Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1860-01-28

The precious time If man sentenced 10
die. John Brown has wife and MIS-.
Cnild was aware df it. What right had
she To offer to stsAd in that wifes place
by husband condemned to death ! She
could not really have expected to be of
material assistance because she is herself
quite an elderly, npt TO say old, lady, on
whom the duties of nurse would have
fallen heavily.
or course all these things Mrs. Child
knew well enough, John Brown accord
ing to his own sensible letter, was tender
Ily nursed and kindly treated. He want
ed no stranger to disturb the little time
left for preparation for certain death, and
stand between his thoughts and an offend
ed God. He had found out the value Of
Abolition sentimenG il had lured him to a
bloody grave So old John Brown de-
clined the nurse who proposed to stand in
the place Of his wife, land remembering the
woman whom Mrs. Child seems 10 have
forgotten. besough,'lhat the osIeniatous
kindness extended to him might be direct
ed 10 her, course which real feminine
benevolence would have taken at first.
But no woman in these times can strike
an original road to noorety without tlnd-
ing a swarm Of the ambitious slsieIhood on
her track. Mrs. Child's letter had hardly
taken wing, when up starts another ie-
male philanthropist, Of whom no one ever
heard, who is resolved 10 secure slice Ol
The notoriely SO adroitly earned. Eager
Tor her share Of newspaper paragraphs,
she makes haste TO Virginia. energetlcaI!y
forces a passage TO John Browns cell,
greedily gathers up his words for some
promised future publication, arranges a
quantity Of autumn leaves in the grating
of his window, and comes away soIemnIy
convinced that she has done a great act,
and secured 10 herself place in future
history. great act is il? That of crow
ding unasked into the place which wife
only should occupy Who else should
dare 10 lurce herself into the presence of a
man condemned 10 death for a great
crime Who should dare to gahe; the
breath from his dying lips, that ii may be
coined into money, or worse STILL, INTO
new mischief. bv which more men may
be led TO ruin True mercy would leave
the moments not consumed in penitentiaI
pray ers 10 God for forgiveness of fear,
luI crime, TO the poor woman who will
soon be widow.
The sympathy which encouraged crime,
ard beyond doubt wrought the death o'
This man, must seem 10 him as cold
mockerv. Yet the newspapers, and The
Express among the rest, give importance
and space to the actions and letters OF
these ladies', which only belong TO deeds
Of delicate benevoIence and real courage
Compare the acrs Of these ambitious la,
dies with the bravery of that daughter OF
Virginia-,hat true woman, foil OF merci-
ful herosm-who flung herself before the
leveled guns of her friends, TO protect the
verv men who had come armed TO Ihe
teeth to scatter fire and death uron her
and al that she had dear in liie-lhis was
the true courage of womanhood! This was
an act which gives genuine fame, because
it sprang promptly from compassionate
heart-it had but one result in view. that
of saving human life. Yet this deed OF
heroism, so beautiful in itself, so woman
ly, so grand has passed with comparative
Ily little notice, while Mrs. Chlid's letter,
and the lady who made a pilgrimage TO
John Browns cell in order to place some
autumn leaves in his window, is filling
the press as if some very meritorious deed
had been performed. WOMAN.