Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-05-01

| Us ner nuSDdnu was uot reluru6u, anu
did not appear likely to do so---for q
months rent in advance, that being the
term The apartments were engaged for
The tears, entreaties, expostulations oi
the miserable wife were of no avail.
Not one article, the woman declared
should leave her house till her claim was
settled. She affected to doubt, perhaps
really did so, that Esther was married
and limited coarsely at an enforcement Of
the laws against persons who had no Wis
ible means of subsistence. In parox-
ysm of despair, the unhappy woman rush
ed out of the house and accompanied
by her hungry child, again sought the
counting house Of the Messrs. ROBERTS.
| She was now as much too late as she had
been too early in the morning the part
ners and clerks had gone, and she APP
pears TO have been treated with some
rudeness by the porter, who was closing
the premises when she arrived. Posi-.
bly, the wildness of her looks, and the in
conference of her speech and manner,
produced an impression unfavorable to
her. Retracing her steps-penniless,
hungry, sick at heart--she thought, as
she afterwards declared, that she recog-
nized my wife as one of the numerous
ladies seated before the counters of
fashionable shop in one of the busiest
thorougbfares. She entered, and not till
she approached close TO the lady discov-
cred her mistake. She turned despair
ingly away; when a piece OF rich lace,
lying apparently UNDECIDED on the coun-
ter met her eye, and dreadful sugges-
zion crossed her fevered brain here at
least was the means of procuring food
for her wailing child. She glanced has
tiiy and fearfuIly round No eye. she
thought, observed her; and, horror of
horrors moment afterwards she had |
the lace beneath her shawl, and |
with tottering feet was hastily leaving
the shop. She had not taken half-a-doz- |
en- steps when heavy hand was laid
upon her shoulder, and voice, as of a
serpent kissing in ber ear, commanded
her to restore the lace she had stolen.-
Transfxed with shame and terror, she
stood rooted to the spot, and the lace fell
on the floor.
Fetch an officer, said the harsh voice,
addressing one of the shopmen.
No--no--uo p screamed the wretch
ID woman, falling on her knees in wild
" For my child's sake-in
mercy of the innocent babe as yet un-
oorn-pity and forgive me p
The harsh order was iterated and
Esther Mason, faipting with shame and
agony, was conveyed to the prison in
Giltspur Street. The next day she was ,
'ully committed to Newgate on the capi-
al charge of privately stealing in shop :
o the value of five pounds. A few
lours after her incarceration within those .
errible walls, she was prematurely de-
ivered of female child. 8
| have no moral doubt whatever, / ,
lever have had, that at the time of the
ommittal of the felonious act, the intel
ect of Esther Mason was dlsordered.-
Any other supposition is inconsistent with
he whole tenor of her previous life and
haracter, Lead us not into tempta-
ion" is indeed the holest, because the
umblest prayer.
Three weeks had elapsed before the 7
rst intimation of these events reached .
ne, in note from the chaplain of New
ate, an excellent, kind hearted man, TO
'hom Mrs. Mason had confded her sad
tory. l Immediately FASTENED to the
rison; and in loag interview with 5
er, ELECTED the foregoing statement. l
eadily assured her that all which legal .
Kill could do to extrieate her from the ?
wful position in which she stood, the y
ravity of which | did not affect to con-
eal, should be done. The offence with o
hich she was charged had supplied the V
,affold with numberless victims; and
adesmen were more than ever clamor- lc
is for the stern execution of law which, d
ute of experience, they still regarded r
J the only safeguard of their property, tt
Iy wife was overwhelmed with grief II
I'd in her anxiety to save her unhappy a;
ster sister, sought, without my knowl- Il
lge, an interview with the prosecutor,
the hope of inducing him not to press al
e charge. Her efforts were unavailing. W
e had suffered much, be said, from such in
aetices, and was upon principle" Ge- th
rmined to make an example of every W
fender he could catch. As to the plea bl
at the husband bad been forcibly car s
ID off by pressgang, it was absurd st
r what would become of the property su
tradesmen if the wife of every sailor 81