The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-19
tFron, the Watchn,au and Reflector
The Sin of James Armstrong.
BY LOUISE cHANDLER MouLroN.

BY LOUISE CHANDLER MoULToN. ~
1t was household with no ioy in It. The
very dog and cat moved round soberly, as YOU
you never saw dogs and cats in other houses,
There were never any bouquets on those man.
ties, or gay pictures on those walls. There
were no merry-makings there. Even the
children, girl and two boys, had grown used
to this sober atmosphere, and they went on
their way like automatons, without mirth and
complaining You thought inevitably, as you
entered that dwelling, of house whence the
unburied dead had not yet been carried. And
that was it. Their dead lay unburied STILL
For there had been no tender funeral rights,
no tears shed, or flowers scattered above a
grave. -' es-
And yet time was when that house was the
abode of love and joy--when James Arm
strong brought his bride, girl fair as the fair
est, gay as the gayest. Like the carol of a
bird, her glad voice filled the house with mel
ody. All day her husband looked forward to
her blithe welcome. Then the little ward was
full of blossoms. Honeysuckles clambered oy.
er the porch, roses nodded their sauey heads
In at the windows, and all winter Jenny Arm
strong tended great stand of flowers in hei
sunny south sitting-room. Then one afte,
another the children came, making the home
brighter and blither, each one; and never was
there prouder father than James Armstrong.
when he looked into the gentle eyes of his
little girl, or felt his bold boys tugging at his
coat.
Can l bear to tell you how, upon this home
oflove and joy, the blow descended, which in
one day laid all waste? How could James
Armstrong, with that wife, with those chill
dren, have been tempted to sin? 1t must
have been after all, for their sakes; prompted
by weak ambition for them. 'l'sH gisfsss
lie lived little way out of town, and went
In every day to his business; and daily he
heard stores OF successful speculations-of
great fortunes made in few weeks-and
grew mad with covetous desire. He had .
small sum in the bank, and that he invested
In fancy stocks. He succeeded beyond his
hopes; and then he tried again, and vet again.
And at last, one day he lost all, and was fran
tic with grief and rage. How could he 90
home and tell Jenny that the fund on which
they had depended to educate their children
their provision against rainy day-was gone
Ihlnk OF him gently as you can. know he
was not IN his right mind when he forged the
Endorsement of the firm for whom he was
pookkeeper, upon note, and procured the
money on it, With this money he made one
grand investment, by which, with the wild
madness belonging to speculation, he meant
TO retrieve and establish his fortunes. Think
what the man suffered as time went ON. and
he saw this scheme, like the others. come to
nought, and then saw the day drawing nigh
on VIII Oh the note with the forged Signature
6ould be presented for payment.
All this time he had kept his own counsel.
He had made efforts, which it would have
been pitlful to see, had there been any locker
on VINO understood the case, to be the same at
81, Il
his doom from resting on his wife and those
children. He had never loved them SO betore
he thought. When they did not observe him.
ne studied their faces, each one. so that he
could close his eyes and see them stiIl-so
That as he whispered to himself with choking
agony, If he We're shut away from them for
years, he would never forget one curve of their
features or one shade ofmeaning.
And at last the night came which was to
have such fearful morrow. The next dav the
note would be due. he had not one thought
OF conceament or escape. He had not been
able to redeem the note, as he had intended ia
do in the beginning, and now he felt that de-
lection and punishment were inevitable
And with the instinct of a wounded animal
which creeps to its lair to die, he went home and
told his wife he was sick, and he did not think
ne should be able to go to town the next day.
how her tender care stirred his poor heart to
its depthsi Would she ever so minister 10
MN again? Once-it was after the children
had gone to bed-he caught her hands. and
crushed them moment in his own, looking
INTO her eyes as if he would read her very soul.
Jenny, wife" he gasped huskily, edo YOU
MINK you would love Inc through ecerytlsiaq9''
One OF Jenny Armstrong; most vital char
acteristics, was her love Of truth-a love al
most morbid, indeed, in its action-wbich
Wouid never let her answer anything without
Consideration, and which made her pause now,
anu run over possibilities in her own mind no.
fore she replied, needless of the agony of snn-
plication in his eyes. -''
'"Yes," she said slowly: II could love Won il
you were deaf, or blind, OF mad-anuthil,o bat
ttcked." 9 WV
The man dropped her hands with bitter
groan: 1t seemed to him that love and life
were ialling him together. But when he saw
again, and murmured feebly,- ~ ---'D'
Il was in pain. o Jenny, Pm siclSw
All through the long morning hours nov,
day he watched his children-little Jenny
Robert, and Jamie, his eldest born. Ever,
one of their merry ways, their innocent caress
es, was to him the keenest of tortures. vet
he would not have missed one of them TO,
worlds How slowly the hours wore onl II
was three o'clock in the afternoon before ;
carriage stopped at the gate and he knew thai
his sin had found him cut. ,,..,.-rT =
SIN, with that same pathetic submission tc
JUST rate, he uttered no denials. At his tria
ne pleadea guilty, ard made no petition fol
man, he sat there in his place. o1,ite alone -
Wnen ne was sentenced to five wears in tbt
state's ptison, he merely bowed his stricken
head little lower in dumb assent. ST -
linen, before the prison walls closaf; ~, hin,
they persuaded his wife to 90 to him for q ca,,
moments. 1t was the first time since re 'o ~,
rest; for the disgrace, the utter ruin which M
had brought upon her and her children Cow, ny
ca to have turned her very nature to call =
She listened to him coldly, while he nonrnf
our IN iIenIlea words the story of his tempta
ue had opened its mouth and snolren Ss CIV,
said a9os % @ -s
Wrong is wrong. l see no excuse for Won
crime. Have you done with what you wishe,
And, just as when he had heard from tn
judges lips his sentence, he mutely bowed hi
stricken head, and she went out.
After that the prison walls shut him in.
The generosity of those who might legal
have claimed the little home where all Jan
Armstrong; welded life had been passed
spared it to the stricken woman and herchil
uIen. % sne hVed ON there, doing any Worl
she could obtain, managing to keep the house
hold in decent comfort; but living such Iifi
as have told you-a life utterly barren o.
grace, and beauty, and joy. In this shadow
tne Children had dwelt, till their faces wert
sad win premature despair which | could
never describe. -O
And new the five years were almost over
and next week it would be time for Jame.
Armstrong to come home. In all this time nd
word or message from his wife had ever once
reached him. She had never been known n n
mention his name. At first the children had
asked for him; but she had always hushed
tnem SO sternly that soon they had learned tC
understand her will, and had gone on silent
ly IN the shadow which overriding the bouse
II was Saturday afternoon-of that las
week before the one in which her husband
t Woum pe Iree-when she looked out, and saw
te IN munster coming up the path from the gat,
70 the door; the minister in whose church sh,
Ssea 70 . sit sunday after Sunday by her hus
pands sac. 1t was long since She had seer
hIn--ShA oNSA