Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-03-15

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eye upon his judge. He now looked
cautiously at him. He saw the keen
eye of the Judge fixed upon him, and
started with horror.
"Oh God said he, with a loud
voice, while the sweat rolled down his
chalklike face, ''it is the murdered
man Ha he has come to judge the
guilty. See, there is the forehead
Scared. All! it was a devilish
blow. Back! back | say let the
dead man look his fill There's blood
upon my hand see there, thou un-
quiet spirit; that hand was reeking
IN thy gore; twas merciless when
thou criedst out; be merciless, now
in thy turn, thou man Of spirit land"
Here the prisoner tainted and fell
upon the floor. A great sensation
was caused in court by this singular
circumstance, and it was not till COR
der" had been shouted for some time
that the trial was suffered to 90 on.
1t appears that Mr.. Browns neigh
borS all considered him guilty of the
crime of endeavoring to murder the
individual named in the beginning Of
this tale, and who was now the pre-
siding Judge Of the Old Bailey. The
affidavit was kept in green remem-
brance, especially by an old farmer
in the vicinity of Hopedale, who had
appropriated Browns farm for his use
and who constantly watched for the
murderer's return, for he knew hu-
man nature so well as to be certain
that no wretch can be so callous as
to forget the spot sacred to childhood,
innocence and early love. The rob-
Der seeks his home, the murderer
seeks the shades of his once happy
valley, the seducer wanders amid the
bower where passion. like dark and
damning torrent, burst away the bar
riers between his soul and hell. The
unfortunate man, ignorant of his wife S
actions and unconscious of the certif-
cate in her pOssesSion-ignorant of
her existence even-after a long cruise
in the navy of England, returned to
view the pleasant bomestead,th the green
vally, the quiet hillside, and the sunk
en- graves of his parents and children.
He bad met tie argus-eyed speculator
on his way. The old affidavit hung
like the sword of Damocles over his
head, and the informer at sunset saw
/ the poor broken hearted sailor borne
away to London, and, as he trusted, a
/ felon's grave. Such is human nature.
Man carelessly feeds upon the fruits
that hang over the churchyard wall
and gather roses from the sacred
plains,
"Where once the lfe's blood warm and wet,
Had dimmed the glittering bayOnet"
The trial proceeded, the evidence
was strong, and the jury, without quit
ting their seats, pronounced the pris-
oner at the bar guilty"
"Guily?" said Brown. rising to his
feet "can it be? All, | must die q
felon's death. and not see my poor
lost wife. Oh, that pang, How her
tender cndaarments now rise up In
judgement against me; her soft words,
how they thunder upon my gloomy
soul. Her smiles of beauty and inno-
cence, great God, how they scar my
heart; must | die without her forgive
ness? Oh the thought is torture as
, dreadful as that experienced by the
yilest of the damned"
, Here the prisoner became unman-
, ned, and burying his face in his fet-
| tered hands, he wept like a child
; The strong passion Of grief shook the
prisoners limbs, and ratified the chains
, with terrible distinctness. A short
+ silence ensued, and then the judge put
9 on his black cap, and prepared to pro-
nOunce the awful seatence which nev.
e er can be pronounced without awak
4 ening the dormant sensibilities of the
2 most degraded-which none, in fact
, but the condemned, ever hear without
g a food of tears.
p "Prisoner at the bar" said the
=. Judge. "stand up" Brown arose.
e What have you to say why sentence
n of death should not be pronounced
&c against you" said the judge, continu
y inc his remarks.
+ A slight rustling noise was nov
:. heard at the bar. and female in wild
"a ow's weeds leaned her head over t
: speak to the prisoner.
ID "Stand hack, woman, said a sci
10 sufficient tipstaff, who, like some o.
10 our constables, imagine the old adag'
er T "necessity has no law" to mean, "la'
at has no necessity.
al The woman threw back her vel
bn and looking the Judge full in the fac
7 said, May it please your worship
Ja permit me to aid my husband in h
On last extremity"
od The earl thought he knew the fax
"a and the tone Of voice, and therefor
+ ) commanded the officer to place Il
wife beside her husband.
Of Meg" said Brown, while the tea
: streamed down his face, haggard wi
in guilt, lit is very kind in you to Wis
on me thus. Can you forgive your gull
bo husband ?" H
a. John, said the meek-eyed woma
as she raised her countenance of q
gelic sweetness to heaven; q was #
M nc given by the Son OF God; | can a
~ :" do forgive you"
ri; The wretched prisoner fell upon
20 wife's neck, and the minions of Crit
,;c nal law, with faces like tanned lea
as er, and hearts like paying-stones
fore Egyptian tombs, stood pity stru
u, and waiting for the end of its extra
voc dinary scene.