Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-02

"What part?" .'f' p.
"a great many parts; but the first that I
remember was Saffron Hill where l went
to school; then she removed to Shoe Lane
after that to Barbican; then to Smithfeld
Bars; then to Gray's Inn Lane; then to
Whitechapel; then back to Barbican; and
then to Green ArbOur Court, Old Bailey,
where she died, poor soul, ola scarlet fever.
Lord / remember all the placeg ifs well as
possible. Oh dear, wish l was III one OF
them nowm ...u.. l7.lf.., .t.
''Was your mother tall?'', l... ..... ,.....
81 fancy she was; they used to call her
the greliadier at Whitechapel."
"Did she stammer in her speech ?"
"Yes; particularly when she got into one
Of her towering passions, which was pretty
often"
"What other children had she ?" .'h. '....
"None-I am her only son and heir"
sand she called you" .s..- .F
81 was christened Nicholas, but she al
ways called me Nick, for short. Nick said
she, the day she died. If don't recover,
bury me in st. Giles churchyard, for there's
where was married" ra'.gl d..
"Enough!" interrupted Jem Bunker,
starting from his chair, and, tottering to-
wards Nicholas, he threw himself into his
arms, exclaiming, "My son! my sonr'
'tNot very likely" thought Nicholas to
himself, as the old man hugged him, and
kept repeating the words-"My son! my
SON" But he said nothing. .
'"Lord what blessed thing it is to see
and touch ones own flesh and blood after
so many years." continued Jem, looking
Nicholas full in the face as he spoke, and
clasping his hands between his, with fer
vor and tenderness too true to nature to be
mistaken. II am transported felon," said
he, land doomed to die in this strange land;
but thank God thank God lam father J"
aud tears that gushed forth airesh, and
trickled down his aged cheeks, attested the
sincerity of his feelings. ..
THANK God, sir" replied Nicholas, 'as it
seems to make You so happy, have no OBJ
lection to be your son, L having no other
father TO claim me, do you see; but as to the
fact of my being SO, | really think it's all
CANNON"
"Hush, hush," interrupted the old man..
wiping his eyes and becoming more COM
posed; 'you don't know what you say.
Death may come now as soon as it likes-I
have nothing else to live Tor. But l wish
your mother had answered my letters"
''She couldn't write, you know" replied
Nicholas. You forgot that, father"
"Ah! well, you may jest as much as you
like" said the old man; "but il you are my
son, you have a flesh mark on the right
arm, just above the elbow, shaped like q
pear .........,. ..,..i......-
TO be sure have, to be sure havev
exclaimed Nicholas, stripping off his coat
and rolling up his shirt sleeve, and showing
the mark with an amazed countenance-
land my mother has often told me"
"She has often told you," interrupted
Jem Bunker, ''that her husband flung a
ripe pear at her one day as she sat asleep,
the shock of which terrified and woke her.''
TO be sure she did," said Nicholas, who
now in his turn threw himself in the old
mans arms, exclaiming, "my father my
father !-only think of my finding you herS,
and making that jacket for youp
The truth must be told. Jem Bunker,
alias "Ned Dunks," had been transported
for horse-stealing. He was sentenced to
die; but there were some circumstances in
his case, which, upon being represented in
the proper quarter, obtained commuta-
ton of his punishment; and, instead of for
feiting his life, he was sent out of the
country for lite. Often did his spirit yearn
towards his native land; often had he writ
ten to his wife, entreating her to join him /;
often had he thought in sadness and sorrow
upon the infant he saw sleeping in its era
die, the evening he was torn from his fire.
side by the Bow street officer, who called to
enquire if he was at home )" for, though a
horse-stealer, he was the owner of heart
that might have shamed many proud and
titled keeper of horses, in its natural affec-
tions for kith and kin. This was touching
ly shown on the present occasion; for, after
the first violence of his feelings had abated,
he gazed upon his son in silence during a
So, ,kr o,,1 kloA I, Il
said in a tremulous voice-"Well, have
found you, my dear Nicholas, when little
expected to do so, and now | shall 60 down
to my grave in peace, blessing Gods holy
name for His great mercy-nay, my son, do
not smile as if you wondered to hear me
talk of God and His holy name. have liv-
ed long enough to know the awful mean
ing, as well as the amazing comfort, of these
words; to know that as the world falls away,
and the space between us and the grave
narrows to mere span of life, we cannot,
if we would, keep our thoughts from busy
ing themselves with what Is to happen
there" raising his withered hand towards
heaven as he spoke.
Religious admonition proceeding from
aged lips, has power to awe, for the moment
at least, the widest and m ,st unthinking
spirit. Nicholas had never been so spoken
to before. He felt abashed and was silent.
"Yes, my son." continued the old man,
81 do receive you as a blessing from the
hand of God, sent to shed the light of hap
piness upon my parting hours; but" and
he paused-"but-but you too are convict"
~ am" said Nicholas, his face reddening
as he spoke; but thank God Pm as inno-
cent as you are of the crime laid to my
charge" t.- .a.IeN. N.s..u- .s....fn. r,-i,
"We have a great many innocent con-
victs here" replied his father significantly;
''indeed it is a rare case to find one who is
not innocent" o. nj -,..t...-.. ......s,.
Il don't know how that may be-" an
swered Nicholas, "but as for myself, what
do know is, that the judge ought to have
been hanged who tried me, and the jury
too." f r.-..-i.dt .r,,; .., .,..,..
"Perhaps you'll tell me?"
"Oh! yes,,". interrupted Nicholas, ."Pll
tell you all about it in very few words"
4 He then proceeded to relate the adven-
lures with which the reader Is already fa-
miliar. When he had concluded, his father
dropped upon his knees, and offered up
feryent thanksgiving to God for having, as
he expressed it, restored q, son to him, up
on whom he could look without any other
shame than that of being his 'fatheri'' ne1
} About ayear after the occurrence of
these events, Jem Bunker, alias ''Ned
Dunks, ,"sbreathed his last in his sons arms,
having, before he died, conveyed to him by
will the whole Of his property, amounting
to several thousand pounds. with this, as
soon as the law permitted, he returned to
England; the first man, perhaps, that ever
made his fortune by going out to dinner,
because he could not have the dinner he
wanted at home. But thus doth Providence
oyerrule our WAYS, and, fashion our here