The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-03
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. MARCH g. 1865


his native parish. He had been sailor
on board various ships on foreign stations
but hearing by chance of bis fathers
death he came to claim his inheritance
Having heard, on his arrival, that his I'M
ole had succeeded to the property, he
came to me and told me that the night be-
fore he left his home, his father stood by
bis bedside, kissed him, and said, that he
never more would own such an undutiful
son-but that he forgave him all bis Gins
at death would not defraud him Of the
pleasant fields that had so long belonged
to his humble ancestors-and hoped to
meet reconciled in heaven. =
"sMy uncle is villain, said he fiercely,
and l will cast anchor on the green bank
where l played when a boy, even if
must first bring his gray head to the scat
fold!' s - n
accompanied him to the house of bis
uncle. 1t was dreadful visit. The fam
lily had just sat down to their frugal mid
day meal; and the old man, though for
some years he could have had little heart
to pray, had just lifted up his hands TO ask
a blessing. Our shadows, as we entered
the door, fell upon the table-and turning
his eyes, he beheid before him on the
floor the man whom he fearfully hoped
had been buried in the sea. His face was
indeed, at that moment, most unlike that
of prayer, but he still held up bis lean,
shrivelled, trembling hand Accused
hypocrite, cried the fierce mariner, 'dost
thou call down the blessing of God on a
meal won basely from the orphan? But
10! God, whom thou hast blasphemed, has
sent me from the distant isles Of the ocean
to bring thywhite head into the hangmans
hands ,gg- III - l,.t.is 5g ga
~ Fol. q moment all was silent-then q
loud stiiisd gasping was heard, and she
whom you saw little while ago, rose
shrieking from her seat, and fell down on
her knees at the sailors feet. The terror
of that untorgiving crime, now first re-
vea!ed to her knowledge, struck her down
to the floor. She fixed her bloodless face
on his before whom she knelt-but she
spoke not single word. There was a
sound in her convulsed throat like the
death-rattle. Il forged the will, said the
son, advancing towards his cousin with q
firm step. tmy father could not-I alone
am guilty. alone must de- The wife
soon recovered the power of speech, but
it was 80 unlike her usual voice, that
scarcely thought, at first, the sound pro-
ceeded from her white quivering lips. AS
you hope for mercy at the great Judgment
day, let the old man make his escape
hush, hush, hush-till in few days he has
sailed away in the hold of some ship to
America. You surely will not hang an
old gray-headed man of three score and
ten years!' ~
"The sailor stood silent and frowning.
There seemed neither pity nor cruelty in
his face; he felt himself injured and
looked resolved to right himself, happen
what would. Il say he has forged my
fathers will. As to escaping, let him es-
cape if he can. do not wish to hang
him; though I have seen better men run
up to the fore-yard arm before now for
only asking their own. But no more
kneeling woman-Hoila! where's the old
MAJ gonea'
"We all looked chastity around, and
the wretched wife and mother, springing
to her feet, rushed out of the house. We
followed, one and all. The door of the
stable was open, and, the mother and son
entering, loud shrieks were heard. The
miserable old man had skunk out of the
the room unobserved during the passion
that had struck all our souls, and had en-
deavored to commit suicide. His own son
cut him down, as he hung suspended from
a rafter in that squalid place, and, carry
ing him in bis arms, laid him down on the
green bank in front of the house. There
he lay with bis livid face, and blood-shot
protruded eyes, till, in few minutes. he
raised himself up, and fixed them upon bis
wife, who, soon recovering from fainting
fit, came shrieking from the mire in which
she had fallen down. Poor people!
said the sailor with "a gasping voice, you
have suffered enough for your crime.
Fear nothing; the worst is now past and
rather would sail the seas twenty wears
longer, than add another pang to that old
mans heart Let us be kind to the old
man. HE t
but it seemed as though the raven
had croaked the direful secret all over the
remotest places among the hills; for in an
hour, people came flocking in from all
quarters, and it was seen that concealment
or escape was. no longer possible, and that
father and son were destined to die to-
gether . felon's death" spLa ga
Here the pastors voice ceased ), and
had heard enough to understand the long
deep sigh that had come moaning from
that bowed down figure beside the solitary
well. -. = ! .oI7 80 : :, -
That was the last work done BY the
father and son, and finished the day before
the fatal disoovery'ot their guilt. 1t had
probably been engaged in as q sort of
amusement to beguile their unhappy minds
OF ever anxious thoughts, or perhaps as a
solitary occupation, at which they could
unburthen their guilt to one another undis-
turbed. Here, no doubt, in the silence and
solitude, they often felt remorse, perhaps