The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-12-26
How @ Convict Won Pardon,
BY WIN. II. BUSHNELL.

DI " NJ H. DOSnNELb'
!, "Will you never give W
! those trips, Terrence9 1t is 81
lonely staying here nights, and
besides, | am fearful that some
one will break in and rob the
house and murder us all.
never say my prayers and &c
to bed without trembling fOI
my own life and that of the
children" and the little woman
hung upon the arm of the
strong man, begged him with
fearful eyes to give up his
wandering life (that OF a ped.
dler) and settle down.
GAS soon as | have gathered
enough together to buy me a
bit of ground, or what would
be better still, to emigrate to
America, that blessed Land oi
Freedom, where, as the song
says, there's bread and work
for ALL and the bright sun is
always shining, PIl gladly give
up carrying the pack, for it is
no easy work at the best"
"Only think of the money
you have in the house now,
husband dear2 Surely there is
enough to take us across the
sea-you and l and the chill
dren, and Bridget, too, if she
! likes to CO."
Bridget was the servant girl
who heilred the wife of the
peddler and was her sole com,
panion when he was away, ara
her eyes snapped with appar'
ent delight when she heard the
proposition. But she sald
nothing and "the master" con-
tinued;
ut is true tor you, Kathleen,
that | have 4 matter Of an
hundred pounds or so, which |
shall leave for you to take care
of, and if | have good luck
this trip / promise you either
to remain at home or go to
America, bless her. It's a
good friend she has been to
ireland, and many's the poor
soul she has kept from starv-
ing. So take good care Of the
children, Kathleen,-you and
Bridget,-until l come back"
and he kissed his wife and
bright eyed, curly.headed ba-
bies, gave Bridget the good.
bye, shouldered his pack and
strobe stoutly away, whiStling
merrily.
His heart was light, his form
strong, he had none of the fears |
of his wife and was looking for
ward joyfully to the time when
he would have a little home, "a
pig and a COW and a patch Of
pratees" that would belong to
himself alone, and over which
no hard hearted steward or non
resident landlord could claim
control, although he would will |
lingly pay his tithes to tie
church.
Terrence O'Brien was a ped
der by profession, and what
was called : "forehanded man."
His family consisted of the good
wife, two children, a boy Of
scarcely three years, a babe and
the girl of all wOrk-Bridget,
At the start Of his married life,
be had rented a little cottage
that stood in 4 lonely, out-of-
thc-way place; althouh he had
increased his stores, he had re-
tanned possession of it on the
score CT economy.
a brave, athletic man, and
one who feared nothing human,
he could not understand the
terrors of his wife, Kathleen
in fact, gave them little thought
Beside robbery was a thing al
most unknown among the peas
antry, and who would ever
dream of his having a large
amount of money in his dilapi-
dated cabin? But it was not
his custom to do so. Usually
he deposited it in some secure
place. So he gave the matter
no further thought than to
promise himself that this would
be his last journey (if he did as
well as he anticipated and he
tugged around, fattering the
rosy-cheeked girls ilto purcha-
sing finery with which to daz-
zle the eyes of their beaux at
the next fair.
With Kathleen, however, it
was far different. As the night
began to draw near and the
wind to creep around the cor
ners of the cabin and whistle
down the chimney with a sad
and mournful sound, she be-
thought herself of the sover-
eigns her husband had left, and
| +oly;,r tho hap in xybicb fhaxr