The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-09-22

even to those who can look around and count
not one missing from their household circle,
would be bitter change = but TO that poor
and stricken orphan, with she damp. cold
blight Of death hanging over all. IT was in
deed terrible! Plain sewing and occasionally
tedious embroidery-.hcse last resources of
reduced gentlewomen-arer resorted to. Ach-
ing brain, weary fingers. and breaking hearts!
A fashionable lady, one rich in this worlds
goods, engages this friendless girl to orna-
ment a robe which is to fall around her peer
less form on her birth-night 1t must be mag
niheent. it must be wrought with exceeding
great skill. Would a clumsily embroidered
fabric be fitting drapery for the tairest of
fashions bellies? A meagre pittanee, trifie
to the rich--life, hope, everything to this
poor suffering child of poverty, is offered in
recompence- Weary days. with cold. and
awanfs aad hunger ever pe sent. and the wkrk
is finished. sCheered by hope it is taken home.
The young belle cannot pay the laborer-it
is not convenient The poor wan seamstress
entreats, and with the pale face of a starving
mother before her eyes, she even pleads; but
she talks to stone She goes out from the
presence of the rich with all her load of care
and grief She applies to being in the
shape of a man, for one loaf of bread prom
ising to pay in few days. 1t is refused !
The last hope is fled She thinks OF the
ring upon her finger. but banishes the temp
tation. 1t is the last gift OF her departed Ia
ther--is contains that which keeps his bless
ed memory green in her heart. and she can
not part with it even to conciliate death! She
goes to her cold, bare home, and her wretch.
ed mother, empty handed! They kneel to
implore assistance from that God who they
think has fofsaken them - their devo-
tions are disturbed by the soscalled officers
of justice. And why! Simply because the
young belle, the owner of the embroidered
robe, a ring has been stolen. valuable and
costly ring of peculiar and costly workman
ship, and vrey highly priced by this young
lady as the gift of an absent nncle. A ser
van, a mnion OF the same lady, affirms to
having seen the seamstress take some article
from table where this valuable ring had
been placed! The heartless being to whom
the desolate seamstress applied for bread tes-
tihes to having seen the ring upon the finger
of his customer! The policemen also observ-
ed the same thing. They place her under
arrest for presumptive crime, and the cold
stones Of prison, though no colder than the
bare walls of her so called home, and the
black night enclose her! Upon this apparent
ly circumstantial evidence you would con-
"
grave - make her the despised. the outcast
Of her sex. and af6x tosher name the stigma
[0E egerlasting disgrace
Having made these feknarks, me Couusefss
lor began to cross-examine the servant girl,
replaced IN the witness box.
"Did the ring which was stolen from Miss
Howard, contain anything more on the inside
than the initials B. E p" began the Coun-
sellor.
"It did not.'' said the girl.
did you have access to the room Of your
mistress, at your own opton?' he asked.
Yes was the reply hesitatingly given.
A visible murmur in favor of the prisoner
ran around the court.
Counsellor Harrington paused, and the
hush which reigned in the court became op
pressive. Malnt lining silence until the full
effect of what he had said should be felt, he
resumed:
.'And now, gentlemen, one thing more:
This ring taken from the hand Of the prison.
er, it becomes my duty to examine"
The ring was handed to him by the prose-
cutting attorney. He took it, pressed his fin
ger along the inside, and spring flew open.
revealing in the action small but life-lke
likeness of gentleman in middle age. He
held it up to view. Several gentlemen, who
pressed forward, identified without mo-
Everett. the father of the prisoner.
The excitement became intense, that the
officials of justice had TO adopt stringentmea-
sures to preserve the dignity and decorum of
the court
Closing the spring. Mr.. Harrington placed
the ring in his pocket, and turning his face,
terribly beautiful in its righteous Indignation,
toward the principal witness of the plaintiffs,
he exclaimed:
And you who hopo to escape eternal pun
ishment. reveal where you have hidden your
mistEess's ring
The voice, the look, the manner was so
terrible that the affrighted girl fell upon her
knees and shrieked out:
"Save me from him. | am guilty, In my
trunk you will find the ring. Keep him away
from me; oh, keep him away from me!'
No more was needed. Mr.. Harrington
looked at Lefty. Holding her mothers head
on her breast, her calm, truthful eyes, now
full Of tears, were raised to heaven.
The form of acquittal was gone through,
and Lefty was released. Mr.. Harrington call
ed carriage, and supporting the half faint
ing Mrs. Everett, with Lefty holding her
hand upon tho other side, he passed out of
the court, followed by the warm plaudits of
the admiring crowd.
At the carriage door, after assisting the
ladies in, the Counsellor paused and Lefty
timidly took his hand.
God bless you. sir; l never can" she
faltered; .but morning, noon and night will
nplore Gods blessing on YOU
Mr. Harrington, deeply affected. said, Il
will call and see you. ladies, to-morTow," and
the carriage drove away.
The next morning, Mr.. Harrington called.
Ii would be vain to attempt to express the
grateful thanks and blessings which were
showered upon him by Mrs Everett. and
the fearful earnestness that filed the blue
eyes of Lefty as she strove to find language
| for her gratitude.
1t was merely accident, Mr.: Harrington
said, which brought him to the court On that
eventful morning On his way to the me-
tropolis, he was detained BY triiing bust
me- after until too late for the mornin train