visited me many
times-always bringing me sweet mes
, sages in her presence from the birds, ant
: the flowers, and the free sky outside-al
ways talking with voice intensely sus
4 tanned into cheerfulness of my acquital
: and restoration to our old hopes. 1 tolc
: her was innocent, and she believed me
= l could not tell her who was guilty.
: My trial came on. need not pail
: myself with long recital of the thronge
y court, the weary questionings and cross
l questionings, the audible silence of til
crowd when the pleas were made, til
e moment whose shadow fell upon me whe
r the foreman solemnly said guilty'-tha
+ other moment when | was condemned t
:, the awful alienage of prison for the fl
e teen years to come.
i Then l parted from home and friend
a My brother did not bid me goodbye h
/ lay sick of a raging fever, on who's
e chances hung life. But she-the hol,
Y the heroic-had borne all things, came
]. see me go. She clasped my manacle
l. hands in her own, she pressed one lon;
N last kiss upon the convict's lips, and sai'
J. with solemn cheerfulness, l will wa
h for youp Then, with a superstitic
" which, frivolous though it seem, still Gre
ID into the awfulness of that hour, l sto
n, ped my watch, and vowed inwardly tn
re its hands should never more move till v
met again.
Sc After that the gates of my prison ope
ne ed to let in but one message from the Ii
iy outside. The chaplain brought me loc
lis of well known soft brown bair, and to
at me with tear in his eye, that an old MI
ul had given it to him for me, saying n
he daughter is with God. She died viii
pering that she would wait for Jol
k Markham
he endured the knowledge of her dea
y. with benumbed patience, uncomplai
he ing, and rarely weeping single drop.
ht- went through the unvarying round
,at day-labor in the prison-yard with stea
he mechanical industry which surprised n
for task-masters-for heretofore / had be
ID taunted as the weak gentleman, VIII
nv fingers and whatever epithet of ms
: the hardened bullies of discipline are
an customed, at discretion and without fl
of resentment, to confer upon the wret'
vas ed in their grasp. AT evening held
1es the tress into that faint twilight VIII
the just filtered thro' my CRATES, and kiss
rd- it, seemed to see her by me-for l col