New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-06-28

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be ieigued one the crime which be expiaied vas
that of murder; the Staying Of his master and his
henefactor as he slept, for the taxing o. 2 sum OF
money which, in all probability, he might have had
Tor the asking. One Of those atrocities, 70 give q
reason for which battles the student Of human nature.
/; The defence set up for Mavoanci was that Of in
sanity there being doubt whatever as to his hav-
ing committed tho deed but this plea was, IN my
pencd to be an intimate friend OF mine and il was
through the interest tnorbid and reprehensble am
| well sware-with which be had inspired me in the
unhappy criminal, that found myself among that
crowd ii front Of Hippcsford gaoi. heard some
thing going on near me, little too jocose for the oc
4 casion-
"You crueIhearted rufian, il you dare to mock
the poor wretch like that again" cried deep, low
voice. sIll save Mr. Calcraft some trouble ia your
| Case
| Tho speaker was a fne, powerfully built sailor,
towering by half head above the tbrong and under
| his flashing eyes and threatening hrows, the fellow
who had provoked his wrath subsidized at once into
lnatterings, and presently into suen silence. Hav-
ing achieved this end, he made no further Observa-
| ton, but kept his looks intentiy fixed upon the
CHASTITY preparations before us. He alone amidst the
hum and noise Of the crowd, maintained an inyio-
liable silence, and strained his eyes upon the scaold
above as though be would have numbered every nail
In the extreme anxiety of his face remarkable
even amongst those Thousand eager and expectant
conntenances Not caring to look upon the dreadful
sight directly, watched that face when the death
bell began to toll, thoagh it mirror feeling
sure that should see reflected in it whatever was
happening. 1t was burning and quivering with ex
| element, when the wretched criminal was carried
up BY three or four persons into view Immediately
after he came In sight, this fixed expression vanished
4 as completely as though curtain had been drawn
some picture and as the sailor cast his looks
! upon the ground, heard him mutter, in a solemn
whisper, bis thanks to Heaven
| Az the sailor and were borne along together by
the resistess human tide, said to him, secured Of
sympathy This Is sad sight, my friend, is it not n
sail he tarrih SIGHT Lad h,f
| it might have been worse
"How so ~ said /.
Well, it's long story be replied, "but il you
like to listen to IT, and to take CUP OF tea with me
(of which feel the need at my lodgings, shall be
pleased enough. 1t viii be relief to me, feel to
tell it even to stranger
SO went into little room overlooking the scene,
and which had been let (as had been agreed upon
when he took the apartmen) throughout that morn
ing 70 party Of five gentlemen C) and lady (ii)
who had only just evacuated it. And there he told
this story
You must excuse me l am little slow. ct first
for yon throng has fairly dazzIed aud COMPOUNDED me-
Lam quite new to sights of this sort. thank God nor
have ever seen so great crowd BEFORE live upon
the southeast coast where the folks are not so many
~ IN these parts and my own employment is par
ticularly solitary one (; am lighthouse man. /
sometimes pass whole weeks without seeing any other
lace than that OF my mate without hearing any other
Voice save his, aud that Of the seaguil and Of the
baffled wave which beats forever against our rock
Even my holiday time is spent among people who
pass almost as lonely lives as do. My friends dwell
az coast guard station, far away from any town,
and indeed from me, only they can see every night
our lantern burning steadily out to sea, which nv
mother and sister says is great comfort to them
when my father Is from home. 1t Is lonesome, you
see, for them to know that there is human being
save themselves within miles OF them, the next post
being long distance beyond the headland. whittier
often the darkest nights my father has to 20 feel
lag for the white chalk heaps that are laid down to
mark the road betwxt the stations the direction of
which in old times, they say, the smugglers used to
alter that the poor revenue men were guided over
the precipice, into the arms Of death below
Twelve years ago vessel was cast ashore and
went to pieces one wintry night at the clifoot be-
meath our guardhouse, and all the crew save one
were thrown by the scornu sea upon the shore dead
men, one. The sailor gave an involuntary look
towards the thing that hung upon the gaolwa there
Inotioness, with its CHASTITY cowl drawn over it,
" and that man was an Italian foreigner. Ny people
took him in and acted towards him as Christian
people should do and he was grateful and STAYED
with US, making himself as useful as he could for
weeks, for months. When be had been our guest for
near upon year. the man who was then my mate in
the lighthouse died and mainly through my fathers
recommendation the Italian was appointed to be nv
companion ia his place. was pleased that the poor
fellow was thus provided for but yet had rather he
had been given any other post than that not for any
assgnabe cause. or OF course this could have been
prevented but from vague uncomfortable feeling
that had always had in connection with him such
a. should not havo dreamt mentioning to his preiu
ace, did not mention 1t, am perfectly certain,
even to my mother
!" When found myself in the narrow lighthouse.
