Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-05-13
ON strap 8ooh
A Wifa,s Death Bed Confessions.

- 0OSO
Mordecai Paine, a saddler, doing bust
ness in North Ninth street. Philadelphia,
was called home from his workshop on
Saturday morning. by a messenger who
brought the aeiancholy intelligence that
his wife Barbara, had taken arsenic for
the purpose Of committing suicide, and
was then at the point Of death. He has
tened to her bedside. and found her more
in agony Of mind than body. She de
clared 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 emotion, desired her to go on.
with the disclosure, adding that she might
assure herself Of his forgiveness, before
she made known her offence.
"Ah, Mordecai," she said, lyon re-
member our large white pitcher was bro
ken some time ago, I pretended to you
that the cat broke it, but that was false,
for | myself did it,
"Oh, my DEAR, said Mr.. Paine, don't
concern yourself about such q trife. |
had forgotten the pitcher and it matters
not how it was broken
"There is another matter said Mrs.
r, after m hesitation. The six silver
spoons which I made you believe were
stolen by As Yankee clock-maker, |
pawned Snem Aafse money to. pay the
m%illiner for doing up my pink satin bon
net
Never mind it, my love-" said Mr..
Paine e~ncouragingly. (" [ hope heaven will
forgive you as freely as [ do"
After a short pause, Mrs. P. began
again
/" Your best razor, which you missed
last summer, and made so much ado about
| snapped awayFto q pedlar for a tortoise
shell comb"
1.-The deuce l-well, well" said Mr.. P.
recollecting himself, " that is all done now
and can't be mended. Think no more Of
it,"
"I could not leave the world with such
a thing on my conscience" replied the fair
penitent.
$50 on, go on" cried Mr.. Paine ; 81
told you that l could forgive everything
at such a moment as this"
Mrs. 2. resumed
"You remember Simeon Drake, oul
boarder, who ran up q bill for six weeks
and then went off in a hurry without
paying a cent. He and | had agreed tc
elope together ; but he changed his mine
at the last moment, and ran away from
me-
Fire and fury / do you dare to tell me
this y cried Mordecai, in great excite
ment. But, a you are dying, won
reproach you. I'll leave you now to set
tie the affair with your own conscience.
"Stay and hear one thing more" crieC
the repentant Barbara. 1.-THE dose I tool
this morning was intended for you. l pu
it into your cup Of coffee, but in my hurry
to get the thing done, [ gave you thu
wrong cup and took the right one my
self"
THE devil fly away with you, yot
jade I" roared Mordecai, and he dung
himself out of the room. In the entry
he met the apothecary who had sold Mrs
P, the fatal powder. This medical mar
if1d heard of the commotion at Paincss
house, and suspeeting TIE cause Of it, be
came to administer hope and comfort tc
the afflicted.
"Don't be alarmed, Mr.. Paine,p said
he, : the drug | sold to your wife was no
thing but ~magnesia. | judged that she
wished to destroy herself, and tricked
her in this way to save her life."
You swindling rascal, shouted Paine
how dare you cheat a customer in thai
shameful manner, and obtain her money
on false ~pretences? Begone."
And with this exclamation, he violently
elected the astonished apothecary from
his front door. The man Of physic. sus.
pecting of course, that poor Mordecdi
was ~deranged, sent two officers to pro.
vide for his safe keeping. His relation o.
the preceding dialogue, however, soon OBJ
tanned his discharge.