The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-31
A startllng Confession.

Mordecai Paine, q saddler doing business in South
Ninth street, Philadelphia, was called home from his
workshop on Saturday morning, by . messenger who
had brought the melansholy intelligence that his wife,
Barbara, had taken arsenic for the purpose Of commit.
ting suicide, and vas then at the point Of death. He
hastened to- aide, and found her in more agony
of mind tfAp o&sAOdy. She declared that there was
something's her mind which she wished to confess to
him befo1da Her departure, with the hope Of obtaining
his ffgfe6ess. Mr. Paine, With great emotion, de-
sired her to 60 on With the disclosure, adding that she
might assure hersslf q his forgiveness before she had
tAh, Mordecai,' Sid she, you remember our large
white pitcher was broken some time ago; I pretended
to you that the cat broke it, but that was false, for /
myself did it. d
self about such a trihe. had forgotten the pitcher,
and it matters not nov how it was broken
There is another matter said Mrs. p, after some
hesitation. The six silver spoons which I made you
believe were stolen b. the Yankee clock-mender; /
pawned them 70 raise money to pay the milliner for
doing up my pink satin bonnet
Never mind g, nyyslove.' said MI. Paine encoura.
gingly. 'Ihope heasd4p viii sosgissyoa - freely as /
After . sho.ra. psus,. 1rs. ]. aae,;n
Your best razor, Wshkiek Yfoa IiS% 1sst sum,ner.
and made 20 much q dSfa8@sl7&sss93 ffSs3xppaa away, to i
pedlar for q tortoise;sh6fEe6a6!soa 1fy aak tass ssaa sss
well, we'll, , RI, reconcilinx h~imaslEtAsiale
40 0AAA O0V0 " 0SS05 V0A y VC = t0kAA 8Vt0EV&X
of it., $50
Il could not leave the world with another Hing on q
my consciende,s replied the fair penitentas
tGoen, 60 on cried Mr. Paine, sTtolds yuufthat Z
eould foMl601ssMytAihg at apah- q time asAhu.,Es Ma.
!, : ] s;il
without tk5J ! sA6A.H Hisedf 49, 3aH&1o11m9
together But = - = niad ,s4hs laaansAssA
and ran away without me.
Fire and fury !, cried Mosdecai 10 great excitement.
8 But as you are dying won't reproach you.; I'll leave
you now to settle the affair with your own conscience
Stay and hear one thing more, cried the repentant
Barbara. The dose took this mornine was intended
for you. / put it into your emp Of coffee, but in my
hurry to get the thing done, l gave you the wrong cup
and took the right one myself :.
The devil hy away with you, you jade = roar,d
Mordecai, as be flung himself out Of the room. In the
entry he met the apothecary who had sold Mrs. 2. the
fatal powder. This medical man had heard Of the com.
motion at faine's house, and suspecting the cause of it,
be came to administer hope and comfort to the afflicted.
Don't be alarmed, Mr.. Paine said he, ..the drug l
sold to your wife was nothing but magnetism judged
that abe wished to destroy herself, and | tricked her in
this way to save her life.'
/. You s~windling rascal, ; shouted Paine, how dare
you cheat a customer in that shameful manner and OBJ
tain her money on false pretences? Begone!
And with this exclamation he violently elected the
astonished apothecary FROM his front door. The man
of phyaie, asspectiAg of course, that poor Mordecai was
deranged, sent two officers to provide for his safe keep
ing. His relation of the preceding dialogue, however,
soon obtained his Observation-Disclosures Paper.