Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-08-03
MiSccIla an y.
c,~KER AND THE CURE.

=
o;,I bench t. say nothing OF his cXtrdordl-
:, ,rv research amidst such cthic doctrines as
relate to the origin OF evil to say nothing
that these doctrines were always stated by
him so precisely and logically, that the MI
nutest link in his cham Of causltion never
showed flaw to say nothing that he had
espied the very topmost bough of the goodly
tree of sin, and dug down (in hls own OBJ
nion) nearer to its far-hidden and obscure
root than any other man to say nothing oi
these things, be so viewed al raiomai'Iy
law for crime as twaddle from the mum ne
school Of philosophy, that, had he na" HIS
own stern will, every statue ana cN'f 80
against the criminal should have o''H I''i'''
and replaced by those two very tauS ',' anu
summary processes for curing ''H''"' "'l'''
and the gibbet.
Thirteen years ago tins very Len. leih'
the haron had gone circuit to the NortA'
His old cIarL Rodnot. had gone circuit too
and old Joe Bottle. who pridcd himself upon
Loying been the Judges servant iorty-two
years. had taken coach that very morning
to visit some country relatives. NJ one was
left in the old dull h0u-c in the Old dull
square, hut that most useful person, the
maid-of-all-work. and the cook, and the
housekeeper, summed up in the person OF
Becky for the Judge had neither "A grand
house, a grand e1uipage, (lor an OLD Jobbng
coach had taken hIm down to Westminster
and on circuit for the last twenty years, J
nor many servants but simply very
grand library, every book in whlch-accor-
ding to the fully united opinions of Reinot,
Bottle. and Becky-he knew by heart, from
its first letter to its coiOphOu excepting
certain books on "a certain right-hand shell
of the large bookcase, at which DE had been
seen 10 smile SO satrcally and SO often,
that they were supposed to contain OPINIONS
not worth a tarthIng to the great mln.aga ID
the Judges mind, but were doubtless simple,
irrcyerent, and untrue. BE this as 1t may,
upon this certain morning Becky. whose
simple heart knew no bounds in It- reverence
and duty to her stern master, was busy Do
the library. when her ear was caagbt by
the low voice of "a chill outside the area
rails. She had at that moment lifted up
from the library table an 0ld-iash.ue4
massive silver iukstand, and turning round,
saw that it was "a wrctch,d -harp-iaccd
child, who, probably attracted by her cap as
seen above the wind0w-blInds, had stopped
% beg Her kindly thoughts in "a moment
were travelling fast between the tWoIcucc
IN her pocket, and the hot roll lclt IN the
oven from J0es breakfast. when the post
man S quiet rap was heard at the hau door.
Il was a letter from her master. Becky was
sure. and all in an anxious trcmo.-l0r
Thrashcm wrote but seldom when from
home. and then only on some urgent point
she hurried hreathlcs-ly to an wcr the door,
with the dustcr and inkStand in her hand.
Recognizing her master stih straight
characters on the letter, and as the postage
was to pay, She, in the anxious absence ol
the moment. set down the 0u-tar and the
inkstaud on the step, while She dived down
for the purse into the hidden mysteries of
her capacious pocket. The po-tman was
leaning carelcsSly on the area rlllinzS
looking down the street and when She had
gone to him, given him the money and come
hack arain. the inkstand was Eonc--thc
silver inkstand that the Judge prz'd 50
birblv In the first moment ot doubt and
astonisbmcnt. she knew not what t' thInk E
l.4t..soIle. dug 1nc kern-ilced child. who
but the instant before had '.-ru IN sight She
hurried from the door, and lo5ku- down
the street. and calling upon the postman 90
follow her. saw the child running onward
with breathlcss speed. The postman quick
stem was. however match be seized upon
the thief lust as she had thrust the nkstdnd
beneath the ragged strip of shawl that hung
about a Girl some year or two older than
herself To half cry with joy WAS Becky S
FIRST imuulse when the Inkstand was again
safc-to trcmble at the bare thought ol the
iudce's stern displcasure, had it been lost
10 almost sink in heart at the idea of one
doubt upon her long-tricd hone ty--aN
these for the instant were paramount, but
al sunk into mere nothingncsS, or rather
we're merged into one feeling of womaniy
and simple mercy, When she glanced down
upon the child's upturncl face f terror,
hunger and pain.
You commenced the posman.
Had no whites, spoke the child, sIllcn-
ly.
These words robbed the heart of the Judge
honest servant Of its last touch of anger
She said something about letting the child
go. but too late 4 crowd had collected, a
policeman stepped in, and the thief in few
minutes was locked safe in the station
house
1t was a sorrowlul night, that, to the com
passionate heart of Becky, though her fir
was bright. her tea good. and even the barb
er from a little sire t hard by had stepped n
to talk over the matter with her. And sh
was still more said the next day when IN he
best rown she curtsiei u the magistrate O
the police court, anI saw the child in TN,
dock, more haggard and pale, The cas-
was fully proved.
MY good woman, spoke the magistrate, il
his kindest voice Il know your master woul
prosecute his case to the fullest extent Of tn
Jaw. but to what end Here is child seye
.. j ,t
or without one human friend. and, grca
God apparently without name; tn,
scum and refuse OF this city's streets willis
vet a baby. If ! send her to prison, sh
viii probably come out only more c9niirme
IN precocious wickedness; or If | sent her hacI
into the streets. 1T is but to starvation or some
thing still more Neutrality-suspicious. Irosutu
ton. But were there some one to save b.
teaching her, and
Becky, the great judges poor servant
looked here at the magistrate, and then q
the criminal child.
a."Plcase, sir, and the sympathy Of ou
divinest nature justified itself, 1--we fifty
seven pounds sixteen and sixpense in the SAY
ings Bank. that Mr. Rcdnot has the rccciI
of, and Just two sovereigns more in the spic,
box-so if a little schooling might
might do more than the prison or the la'
can do-run guiltless sin in;o gold and
with some work
Yes, yes" interrupted Becky, please
with the magistrates manner. and interpret
ing the matter in her own way; IF sh
were to turn out tidy, and | could keep ii
thing from masters ears, why could tcac
her to roast, and bake, and set his room t
rights, and"
And If you should succeed in halt,
chlmed in the magistrate YOU d show YOU,
selfa profounder lawyer than either / VIII
sit upon this bench, or your master. B3ro
Of the Exchequer. lie who cures a vice
greater than he who Furnishes it
Becky did not understand half this. onl
this much, that nobody could be so great
the Judge, her master; 50 curtseying le
respectfully than she otherwise would ha,
done. she waited for the child to be reieas
from the dock, threw a large silk handke
chief from her pocket across its shoulder
that it might look less Ike yagrant, al
then reverting back to the due disposal
the two pounds in the spic9-box, size to-
the child's hand, and made her way to {
cab outside the door, followed by the wo
dering and circulating barber. To wash &
child well by the kitchen fire, 70 bake a ca
for "a. IN invite the harlpr tiarcuut4.