The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-04-20
TYRANrs IS OBEDIENCE T G o D."-JHrruou.
RAvENNA. OHIO WEDNEsDAY APRIL 90 1859.

Stunned youi that your own censcienee smose
you; and many other things of like import;
and then. to cap it all. that ioas the cause
You said you had determined. while it vas yet
in your power, to break. at single stroke, the
ties between u.s. and that each must go our
ways, never to meet again. You told me that
| it had been matter deliberately thought of
you. and that, from the love which you had
borne for me, You could not see me go unpro-
vided for, and that, to satisfy your conscience
and your heart. and to insure for me perna-
nent support. you would divide your fortune
with me. and settle upon me the sum Of ten
thousand dollars IN cash. -
oh, Gilbert Thorne, what wretched,
wreicLed night was that! When life came
back to me, after the full realization of yonr
purpose had left me insensible upon the floor
and I found myself lying upon the bed where
you had placed me. while you, bending over me.
chafed my temples abdssoaght, by every ten.
der epithet, to bring me back to reason. II
felt all broken. and as though life was worth
no further struggle. You asked me many,
very many things-if I would promise never
to see you more-if l would sign paper, and
tif would be satisfied to take ten thousand
dollars, and call things square. said yesl--
lyes-yes--to everything. What did care
fort what was ten thousand dollars to mei-
Well, you left me, and promised to come the
next evening. You came. and with you came
friend--you said brother lawyer-to wit
ness the settlement, and to make out the pa.
pers / remember signed great many doc
uments. You told me 10 be calm, and not to
let the stranger see me affected, as it would
finjure you if lid so. l was calm. sign
ed everything you told me to, and then, when
all was finished, you handed me paper and a
little book, and told me thai there was ten
Thousand dollars in the bank, for me, which
might draw at any time. The stranger said it
was all correct, and he thought Miss Irwin had
r ceived liberal settlement; and then he ent
away afsoa OF oi-t sI - s
She went on, slowly and distinctly, but her
voice was very low and soft: ga h. aa
sYou closed the door of our little home
that night, Gilbert Thorne, upon the most
wretched being God every permitted to live
You went away from the spot which, in my
foolish pride, / had thought was the dearest
one on earth TO you-without even looking
back. and without single tear.
Nov I come to your crime-und my dis
grace and sorrow. You thought you did q
generous thing. perhaps when you gave me
30 large sum as ten thousand dollars; but
what did know of money? l scarcely knew
the difference between a hundred aud- ten thou
sand dollars. had always been cared for in
that respect. and had never been taught to
take care of myself or to believe L ever should
be thrown upon my own resources. I will
not dwell upon what followed,-I loved you
so sincerely and devo'edy that had great
difficulty in keeping my oath that 1 would not
Iseek you-but i kept it. With returning
health sought new associations, and about
this time learned that the gin cup would drowr
much misery, Well, lived gay life. hat
no one to love-no tie to bind me to virtue ol
a higher aim. You took from me everything
but ten thousand doliGrs-and that soon fol
lowed. Then came more misery. more degra
dation, more shame: my beauty began to fade
my temper grew violent. Through my iguo
rance and improyidence. poverty came at {
time when, having little child, found my
self friendless and without the means of get
1ting food; then death came, and took AVA
lmy little boy; then was compelled 10 paw
my jewels TO bury my child; then my appetite
for drink grew more and more, and, one b,
one, everything went to the pawn brokers' un
{ il. after long weary years of sorrow and sick
less, and wretchedness, and unhappiness, an,
Misery and crime l came to be the miserabl
:, outcast to whom you threw the paltry coin
y his evening in3the Park 9534st t4j.
'Whatr interrupted the lawyer. were yo
g he wretched being who crossed my path thi
i evening, to whom threw some changer
4 .Yesr she replied, I am the same. Tire
picay,nes and q dime and have laid it ou
at inteTest-where think it it help me to
better life. But don't interrupt me till finis
what have to say. am going away to
distant country to live-I cannot live her
more; and before / went, determined to com
and tell you plainly how we'll have come t
understand the great wrong which you hav
done me, as well as to those who are sleepin
under the snow, away over the river in Greer
wood.' I understand it all! Fe,1'a rftia 9d
Would it not have been better. Gilbel
Thorne. had you kept your ten thousand, {
81 my dead fathers money. whichever it was, an
Is have kept me too. Would it not have bee
Il more like man and Christian-yes, bette
: il the sight of. God, had you turned my to
loving heart to its best account. and permitte
81 me to have lived out my little dreamf
u should never have troubled you or yours
- The little child who sleeps now in Greenwoc
- might have lived to some good, good purpos
Gilbert Thorne, wish you to remember tn
szel night, and to call to mind that came here {
q this Christmas eve, the anniversary of our 6r
meeting, to have Anal reckoning with 20
come not for money; You have placed IL
last in my hands which shall ever recei
:. from you three picayunes and a dime
only come to you to say that know it a
and I kno,o the source Of the riches. Of G
bert I'horne Viiai5ae itsa
The lawyers face grew dark.
:, But come not to upbraid you; cor
| ), not to expose you, / come not to do you a
: harm; only come, ere my departure, to /
you kindly farewell, and to tell you that q