The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-07-11
MARRYING A CONVICT,

|
per pound, or $500 per ton:-.5I ,5I - :,
-. MARRYING A CONVICT.
l had served twenty five years on
! board an East Indiaman, and for
the last ten years had commanded
the Belle, one Of the finest crafts
that ever foated. / was an old sea
dog, and had dwelt so long on salt
water that I almost felt hatred fo1
land. He-al.-
On the goth Of October, 1924, |
received orders to put myself in
readiness to sail for Cayenne.
was to transport seventy-fve SOL
diers and a convict. 1 had orders
to treat this individual well, and the
letter had received from the Direc-
tory inclosed another, with huge
red seal which I was not to open
until between a27 and IS degrees
west longitude; that is just before
were about to cross the line.
The letter was long packet so
well closed on every side that it was
impossible to catch the slightest
glympse of it's contents / aim not
naturally superstitious, but there
was something in the look of the let
that did not alto gether like, til ough
I could give no reason why. How
ever, carried it off into the cabin,
and stuck it under the glass of lit
tie shabby old English clock which
was fastened above my head. / was
busy fixing the letter under the clock
when who should come into the
cabin but the convict and his wife !!
This was the first time / Had seen
either of them, and I may say that
more prepossessing couple Inever
met. The wife was scarcely over
fifteen, and as handsome as a pic
ture while the husband was an in
telligent. magnifcently formed man,
on whose features nature had never
written 'svillaln."
His crime, to be plain, was the
misfortune of being hundred years
ahead of his age He and others
had attempted something which our
government called treason, and
which is punished with death 1t,
therefore, occasioned me considera-
BILE wonder that he should be placed
under my chdfee-=~bttt more Of this
afterwards. ...-
He had, as I said, his wife hang
ing on his arm. She was as merry
as bird; she looked like a turtle
dove cooing and nesting beneath
his great wing. s-g h"o I-ef 81 -.
y Before a month had passed over
our heads, looked upon them as
my own children. Every morning
| used to call them into my cabin
The young fellow would sit, waiting
at my table, that is to say at my
chest, which was also my bed He
would often help me at my reckon
ing, and learned to do better than /
could. / was amazed at his ability.
His young wife would sit upon one
Of the round stools in my cabin
working at her needle. a
One day we were all three sitting
in this way when ] said:
EDO you know, MY young ones,
as it seems to me We make very
pretty family picture Mind, /
don't mean to ask questions, but
mayby you have not much money to
spare, and you are>both of you, as l
think much too handsome to dig in
the burning sun of Cuyenne, like
many a poor wretch before you.--
Its a bad country-a bad country
take my word for it. I, who have
roughed it through tempest, wind
and sunshine, till I've got the skin
of rhinoceros, might get along
there but you'll am afraid foryou.
So if you should have a chance to
have bit of foolish friendship for
your old captain, I'll tell you what
I'll do. I'll get rid of this old brig
she's nothing better than an old tub,
after all !; so I'll settle myself down
with you, if you like. You see I
have not living soul in the world,
to care for, or that cares for me-
l want relations, l want a home, I
want family. l should like to make
my home with you my pretty young
ones. What say yep
They said nothing at all, but sat
looking, first at each other, and then
at me. as if they doubted whether
they understood what I said.
At last the little bird threw her
arms around my neck and cried like
a baby! 17auJ ad5 li
ssBut,' said she, suddenly pausirg,
tyou havn't looked at the letter
with the big red sea1.'' ;.
"Hang it !" exclaimed, cit had
slipped my memory entirely.e ."' : i
With cold dreadful sensation
went to my chest to see where we
were. I found that we had several
days remaining before we should
reach the proper longitude for open
ing the letter. -..- ....-,c-gs 49,.
''Well, there we stood, all three Of
US, looking up at the letter as if it
could have spoken to US. AS it hap
pened the sun was shiningfull upon
the face ofthe clock case, and fell
full upon the great staring red seal
Of the letter. I could not help fan
cying it looked something like big
monster, an ogre's face, grining
from the middle of the FIRE it looked |
horrld.