Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-04-22
A startIing Confession.

4uoiUCCau dlut, Il StuulcT uOlliS UuSIhCSS
in South Ninth street, was called home
from his work shop ON Saturday morning,
10y a messenger who brought the melan-
choly intelligence that his wife Barbara had
taken arsenic for the purpose of committing
suicide, and was then at the point of death.
He hastened 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 OBJ
tanning his forgiyness. Mr.. Paine, with
great emotion, desired her to go on with
the disclosure, adding that she might as
sure herself of his forgiveness before she
had made known her offense.
"Ah, Mordecai," said she, "you remem-
Der our large white pitcher was broken
sometime ago. l pretended to you that
the cat broke it, but that was false, for l
did it myself"
"Ob, my DEAR" said Mr.. Paine, "don't
concern yourself about such a trifie. l had
forgotten the pitcher, and it matters not
now how it was broken"
"There is another" said Mrs. P, after
some hesitation. ,'The six silver spoons
which l made you believe were stolen by
the yankee clock mender, l pawned them
TO raise money to nay the milliner for doing
up my pink satin bonnet"
"Never mind, my love-" said Mr.. Paine,
encouragingly, q hope heaven will forgive
YOU as freely as [ do"
After short pause Mrs. Paine began
again:
"Your best razor which you missed last
summer, and made so much ado about, l
swapped it away to pedler for tortise
shell comb.''
sThe deuce well, ,iyell," said Mr.. P,
recollecting himself ''that is all done now,
and can't be amended. Think no more of
it."
81 could not leave the world with auch
a thing on my conscience" replied the fair
patient.
$50 on" cried Mr. Paine; 81 told you
that I could forgive everything at such a
time as this"
Mrs. P. resumed: -.r
"You remember our boarder, Simon
Drake who ran up bill for six weeks, and
then went off in hurry without paying a
cent. He and I had agreed to elope to-
gether, but he changed his mind at the last
moment, and ran away without me-"
"Fire and fury! do you dare to tell me
this?" cried Moodecai, in excitement
"But as you are dying 1 won't reproach
you. I'll leave you now TO settle the af-
fair with your own conscience" :"
"Stay and hear one thing more," cried
the repentant Baabara. "The dose L took
this morning was intended for yon. l put
it in your cup of coffee, but in my hurry
to get the thing done, l gave you the wrong
cup and took the right one myself"
aThe devil fly away with you, you jade"
roared Mondecai, as he flung himself out of
the room. In the entry, he met the apoth-
ecary who had sold Mrs. P. the fatal pow
der. This medical man had heard of the
commotion at Paine's house, and suspect
ing the cause of it, he came to administer
hope and comfort TO the afflicted.
''Don't be alarmed Mr.. Paine," said he
''thv drug sold to your wife was nothing
but magnesia. 1 Judged that she wished
to destroy herself, and tricked her in this
way to save her life"
aYou swindling rascal" shouted Paine,
show dare you cheat customer in that
shameful manner, and obtain her money
under false pretences? Begone"
And with this exclamation he violently
elected the astonished apothecary from his
front door. The man of physic, suspecting,
of course that poor Mordecai wa. deranged,
sent two officers to provide for his safe
keeping. His relation of the preceding di-
alogue however, soon obtained his dis
charge.-PhiladelphiD Ledger.