Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-09-24

into his own hands, and joyfully did he hasten
to his wife's room.
"God verify numbers the hairs of our
head" he said. "He will not suffer one Of
his little sparrows to fall to the ground. Give
inc the bad dollar, for lady has come to give
us good one in its place.
Then came the agony Of confession Of the
hitherto honest wife. She will weep and
writhe to her dying day, at the remembrance
Of that look of surprise and wounded trust
which her beloved husbands face wore as he
heard it. She went at once to the lady and
told her all. 1t was brave deed, for she was
minister's wife, with whole congregation
watching to detect slip from uprightncss.-
The lady, she feared, would report her delin-
quency, but she had fallen into mcrcilul
hands, and her fault was kept secret. They
went together to the furnishing store,
The storekceper examined his till and desk
There was no such dollar to be found, aud no
one knew to whom it had been given. The
lady left dollar to replace it, should any one
bring it back, and went home Disappointed
Her husband was magistrate, and She knew
that he was SO strict in bringing Offenders to
Justice, that she never mentioned to him this
counterfeit, for fear of getting the market wo-
man into trouble for passing it, knowing it to
be such.
That night her husband came home from
his office, looking exceedingly weary and sad
+ His wife pressed to know the reason.
"Oh, said he. the duties of my Office are
sometimes so painful! have just had to
send such nice, lady-likc woman TO lockup
for the night, because it was TO late too cXan-
! inc her at oncc.-She seemed in great distress
about something, but she can't speak word
C fOli. / 80 I,;,I,
though, that her husband is sick"
"Why not let her 60, and take her up
again in the morning? 2"
"Wcl, she is accused Of a serious crime
ountcrfeiting-and her distress may he a
sham, only plan to get her husband off, |
don't want him warned have set a watch
about his house, but can do no more until
morning There are great numbers Of coun-
tcrfcit gold dollars in circulation, and this wo-
man, her nciShbors say, has tried to pass
three within a week. have been very anx.
ious to discover the rogucs, but don't be-
lieve this woman has anything TO do with it.
However, had to shut her up, the ntiglbors
are so indignant. Tomorrow it will bc look
! ed into, and the woman set free, have no
doubt"
Perhaps her poor sick husband may die
in anxiety and alarm, meanwhile"
We'll, put on your bonnet, wife. You can
speak German. should feel easier, ! confess,
if knew more about this matter, and will
90 to her residence"
Tho wife hastily made ready. They had to
go to dirty, marrow court peOplcd by the
lowest Irish. When they arrived aud cnquircd
for the man, they were shown into destitute
! room, without fire or light, at the door Of
which they knocked, but received no answer.
When they approached the bed, II man spoke
as if just awaking, and said in German:
, "Olga, have you come! am SO cold, and
have been dying for a drink ofwatcr could
not reach my medicine, Olga and it is long
past the hour. But, poor wife, you have gone
through much, no doubt-and have they paid
you?"
The magistrate sent the oiIicous ncghbors
for fire aud light, while his wife gradually
broke the news to the husband, for he had
not heard of his wifc's arrest. The neghbors
were afraid to tell it to man so i'll. lie was
lying wasted by a low fever, almost skeleton.
/ lie seemed horror stricken at the idea of his
wife's disgrace, and turning away from the Ia
= dy, he wcpt bitterly. From CALCULATIONS and
fragmcntary sentences, she gathered that he
belonged to a noble family in some German
+ principality, and had been obliged, on account
Of sympathy with Hungary, to fly with his
wife. They had expended all their means, be-
fore they had been able to get any employ
ment and since the failure of her husbands
health, the poor wife had struggled to support
them both with her needle. lie turned to his
visitors again to explain about the counter.
irits. lie said the ncighborhood and market
people gave his wife had money repeatedly
thinking shrewdy that she being foreigner
would not be likely to know the true cor
well. When she,guorantly tried to buy things
with this bad money, she was harshly treated
Therefore, when she bad another gold dollar
given to her, he SUPPOSED she had shown it tc
her neighborS to ask If it were goo,!, and had
not been able to make herself understood by
them. lie had not seen her since she left him
to take home some shirts to Mr.. BIS furnish.
ing store.
The magistrate perceived that these people
were innocent, and went at once to obtain the
woman's release, willie his wife stayed ant
busted herself in procuring comforts for the
destitute invalid, without consulting him a
all about it, for she saw that his proud spirit
rebcllcd against receiving as charity even tho
means of prolonging life.
1t wasnot long before her husband returned
and never was there a Sadder or more tender
meeting than between the sick man and hi.
Liberated wife.
Although medical attendance was procured
and every comfort placed before him, the sui
lcrcr died that night, blessing, with his las
words, the ladywho thus enabled him to huvt
the comfort of his wifes presence in his las
dark hour.
The lady herself, however, felt kecnly self
condemned. She told her husband the Who'll,
story, shedding tears of pain
"What a dreadful chain of sin and sorrow
l have occasioned," " she said.
81 do not think you were to blame" tn,
husband replied. For you only left the dol
lar to be given to the true passer of it,"
"Oh, no! l was almost sure the markc
woman would not be particular. though
she would get rid of it the first chance Sht
had. said, that is no concern of mine. |
was an Indifference to right which has had tn,
force Of intentiona! wickedness. See what
series of sins | occasioned. The market wo
man gratiied her revenge first, and did dis
honest act besides then the hateful hypocrit,
put it into the poor fund in church-cheatinI
the very temple. The moment his wife spok,
of his contribution, saw detected guilt in hi
face but he told more falsehoods-he pretend
cd that he did it by mistake, and that h,
wonld make it up. The poor minister's wife
overtcmpted by poverty, became dishonest
Oh, what agony it will be to her to remembe
it, and to me to know that occasionei it,
And the starving innocent German lady, Wit
! came near being deprived Of her husband
last kiss; and who endured hours Of misery
l