The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-07-03

ing?" / asked s..r..
His eyes frightened, his. voice qulyered as
he exclaimed ...,...s....-. ... 4. III
"Oh, have you heard from mothera Is
she living?" - ~
| And then the tears, which I had never
seen him shed before ran like rain drops
down his cheeks. - 81
As he became calm from suspense, I told
him that had not heared from his mother,
but ! had paper wished him to read. He
took the advertisement, which l had cut
from the paper, and as he read it, he ex
clalmed-r rs
"That is me! That is me!''
And again the tears and sobs checked his
utterance. FL
assured him the advertisement was all
could tell him about his parents, and that
as it requested formation, desired to know
what should write in reply. The adver-
tisement directed that information should be
directed to the Christian Advocate, at New
York. ~ agt~
ooh, do not wiite," he said, ''it will break
poor mothers heart"
told dhim must write, and that it would
be lighter blow to know where he was, than
the terrible uncertainty that must haunt her
day and night. So he consented-and ta-
king him to my room, drew from him the
following history. r liz fss.
His father was respectable merchant in
an interior town in the State of New York.
AT the holding of the State Agricultural
Fair in his native town, he got acquainted
with TIVE strange boys, older than himself,
who pmsuaded him to run away from his
home and go West He foolishly consented
with high hopes of happy times new scenes
and great fortune. They came as far as
Clcaveland, where they remained several
days. r
One morning the other two boys come to
his room early, and showed him large
amount of jewelry, which they had won at
cards during the night. Knowing that he
needed funds to pay his board, they pressed
him to take some of it, for means to paw his
landlord But before he had disposed of
any Of it, they were all arrested for burglary
and as portion, of the property taken from
the store which had been robbed, was found
in his possession, he too was tried, convicted
and sentenced. He had no friends, no mon
ey, and dared not write home so hope sunk
within him. He resigned himself to his fate
never expecting to get out of prison or see
his parents again.
Upon inqaring of the two young conyicts
who came with him on the same charge, I
learned that the story was true, and that
his only crime was keeping bad company,
leaving home, and unknovingly receiving
stolen goods. Questioned separately, they
all told the same story, and left no dubt in
my mind of the boys innocence
Full of compassion for the unfortunate
little fellow, sat down and wrote a full
description of Arthur, his condition. and his
history, as / obtained it from him, painting
the horrors of the place, the hopelessness of
his beirg reformed therc--even if guilty
and the possibility of his not living out his
sentence and describing the process to be
used to gain his pardon. This sent accor-
ding to the direction in the advertisement
But week after week passed, and no answer
came. The boy daily inquired if had
heard from his mother, until at last hope
long deferred, made his heart sick, and again
he dropped and pined. tq
At length letter came. Such a letter =
1t was from Rev. DR.. Billows of New York.
He had been absent to distant city, but the
moment the good man read the letter, he
responded. The father of the boy had be-
come almost insane on account of his. SON 5
absence; he had left his former place of
residence, had moved from city to city, and
from town to town, and travelled up and
down the country, seeking the lost and
loved. He had spent the most of his hand
some fortune; his wife, the boy's mother,
was on the brink of the grave, pining for her
first born, and would not be comforted. -
They then lived in Western city, whittier
they had gone in hope Of finding or forget
ting their boy, or that change of scene
might assuage their grief He thanked me
for my letter, which he had sent to the faith
er. and promised his assistance to secure the
young convict's pardon.
The news gave to Arthur, and he SEEM
ed panied and pleased; hope and fear, joy
and grief, filed his heart alternately, but
from this time his eyes beamed brighter, his
step was lighter, and hope seemed to dance
in his eyes.
Days passed-and at last man came to
the prison, rushed frantically into the Office,
and demanded to see his boy.
"My poor boy my poor boy /! oh, let me
see him."
The clerk who knew nothing of the mat
ter calmly asked him for the name Of his
son.
"No such name on our books, your son
cannot be here"
"He is here. Here, sir, is your own let
ter. Why do you mock me?''
The clerk looked over the letter, saw at
once that Arthur Lamb was the convict
wanted, and rang the bell for the messen-
ger.