The Shasta courier., 1862-04-05
sir, have smiled in JOY, and wept in sor.
Won. a,.I bo-a I ,,-:u d;n'ts

! Sfle WltnStOOu every kinuneSS OF her e est,
and finally accepted only reasonable charge
for his board As the Earl was about to
take his seat in his carriage, the deserted
wife approached him. ~
Stranger guest' said she, with very
much feeling, 81 have done you good ser
vice"
'You have" said he, while tear of
gratitude stole down his check
"Will you do me one favor in return, 7"
said she.
Most certainly will ] - said the Earl.
Then write upon piece of vellum what
| shall dictate" said she, with hurried
voice. aA
He took his pen, and wrote in plain char
actcrs as follows:
Circumstances have convinced me that
an attempt to murder me on tine night of the
10th December. lS-. on Stone Hill, Lincoln
shire would have been successful. had it not
been for the kind interference of John Brown
and his wife. of Hopedale.
- This paper is left as slight memorial
of an event which time can never eface from
my memory.
JonN, EARL OF -
She read it over and over, after he had
signed it. - 1t will do she said Now
farewell
The grateful Earl sprang into his seat
lie threw his purse into her bosom. Fare
WELL +" said be, in husky tone, and away
ratified his carriage with the swittness of the
wind. The coronct flashed in the sunbeam,
and then the vehicle, with its outriders, was
lost in the winding forcst-way.
Ten years rolled away, and the wifi, of John
Brown suddenly disappeared from lIopedalc,
and then the fare-housc, like deserted
thing, stood solitary and silent amid the
smiles of autumn. \ middle-sized stranger,
with a sailors jacket and tarpaulin on. and
Il bundle dangling at the end of club over
his shoulders, rested Lesdc the door of Hope
dale. The stranger, though somewhat in
toxicate1, appeared to be very sad. 3 lie
looked in at the wasted doorway. He gazed
upon the cold, barren. hearth lie saw the
panks worn by the foot of the thrifty house
wife, and marked a portion of her dress in
the broken pane OF the kitchen window. The
nail where the good mans hat had hung for
years. was there, with cir lie around it, of
unemoked paint. The crane hung sadly in
the corner, and the music of the singing ket-
tie echoed not there The strangerraised his
hand to his eyes, but what causes hm to
start like frightened bird. - Il is bloody
again. said he, with a Look of horror. '.Oh.
that could wipe out that foul-that terrible
stain from memory. Ha. it is on my hand
as fresh as when murdered that poor. mel
ancholy stranger. God of heaven I cannot
wipe it OUT The stranger had cut his hand
with IA piece of broken glass. and eliot of
fresh blood was on it in reality. He felt not
the pain of the wound in his horror; and sat
isfed that Heaven had marked him in its own
terrible way. he wiped off the blood and turn
ed to depart.
The Sheriff was beside him. and he was
arrested for an attempt to murder. He pre-
served a sullen silence. He followed the
officer to his carriage, and was soon on his
way to London. The prison received its vic
tim, and the gay world smiled as brightly as
before.
The day of trial came. John Brown, who
had taken another name, was tried as Samuel
Joncs-and the case brought together a vast
concourse of the peoole of both sexes. The
prisoner was soon placed at the bar. The
iu'y was duly empannelled. The advocate
for the crown was in his place. The prison
er's counsel was beside him. and the Judge
was upon the bench. Brown. he enter ed
the dock, had been SO much agitated by the
dread reality of his guilt, and the prospect of
speedy punishment, that he had not cast an
eye upon his judge. He now looked cautious
ly at him. lie saw the keen eye of the Judge
fixed upon him, and started with horror.
''Oh, God," said he. with loud voice.
while the sweat rolled down his chalk-like
face . 1t is the murdered man, lIa! he
has come to judge the guilty. See, there is
the forehead SCARED. All, itwas a dcvilish
blow. Back, back, say let the dead man
look his fill. There's b. od upon my hand
see there, thou unquiet spirit that hand was
reeking in thy gore twas merciless when
thou criedst out. be merciless now in thv
turn, thou man of the spirit land"
Here the prisoner tainted, and fell upon
the floor. A great sensation was caused in
court by this singular circumstance. and it
was not until . order had been shouted for
some time, that the trial was suffered to 90
on. 1t appears that Browns neighbors all
considered him guilty of the crime of endea-
voring to murder the individual named in the
beginning of this tale, and who was now the
presiding judge of the Old Bailey. The
affidavit was kept in green remembrance bv
one old farmer in the neighborhood of Hope
dale. who had appropriated Browns farm
to his own use. and who constantly watched
for the murderer's return. for he knew hu-
man nature well as to be certain that no
4 NTctSH bc ~ CtiiptS Us 10 iOT1tt Iiic SPOT
sacred to childhood, innocence and early
love. The robber seeks his home. tho mur.
derer seeks the shades of his once happy val
lev, the seducer wanders amid the bowers
where passion, like dark and damning
torrent. burst away the barriers between his
soul and hell The unfortunate man. ig-
norant of his wife's actions, and unconscious
of the certificate in her possession, ignorant
of her cxistance even, after long cruise in
the navy of England, returned to view the
pleasant bcmestead-the green valley-the
quiet hill side. and the sunken graves of his
parents and children. He had met the ar
gus-eycd specu!ator on his way. The old
affidavit hung like The sword of Damocles
over his head and the informer, at sunset.
saw the poor broken hearted sailor borne
away TO London, and as he trusted. fell
on's grave Such is human nature Man
carelessly feeds upon the fruits that hang
over the church yard wall, and gather roses
from the sacred plains
Where once the lifes blood warm and wet
Had dimmed the glitering bayonet.
The trial proceeded--the evidence was
strong, and the jury, without quitting their
seats. pronounced the prisoner at the bar
Guilty
Guilty - said Brown, rising to his feet:
can it be? All. must die felon death.
and my poor. lost wife Oh that pang-