South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1867-12-06
Il am that highway robber, granny /


an hour when L was more a maniac than
sane person, disguised myself, waylaid
your nephew and took from him and his
family, by violence, his honest earnings,
aud spent that same night tue accursed
sum at the gambling table. Some of the
money, learn, has been recognized aud
the bloodhounds of the law are already
seeming my track. Hide me, granny
shield me from the just punishment of my
crimes, and the shade of my father will
look down from Heaven and approve the
deed. promise after this repentance
Alb | am racked by that now. | promise
granny, by your bible yonder, cfd,mafion
So help me Heaven
1t was the old woman's turn now to start
up in alarm.
'How could you doit, Jenny y she said.
How could you do it After all my kind
ness to you, is this the way you have repaid
me, by robbing my nephew-the only rel
alive have in the world-of his little pit
tancey 1t was an ungrateful deed, Jem-
my, as we'll as one punishable by the laws
How couH you do itY
Il did it, as | before told you, when my
braiu was on fire, when was mad and not
sane. Did you not pity as we'll as blame
me? Will you forget now your promise to
aid me?
'Iiow can aid you?' said the old wo-
man. doubtfully. What can do for you p
Five dollars said the culprit, will
place me out of the immediate reach of my
pursuers. Can't you give me FIVE dollars.
granny? l promise to refund it with in
tercst
Tie old woman did not answer, but size
went to an Old chest and mechanically drew
forth her hoard. She counted the dollars
into her horny palm.
She then went to small drawer and
brought forward pen, ink and paper
Il promise to aid you, Jenny Cereal
she said, upon two conditions One is.
YOU are to pledge yourself from this hour
to total abstinence from all that can intox-
icatc the other is you must write letter
to Joe Cotton, confusing your guilt, ac-
knowIedglng your penitcnce, and inclosing a
sum of money which W i'll give you, equal
III value to that taken. These conditions
complied with, [ will give you sum large
enough to aid you to escape, and may that
Divine Power, whose aid you just now so
earnestly invoked, help you in deed and in
truth, to reform your life ~
The young man seized the pen with a
trenulous hand. lie scrawled, as best he
could, the letter and the pledge He af-
terwards received the five dollars promised,
from the hand of the old woman, and be-
fore shutdown that night he was in fair
way to escape all pursuit.
He dill cscape-he did reform his life.
One day, near two years afterwards, while
Dame Stevens was sitting by her door, en-
pIoytd i'll turning the heel of a sock, which
she was knitting for the vicar, little Peter
Pike stopped before her door, on his way
from Greyton mill, and, after fumblng a.
bout with his meally hand for while in
both pockets, he drew from one of them u
letter which he sail was given to him for
the dame at tho post-oliice.
The old lady never got letters, and the
event was remarkable era in her life. She
went into her cottage and nervously broke
the seal. As she did SO, there fell into her
lap hundred dollar bill She could scarce
~ believe her eyes. The sum looked to
her to be such prodgious one. But the
letter explained it all
"Dear madam it began, Il am prepared
now to refund with interest the FIVE dollars
borrowed some time ago Of you. thank
you for the loan. ain now sober, re-
spectacle man--engage1 in good business,
aud ain soon to be married to To- ,ely aud
worthy woman. thank G1d for haviag
been bo1, a MrsoHs SOM All they lit
tie know what they are about when they
sow beside all waters their precious gifts
They know not who will reop pcrchaDce
the fruits Of their bcncvolcncc. Bone of
their bone, flesh Of their flesh as in this
instance, may do it. Well was it written
in that old-fashioncd book, called a Bible,
lying on one end of your mantelpeco, gran
ny, Cast thy bread upon the waters-thou
shalt find it after many days
u. O'CREAL.'
The old woman dropped few quiet tears
over this affecting scrawl She then laid
away the letter carefully between the leaves
of the precious volume over her head, and
little was ever said by her or her nephew
about the Greyton robbery, although the
valley people often wondered that a poor
man like Joe Cotton should have taken the
loss so quietly Should they ever sec Ibis
sketch they will, doubtless, acknowledge
the mystery to be now, for the FIRST time,
explained.
IS-l In any adversely that happens TO Us
in the world, we ought to consider that mis-