Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-29
JOHN RoDMAN.

Ten years, beginning at twenty five. The
best years Of his life. Circumstautal evl-
dence, which had doomed many man, had
doomed him. That, and false witness wno
took his oath TO lie, with Gods name upon
his lips, aud his guilty hand upon Gods ho-
ly Bible. 1t was horrible fate; and the
worst Of it was, that no one believed him in
noeent-friend, brother, casual acquaintance,
all shook their heads and said ; ''li was a
dangerous thing to trust wild young man
with so much money"
Only Eva Fay his young betrothed, sent
him tiny note, blurred with her tears,
wherein shOne these words-beacon lights
to that unhappy man in that dark sea Of sor-
row:
"My darling, whatever others think, will
trust and love you until die"
Gould she have come to him, could she
have spoken words Of hope and tenderness,
with her white hands in his own, lie could
have borne his hard fate better. But they
would not let her enter the prison walls
Who could blame them, thinking as they
did And she was too young and too gem
tie to resist them by strategem so the girl
of sixteen could only break her heart 10 si-
lence, and her lover bow beneath the just
laws which for once had done injustice.
They parted, and the years rolled on, one
after the other. ln the world strange chang
es happened, and there we're deaths and mar
riages and births. Old faces went, new ones
came. Inventions set the world ablszs.
Wars and rumors Of wars shook the earth.
In the prison, one monotonous routine diyid-
ed the days, and the nights were only
marked by the exchange Of sun for gas light.
John Rodman's soul was crushed con-
sidered felon by all, he grew to feel like
one--to shrink from the eyes Of honest mon,
and to have no hope on earth or in heaven
save in those prison walls.
Sometimes he said, "Ten years will end
at last" And then he asked himself, For
what p My life is wasted. cannot begin
again"
Aud untimely SHOWS fell upon his hair, and
wrinkles drew themselves upon his brow.
And when at last the prison doors were
opened to let out the poor, wronged man, be
felt older than most men Of fifty. He stood
in the world without a cent, or decent
clothes, or any place to hide his head, aud
bowed beneath the sense of his great wrong
and bitter loss.
There bad come with him an old thief, one
Of his Jail companions-a bad, bold man,
with drop Of gratitude somewhere in the
midst of his heart. He followed John Rod
man and came up to him in lonely place, at
the bleak corner of road, where be stood
puzzled, trying to collect his thoughts.
al say, what are you going to do ;" he
said
"do;' said John, gloomily. Earn an
honest living, or hang myself"
~. l. = k,a, -, fbsro -
said the thief, pointing psisonward, "or you
can't do the 6rst and before you put your
neck in the moose, come to our place. You
will fnd friend there, and like you" and
he ended with an oath.
John Rodman shuddered. He knew what
haunts that man made his home in, and a
horrible dread Of himself fell upon him. He
had been called thief so long, that IT
seemed quite possible that the actual life Of
one might lie before him. He grew cold
from the heart out.
II shall earn an honest living somehow
he said "All want is bread and shelter.
J hen good bye"
Good bye said the thief. at is 5 -
Alley, if you want to come there; you may
yet"
And they parted-John Rodman taking
the road towards New York.
His FIRST thought was, when be quite un-
derstood that he was free, Of Eva. Not that
he might WOO or win her after ten years OF
disgrace, bat only to see her once and tell
hsr how, through all those years he had re-
membered aud worshipped her He hardly
guessed himself, now he changed. The hang
down lvok, the thin, bent frame, the unkempI
locks that blew about Ills face me nat WIN
a hole in il, the ragged knees and elbows
a squalid. beggarly wretch, who, when he
last looked in a mirror, had been spruce
young fellow, handsome as picture.
So he toiled on toward the city, and when
faint with hunger, found horse TO hold, OF
Job to do and earn pittance.
So, when he crawled into the town, he had
a shilling, and being faint, skunk into res
taurant hard by to get glass of ale. 1t was
place frequented by Germ ms, and with d
sanded floor and bare tables. Bat it had its
elegancies, too. And opposite the table
where John Rodman sat, hung square mir
ror and two gaudy prints. John looked at
one OF these, then at the other.
At last toward the mirror
h thought it was window and that q
man was looking at him through it, at the
utrF EldhCts
What an ill-looking dog" thought John
wouldn't trust him. How he stares
poor wretch be don't seem human. Alb
Oh, my God IL is myselIP H
1t was an awful moment. Death has nc
more fearful pang. That miserable creature
was John Rodman-was the being Of whom
he said, " l--rhat--that--that
He hid his head in his arms, and was only
saved a cane man by food of tears.
The phlegmatic Germans only fancied hin
at that stage in his cups, when weepiog be
comes quite natural. One, a yellow ha.re'
/ grocer, grinned and quite enjoyed the joke
and that was all the notice taken
And John Rodman, btoken-hearted anC
/ quite crushed. erept out into the street, his
own image haunting him as ghost Oh, th
lost youth, the bright-eyed, bught-haired DO.
who had loved Eva Fay, where has he goDe
On, the stalwart, handsome man into whom
that youth should have changed Wher
was his grave dug Who was this, bio
on the sunshine, creature Stamped black
euAId-beggar- miserable
John Rodman-John Rodman--John Rod
man--could it be
The glimpse of his own face had bee
.,..,,,.k and yoith clauched handa and hlond