The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-12

o.onco-hoi ner ne WOulu NOT Seel AS often
as the distracting vision reached this point, be
started up, threw it of, and cried to God with
his moving voiceless lips to save her and him,
over and over, many times, before he could lie
down again !; and then it all began again at the
beginning, and went on again towards the same
contamination as steadily as the march of Doom ;
and still, through all, and keeping time to ali
like the ticking of a metronome, his hard throb-
bing heart beat on, and seemed to say two
words, Five-years Five-years!
Those five years, waking or sleeping he
could not get rid of them. The present was to
him Just five years long. Time seemed to
stand still before him, continually facing him
with them, and insisting on offering them to
him in one huge, bitter, choking solid ball,
which was to be swallowed whole, not part at a
time. The sense of the whole period appeared
to pervade every instant of it, Just as the com
pete magnetic polarity does every particle of a
magnet. Every instant he lived, he seemed to
live five years.
In the midst of this state, he was suddenly
startled by the sound of terrible cries, groans,
and prayers for mercy, as he thought, close to
his ear. He once more sprang up in bed,
and strained his starting eyes to see. He saw
only darkness thickest on that side" He put
out his hand, and felt the wall !; but the cries
grew louder; and his first idea was, that his
reason had given way under the. weight of his
sorrows, and that he was in the first stage of a
deiirium. This notion was, however, quickly
dispelled by the mutterings which he heard be-
tween his waking room-mates.
" The devil said Spur "ol1 Rodrick's
at it again, strap and paddle, paddle and
strap!"
Herman remembered then that the way had
not been long from the guard room to the CELL
and rightly conjectured that they were on
opposite sides Of the same partition.
Hush = whispered Kane. "Keep STILL
and make believe sleep, and maybe he won't
think of US"
The cries, intermingled with the noise of
blows and struggles, continued, with short in
tervals. for about half an hour, after which they
yielded to the nightmare stiffness of prison
at night. Herman had been, however, thor
ougbly reused, and dreamed no more.
1t was yet dark, when the door was opened,
and something was apparently thrust through
it; after which, it was shut again with a jarring
clang. There was an Immediate hustle and
scrambling over the other bed, and Spur in a
moment came to Herman's side, saying, in
practiced soto voce undertaker's murmur of his
own, which always contrasted oddly with his
very unstudied language, "Here, look sharp,
younker; grab your grub, and gobble. They'll
be arter yer in less nor quarter of q second,
to set We to slavin." =.
Herman thanked him in whisper, sat up,
put out his hands, and received in them some.
thing that smelt like meat upon something
else, which felt like rough biscuit. II can
eat here, at least, if cannot Sleep" said he to
himself; "and must, or 1 cannot live FIVE
years. Fortunately, this is matter which my
will has some control over"
40 off Of hclo al, cnt
which slid away ont of his fingers when, he
tried to tear it, broke off q corner of what
proved to be crust of cold corn-bread, and
was glad to find himself able to relish his coarse
food. He stood in great need of it after his
vigils of the night, and his unconscious fast of
the day before. | am strong, and, at this
rate, shall keep up my strength" thought he;
=" and can trust to Clara for taking care of
Constance Five years are not forever we are
hahy h4fSSlltlhX and .x9ypg.- have probably
AS the words passed through his mind, while
he ate ON mechanically, his teeth suddenly
came together through the tough rind of what
was like round mouthful of pork and his
mouth was filed with cool, disgusting, taste
less jelly.* 1t was the eye of hog. In his
exhausted state, the discovery almost nauseated
him; but he hastily and resolutely took another
mouthful, selecting it with greater care, as well
as he could in the dark. 1t proved to be gall,
and he was instantly seized with violent sick
ness. The sleepy, careess negro cook, as
sometimes happened afterwards, had by mis-
take mixed the offal with the rations.
Spurrs stiAed merriment knew no bounds
Perhaps the mischance was of his contriving |;
for he was, though less from malice than from
sheer coarseness, most unfeeling and brutal
wag. Kane, however, at once child him, came to
Herman, assisted him, tire his breakfast out
of the window, and begged him to share his
own. Herman could not swallow particle of
it but he was grateful for the Kindness which
pressed it upon him; and somewhat recovered,
though still faint and giddy he left his cell, T
In the passage, murky with the morning
twilight, he for the first time saw assembled
the drove of his fellow prisoners, from eighty to
a hundred in numbers ragged, squalid, evil
looking crew enough. The greater part of them
were in chains, some with one passing from
one ankle to the waist, others with three, one on
each leg, riveted to another passing round their
middles, and others ironed in the same manner,
but more heavily, with larger chains, fastened
to clumsy letters, which made them walk like
bears. Clanking, tramping, jingling, and jan
Cling, they sullenly and slowly formed into dis
tinct packs, and went their several ways, follow,
ed or led by their respective drivers some to
the main building others, marched in double
file with one guard in front and two behind, all
three, gun in hand to the neighboring city, to
work in the open air, as carpenters, masons, OF
paviors and some again in like manner to q
quarry for stone. The overseer, meanwhile
made prize of Herman, and appeared much al
a loss to know what to do with him while the
latter was lin a state of as great uncertainty
about what trade he was follow, as he had
formerly been about what profession he was to
follow. The only difference was, that this time
he wa, to be spared the trouble of choosing.
They passed through brick yard. Mr.. Bush
Herman's present possesser, looked at him, and
probably decided that he was of too different q
| kind of clay from that commonly employed there
at any rate, he went on to the stone-cutting yard
where the work was cleaner, but hard, Earring
and noisy. He took him to the rope walk, wagon
shop, and carpenters shop; but, rather to his
regret left him in neither Of them, and finally
set him down, in the hot, close, weaving room
| TO a loom, showed him how to weave coarse
bagging, and told him that thirty yards day
would be expected of him, after he had had the
| remainder of the week to practice himself il
the craft. He meant kindly but he would
have done better by Herman if he had pu
him to saving wood, if not stone.
This occupation, however, monotonous ant
mechanical as it soon afterwards became, at frs
required and absorbed his whole attention, ant
was so far relief Twelve o'clock speedil..
came, and with it pork and bread time the sec
ond. alias dinner-time. Tn. prisoners begal
to move towards their cells. lust as Herman
was csngrat4lating himself On his approaching
escape from the close heat aud oily smells Q
the shop, and the prospect of little rest to hi
weary brain, dazzled eyes, and aching arms
the overseer stopped him: Say, Arden, you've
been medicle man, hain't yer?