alone with this man upon the waste of waters this
antipathy increased. | could not meet him on the
winding STAIRS without shudder; loaihed his com.
pany In that little sittng-room upon the lower story
which, when my old mate was with me- had seemed
as comfortable parIor as need to be and when /
was a. work 10 the lantern, | was forever thinking
what IS he doing below there and whereabouts shall
md him when descend / do not think that |
was afraid OF him, then. Time was when had not
qaailed from death-sruggle with far more power
inl man than he, aud had come of victor; but still
did not iancy taking my rest in the snug little bed
chamber as OF DID, knowing that this man was awake
and watching, watching, all the night long.
sun, beyond being reserved and taciturn and
having This something repellant about him which
cannot explain, there was nothing evil to be said
against the poor Italian foreigner and was ashamed
Of myself whenever reasoned about the matter for
feeling as did
Ga the night Of this day, twelve years ago, the
loIh o. August ls4l my father was of duty at home
and while he lay in his bed, combating with GER
tain idea which Swallowed his mind like a nightmare
my mother shook him 10 pteous terror
HUSBAND" cried she, husband, | have had
,sarsome dream, aud i seems so like to truth that
am miserable. Wake, wakel do believe our
George IS being murdered by the Italian man.
ureat heavens y cried my father; :" why
was awoke just now By that very dream and cannot
SNAKE y on my mind, do what will. But it must
be only tancy consider bow full the poor fellow has
always shown himself to be Of gratitude to us an
and what could he get by the murder Of our
George keeps all his savings in bis room at the
lighthouse" returned my mother, sobbing ~ can
not help Hafk did you hear that scream ~
IWo or three shrleks rang through the house as
abe spoke and my sister Mary with her hair DISNEY
eled, and III her night dress, rushed into the room
Un, mother father7 cried she " cannot
stay any longer by myself. have dreamed a dream
that haunts me whenever shut my eyes When
leit my room just now to come to you thought the
Italian was at my very heels, who seemed before in
my sleep, TO be numbering Georgey. He has muir.
dered brother George | do believe
- You dreamt that ~ exclaimed her parents
Yes, said she. dreamt that he emf my
brothers throat in the lighthouse
MY father rose In haste. dressed himself and
started at once ia the moonlight for the flashing viii
lage over against the rock, which was nv lonely
awelhngplace. II was good ten mile walk and
wnen he had been about two hours upon his way,
ana u was o'clock, he met me coming homeward
WITH distressed and unwonted look Little did
understand why he wrung my hand. and welcomed
me 20 heartily, without even asking how it was that
l came to be upon the chalk-downlands there, at
snch an hour, instead Of at my post. had tale to
tell him, which was, by that time ashamed to re-
late although had started on the way expressly
to do so. ~
g Father said !, l have done foolish, cruel,
cowardly thing
George, replied he, l forgive you before You
yell II to me- | am too glad to fad you alive and
VEL Tor reproach ; say on.
x have quarrelled, father, with the poor Italian
lotelgaer, although he has not deserved it, | have