The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-19
CHAPTER XXIv-Conlinued.

CHAPTER XAIV-COnilnued.
I, enforced silence, Herman bent over the
,,r.sping victim, who writhed and shrank from
:. r,btast touch of even his delicate and prac
- fnpers. as he dressed his wounds with his
,,,ost tenderness and skill. Afterwards, hay
~, no other mode OF communication at hand,
.o5 himself feeling the need of the consolation
rbi,b he longed to impart, he ventured to take
x,opl his bosom his little pocket copy OF the
Vex Testament, and read few verses in has
soft and modulated tones. The poor boy, mean
,;me. in some degree eased and comforted,
gszrd wonderingly up at the refined and noble
co,,utenance, and slender, gentleman-like, blue
,,sired hands, contrasted strangely with the
usrti-eolored ignominious dress of his singular
ristant and the overseer, starting and turn
;ny round from the window to which he had
iounped. leaned against the side of it and list
ened, without interrupting, as the sweet words,
o,l but ever new, broke the silence, instead of
tho means which alone had been heard before !:
Come unto me, all you that labor and are
heavy laden, and | will give you rest. Take
nv yoke upon you, and learn of me; for am
meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
rr.t INTO your souls" BLESSED are they that
mourn. for they shall be comforted."
Having satisfied his curiosity, and perhaps
some better feeling, by hearing Herman out,
he satisfied his official conscience by telling
him that he had broken the rules, and that it
must not happen again; but that as he hadn't
hardly got into the traces yet, he wouldn't re-
mort him this time But when Herman was
forced to follow him, and leave the sufferer to
his unknown fate, he felt, in the midst of all
his Indignation, grief, and gloom, solemn
thankfuness beginning to spring up and grow
within him. to find that God had not, as, in the
dependency of his WEAKNESS and exhaustion,
he had at first been ready to imagine, set him
aside from His service in the service of His
creatures. but in his lowest estate had still
placed him where he could carry comfort to
those more miserable than himself He re-
1urned, to spend the afternoon at his loom, and,
in spite of cold and home sickness, fell asleep
at night, the moment that his head touched his
pillow, utterly wearied ont.
Thus Herman's convict's life began; and
thus, for a considerable time, it went on, with
little variety. As the first excitement Of his
coming passed off, perhaps the load settled
down upon him more heavily-the Instructive
shame of a man of honor, at finding himself in
felOn's position, even without felon's guilt, the
disgust Of a man of great delcacy of mind and
manners, at continual association with men OF
brutal habits and characters, the pain OF mo-
nOtonous inactivity to a most active youth. and
Of intellectual famine to a student, the bitter
inconsistencies of a sympathizing and home
loving person, whose absence he knows is ma
king day by day sweet home desolate. and
still more-if anything can be more grlevOus-
the frequent presence Of cruelty which he can
not prevent, to a generous and highspirited
lover of his kind.
I As my reader may have already suspected,
Herman was not fortunate, in either of the
wardens. Log was an old man. and little more
than a cipher in the jail He was Rodrick's
tather-in-law, and had been associated with him
IN his office, probably, with the idea that the
weak and silly good-humor of the one might
temper advantageously the, violence OF the
other. Ii had on the whole, the contrary Ell
feet. There was one thing which Log loved
better than mercy, and even than money, and
that was has ease.
Rodrick agreed with him in nothing but
ayarice. He was a schemer, more ambitious
and enterprising than able, speculator, and
a small politician. In order to get time for his
operations without the penitentiary, he insisted
upon handing over the entire management of
IT. on alternate weeks, TO the senior warden.
During Logs nominal reign, the reins of
government were slackened, and the lawless
crew he should have ruled grew more dis
orderly. When Rodrick resumed the com
mand, not being able to beat his father
inlaw for his remissness, he beat his prison
ers for it and their own irregularities, too.
tits evaporation exasperated them and now
and then they would mutiny. Suffering much
from nervous dyspepsia, and being an econo-
mist of time in his way, he frequently logged
them at night, when he was unable to sleep,
aud they were unable TO work. 1t was said that
he experienced religion" more than once,
but usually experienced irreligion soon after.
Finding himself, after a few spasmodic days of
hrst horror, and then rapture, not yet quite
new man, he was plunged into gloomy des
pair which made him reckless. Ia this state
he happened 10 be upon Herman's arrival; and,
while ii lasted, he was cruel even beyond the
wont of his bitter, bilious nature.
No: only blacks, visible or invisible, were
beaien frequently in Herman's hearing, but, as
te soon found undeniable, whites, besides. One
case Of this kind which came to his knowledge
appeared TO him particularly barbarous. There
was laboring man, named Wellbeloved, con-
hned IN the penitentiary on charge similar to
his own. he had borne an excellent character,
vas much respected even in the Jail, and was,
alter has fashion, a Jealous Christian. His fash
ION was not Hermans fashion, to be sure, and
appeared to him, indeed rather a fantastic
iasnlon, consisting, as it did, in part, of noisy
ana violent bodily exercises, which, Herman
suspected, profited little. Herman chung fast
ana most ahectionately to the doctrine of the
holy SPIRIT, as the inward breathing of God
upon the imperfect and degenerate soul of man,
qulckenlng and hallowing it by degrees, when
sought and welcomed, into a Christ-like purity,
oehisnlty, and holiness, quite above and be-
sond The reach OF mere unaided humanity. But
ne mad seen no evidence to satisfy him of any
miraculous manifestation of this spirit later than
'ne apostolic age and mere physical excite
wenl did not seem TO him any conclusive proof
"a =. us presence. 1t was very dissgreeabe to
MN 10 see, as be sometimes did, an old man
"iSueht up by exhortation or otherwise to jump
GU sHu scream as if possessed by spirit of doubt
III origin. de took little part or pleasure in the
meetings, experience-meetings, and so
iorth, to which the worthy Mr.. Wellbeloved in
,iIed hum, at his own cell, every Sunday, when
,eave could be had to hold them, and went to them
, n:,l some unwilingness; though he did not
ninS proper to refuse, in the dialect of his Chris
o odn brother = to fellowship with him. On the
o'nef hand, Mr.. Wellbeloved doubted his assu-
rance, and was fearful he laid too great stress
Upon his morality" Herman certainly did Law
rer! great stress upon his and everybody's mo-
.aIy-ior the plain reason that his conscience
auui as he thought, his Bible did; but he had
. mule idea as any man that, as a matter of
s ac1 justice, buying and selling, he could pay
u' an eternity of happiness by half century
Ss 40 OF reasonably good behaviour. 1t is SO
ICY Tor men of natures, educations, and or