Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1859-09-08

the old nurse bst solsonly darksssd. Vas
\ stiaisg 10 dsstk, the Iinss on his rigid face
esovisg stsrSst and sternsr, nsk,eg him
looksyss hsrsher than be hsd iu life With.
oct. the, storm having spsns its fury, vss
possing AID soLbins dreasily - bot shreush
oil and over al, vas the sosnd Of the vsssf
dsshiss isreely, psdiy on the beach
But Milly ssw ssIhing. herd so,hisg bat
that terrible secret, which the letter had re-
vsslsd. The fan,lisr sights aud sound.
within the house the storm sud the raging
seA outside even that terribly unfamiliar
sight IN the nsat room. vas nothing 70 her
-noth'oe when compared sith the seere, of
Der fathers life
Over sad over again she read the letter
Beginning With, TO nv dearly beloved
dsugbt.r, sad eodipg siih his .igs.,a,e.-
Each sord IN 10, even the smallest vas
weighed separately, until the reader sx.in
tesebsd the name q, the bottom 10 th-
fsrmai pbrsssoiogy, aud the clear, distinct
hsad writing Of tho dead man, vas the fol
loving traced
1, Alexander Mason being Of . sAne
@ind, aud believing that H,svsc ha. heard
ny prayers aud will ssa put . n.rciful sbi
ing TO my Iifs. do solehnly affirm to the
"sth OF the following Twenty yeN- ago
sas lawyer. struggling for coppst.nes -
Though sss strictly honest, aud never de-
'ccsdea 10 any nssnness, aud bed rsnss-
qaenty gained good character, yet fortuoe
vas SLOW 10 oom. to me [ Us not over
young, asd therefore behela vitL Q keen dis
sPpoi.tmentthe.esrsp passi a en-, which bad
once tosdiy hoped would bring me fame aud
wealth la the building which I occupied
vas another lawyers once over do.u tIau
my oSn, the occspspt of Which | uas once
very intimate wIth. Both poor aud friend
iet', both striving for the same object -
IRE 'sr'ck Vale aud myself bersGs fat
Hisuds even our joys aud SORROWS we're
shared 10 common 10 many respects our
fates we're alike we hsd both known power
( ~ IN our younger days, and -e had been
fisnds At school, at college tsd gained IA.
same houors, aud we're si the time Of which
write, b1th struggling for livelihood
II happened ose day that man came to
my ONCE to abuse me for something that | had
sad OF done iu . case IN which | had been
engaged l did not pay much attention
to bis words, believing them TO be tue raviuy.
OF al angry man, aud Of uot waoi im-
portancc Fiually, when nothiUg else could
move me, be tainted me With INV obscure
birth aud poverty he even struck ms con-
tenP,uousIy. Then could bear it 90 lon
GER, but risisg suddrnly, fellsd him like an
OF 10 the ground The bios killed him
though, Heaven knows, I did no, mean !,
sdouid-the ueIt instant Isould have given
~orlis II bad them. to have brought nv
victim back to l.fe But be = a. drad-syen
ny slight medical skill told me that aud iu
agony turned away ftom the gissay star
ING eyes which seeued TO rsproaeh me for
The deed | had committed. A thousand
thoughts ru.hsd through my brain With the
rspid'ty Of Lightning. l saw myself disbOu.
ored, lying IN prison cell while u vifs
and cbild were dying = horrible death VI
starvation I"w my name common by.
word all over my Lat've !aud -asd last Of oil
l saw myself dying . disgrscefui death on
the gallo1s. One ssy Of safety suggested
itself 60 me, but by t.kiug i, should CON.
NIT another gre,t wrong OF pArAllsl eoorni.
ty With thus my frst crime. But I cosli
not resist the temptation aud csosequsal!y
At an hour When knsw Frederick vas absent
from bis office, removed the body from my
! apartment iuio his | ulshcd TO III The
suspicion Of the murder upon him and sue.
seeded admirably He vas arrested, tu,
osing to ;he absence Of some link 10 the ebsis
Of evidence, he was acquitted, without the
real murderer being blougbt 10 light But
slough Frederick weut forth = ffce nan the
tsiot Of murder hung about him People
Stunned him. he became terribly poor, bis
Own bfsltL failed aud he became . LnIsera,
BILE broken dOsn man.
Il, on the other hand grew rch aud IA
nous, without single effort on my part
Bot wealth and fame brought ms no happi,
Dess-on the coatrary, | suffered the mpst ,x
qui.ite agony declare before Heaven th.t
ne puoishmsnt that | maj suffer hereafter
can equel bat Which have already endured
TO ny daughter. wbo learns my crime for
the fret time iron, Toe per al VI tGls ysyer,
leave the solemn duty Of making 1, ttos.
who have -roDged, al tbe rep.rat os that
lies 10 my poser. To the dead eau maze
10 Iepsr.uon bu; the living may Yet bsue-
o. by tho admission Of ny crms EVsry
year since the fatal event I bsve .sn auou.
yuou.iy 20 frederick Vale 9 uu Of mouey
this has kept bim shove vabt but has DOT
pilocd him 10 o,nfort
4 d, thsrcfprs pray sDi bcseeoh of M
dsugbte' 20 sees cut the rss'jsuce Of ,bc sad
Frederick Vale. ssd 10 scqusint bim sna
ell the particulars wbieh 4 have suumsatsd
that he nay remove from him.,If tbs st.is,
sfmurd,r. aud hE ~ upon tho ugbtfDl ones
I do moreover desire that my dsagbtsr. hsv
isg reserved for bersslfs sufissut oonps.
tesse, shall oonVey a. the said Rssdsficx
Vsl- aud bis hers, ell the fs.Idue q ~
property ss .0sli atonem NJ fpf the yesf.
Of misery which my efim- has t,oosht 90
him Ia coBeiasios, I soulI h1mbiy sss b..
forgiveness sbd pray Alm % b. msrcifal ~
my inHocsnt sbili
'ABd ny osughisr nJ good kind faith
ful dsaghiss @sJ she sl.O bfgivs me fsr
The doom -hieh I hsVs broaxht spOs Lef --
| knos she sili DOT f.ltsr 10 tbs fisbt path
hu' oil psf.us u sashfioE'sglJ - n sd
Bat isi hsf fsmsmbsf. sbstgvsf o. bsr pro.
poftiob tha iIsavsa is asfsifsl svss - Just
men Afs Dot
MhlJ eou,d Bo' tel bo. long she sss -iib
the lstts' bsf8fs bsf isarsing tts uofi. by
kesft snd endsssosIbg % eogyF.hsui tss
st,eut of ber srsichsiss.. bus shs as
sf0ssed by the Voies q her Old safss ssy.
veg soastbiag sbsai the stof@
WHAT s,d yea ssy = asEed Ailly, Vsosst-
y
4 ssid that u st0,nsi bsdiy nov, asd
| that ibsss ssgs ssass yo9r usfoftuasts Rsn
/ 10 tbs uatsf that ,hsy sfs Uying 10 save
I Tksy are he ofss Of % ~ schooner tkst seat
/ spoa The rocks
4 wil a. so-p apoo tbs bsseA ssiI Nil
I ly Tisisg 9Th suiass sasfsy