Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-11-28
HOLMES COUNTY OHIO THURSDAY nov 81 1861

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4 to blame. had loved my wife passiouatclv
but that love wa vriIed under calm cold ex
4 terror. What her temptations had beep ! kncv
not--asked not ), l sonly asked il he, the des
troyer o. my peace, were yet alive.
He had died ere year had passed from th
4 tsse she left me; killed in . gambling quarrel
died bitterly repenting the great wrong be ha,
l done. As 1 listened the bitterness died out o
/ my heart. ] felt thankful that had not yield
ed to the frst wild promptings Of revenge.
felt solemnly the power Of him whom in my
pride and drebellion l had rejected. "Vengeanc'
is mine, will repay, sayeth the Lord. HI
had died in disgraeeful brawl in the noon o
his days, in foreign land. the uictim Of deci
remorse, consigned to a dishonored grave, M
wept safe perehanee by the woman he bad St
fOully wronged. -,i,s.k i.,,s... . 2
"ARd you," / asked, "what did you e.
Il sewcd for my daily bread; washed, iron
ed. dif anything l coald find to do for ten lone
| years, depriying myself latterly Of the necessa
ries Of lite that might save enough 10 bring mt
back TO my native land once more TO die.
wanted unseen, to look on your faces once more
and / did SO many atime, when you did moi
knew have longed to clasp my daughter t.
! my arms, but my sin stood before me, an i'm.
passable barrier. / have longed TO throw my.
self at yonr feet and seek bat forgiveness. ]
thought / could die then in peace, but you
looked SO stern, SO unrelenting, ! dared not
when knew il was l that had Brought thai
| expression to your face. Isupported my self by
sewing for Che shop. and managed to live; but
have been sick for a month, -and reduced to
the last extremity, and Lere none can help an
other. Tonight carried back some work
had finished, hoping to get for it sufficient to
buy me a morsal of food. / had tasted none
| to-day. My hands have been weak md trenl-
bling. and the work would notdo. 1t was sent
| back with me. In desperation, unable to bide
| the cold and hunger up here, l wandered up
and down the streets, caring whittier ! went
till had reached. without noticing your door.
leaned against the ratings, unable TO banish
the Cravings of hunger. saw light and
warmth inside. and, regardless of everything
but the longing for food and shelter, | COM
menced TO sing Annie Laurie fou hadoi-
ten praised my skill in singing It. mhen
saw at whose house had asked for food and
shelter, 1 slirank back and refused TO GO in,
dreading recognition. You know the rest"
The account was frequently interrupted by
that ell-talc cough that shook the weak frame
SO violently. In tears and silence We listened;
NO words Of reproach on our lips, no looks Of
coldness and rebuke in our eyes. Oh no. she
had sinned, but she had also suffered.g She
shrank from my proposal that she should now
accompany US home, but she yielded when
said, "Then you do not accept my forgiveness. !"
e.Oh yesl' she faltered; sbut am so unwor-
thy 1 have wronged you Sc" sh ls7s
Let the past be forgotten. IA - se.a,.
And so we went away from that nttic, the
silent witness of how hard are the wages Of
sin, unmiEdftl of the strange faces that peered
out upon us from the adjoining doors, for the
unusual sound of voices in the lonely woman 8
room had awakened their curiosity. Minna
only taking with her the doll and corals, the
locketand shawl, the dearly cherished relics of
sotherdays. The rest the next day gnve:to a
poorer person shc. .s,.l h,s.za L5rs ,-.,fyi
Having taken the rrecaution to take q latch
key with me we, entered without disturbing
the servants; and then leaving my wife, (the
word sounded strangely to my ears, in my
inents, / left them together passed n sleep
less night in my study. Not the least marvel
Gus of the exciting events of the evening was
the wondrous change that had passed over my
self. / could only explain this change by re-
menbering that He who hath the hearts OF
all mIn in his hands. turneth them as rivers of
water wbithersoeter he will" In that mid
night hour felt his power, his omnipotenee,
his kindness in remembering me though had
despised and rejected him. 1 sought his grace
and plead his promises, nor did be prove un-
Ialthiui 10 itnem. thOcSnJ OF blIHn8 3 WOfuS,
"Had it not been for Christs love, which allow
ed me, poor Magdalen though was, to claim
his promises, / should have often sought relief
in death from all my sorrow and despair, but
he granted peace even to me. sa7 ss5at
And even in this | could afterwards trace the
working of an overruling Providence. Ifher
desertion had left me desolatc and dcspairing,
her return had restored me to a joy, a faith,
Friend / have never known before. issg
The near approach ofdeath sileuced the won-
dering of officious friends. For, as had dread
ed, the excitement and exposure Of that night
hastened her end. She never rose again. Ada
and watched unremittingly by her, attracted
by the chastened, humble. repentant spirit that
fingered in the worn body. The waters of her
life had been turbid and winding, but the end
was peace. As we stood alone beside her couch
to catch her last whisper, We thought not Of her
sin. but efthe great and manifold sorrows out
of which she had cOme,--as gold tried and pl-
rified in the fire. We did not bury her in the
family lot, for she forbade it; nor have wei put a
tombstone over her grave, for she forbade this
also. But the beautiful spot where she lies,
though unmarked by monument, is not unyis-
tied by husband and daughter. in whose heart
the dead woman's memory grows greener by
time. Since the making of that grave, no text
of the Holy Word has SO often come TO my mind
as this: LET him that IS without sin among
you cast the first stone.
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