The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-10-18

Time passed on, and nine years
/ rolled away. Once afterwards
found the little island-it was nearly
on the southern tropic-and went al
, over il. twas five years after had
! left Lotion. / found a hut made ot
boughs, and other signs of humanity
|. but there was no human being there
: forgot 10 tell you that after we had
set Lotion on shore, l put after him
a package containing a gun, knife
and some powder and ball. In the
hut there was rude fireplace, and
the ashes and Goals were still there
; though caked down by the rain, which
j came through the broken roof. AS
| could find no further traces, / oi
course supposed the man must have
found some means of leaving the is
land.
"Last November / anchored my
ship in Port Philip, Australia. j
went there to take out provisions and
clothing for the miners, and also to
take up passengers. 1 remsined at
Melbourne month. One day, after
/ l had got all loaded for my return
voyage, and was only waiting tor
some passengers to come down from
the mountains. received a message
requesting me to call at the hotel and
see sick man. l went up at once,
and the clerk of the house, who knew
me, and knew what | had come for,
conducted me up stairs, and showed
me into one of the best rooms in the
establishment.
"There sat a middle-aged gentle
man, who arose as l came in. and
asked if L were Captain Robbins.
told him l was, and then he turned
towards q heavy curtain which form
ed a complete partition, and motion
ed for me to follow him. In there
found bed, and upon it was a man
whom l soon recognized as one l had
tseen before. His features were sunk
en- and death-like, and his skin was
dark like an Indians. The nair was
gray but it was the great black eyes
l recognized.
"'Oh, Captain he uttered, trying
to raise himself up, but failing, don {
you remember John Wallace 2
was upon the point of replying
that had forgotten the name, when
he made a sign for the physician to
leave. AS soon as the man of medi-
cine was gone, strange gleam shot
athwart the sick mans features, and
in low tone he said:
But you haven't forgotten Mark
Lotion p
"You may believe / started.
recognized him in an instant; but
how fallen and faded. He extended
his hand, and / took it.
Mark, said |, Il am glad to see
you once more, but sorry to see You
SO; you've caused me many unhappy
moments
"'How so 2 lie asked quietly.
"'ln wishing had not left you on
that island
"'Tut. tut; say no more about that;
1t was the making OF me. But you
mnsir't avpne. = .zil= ----->sl-, So -
but precious little life lett in me, and
must say what I've got to say first
Yes, you made me, and l sent for
you now to see you and tell you. ]
knew you when you first came into
port, and then l hoped should get
well enough to 60 to England with
you
Il told him that he might get well
as it was, and that l would wait for
him, even though | was now ready to
sail.
"'But suppose couldn't pay your
he said.
81 told him he shouldn t pay me if
he could.
We'll, well,' he uttered in a hol-
low tone, you won't be burdened
with me- But listen, l say leaving
me on that island was the making of
me. For the first week of my being
there l only prayed that L might at
some future time get near enough to
you to murder you; and during that
time lived on berries and roots. AT
ter that began to feel lonely and my
niger cooled down Then / resolved
to open the bundle you had done up
Tor me; and when | found the gun,
ball and powder, the first feeling of
gratitude that l had experienced, for
years came into my soul. You may
now know what l would never tell
YOU before. When l was young, i
loved a gentle girl, and she was
snatched from me--rnined by anoth-
er. met her seducer, and l shot
him. l was taken up, and broke from
Jail, and from that time 1 allowed my
heart to sink into hatred of every
thing. My parents were both dead,
and l knew of no relation on the face
of the earth Viciousness became a.
disease, and my baser passions 1 ev-
er nursed. So had lived for many
years when you first knew me. But
new feelings came to me in my ban
ishment. When | had no human be-
ing TO converse with, then l began
to discover how necessary compan
ionship was to even life itself. AS
became more and more lonesome 1
remembered the good lessons you
tried to teach ME, and then | began,
too, to acknowledge to myself that
you had been forbearing and kind
even beyond my deserts And so a.
year passed away, and at the end of
that time | had actually learned all
your lessons, word for word, and had
come to wish continually that l had
profited by them. Prayer followed
next, and then came the resolution
that if ever could get free from the
island | would be better man. You
may think it strange, but l had now
begun to look back upon you as the
only guide to my reformed life Your
lips Were the only lips since my boy
hood that had spoken one kind word
of counsel and advice-and upon
your saying my whole superstrueture
OF character was founded If 1 ever
for one moment blamed you for leav-
ing me there, the thought of how You
bore with me, how l trampled on
your kindness, drove such thoughts
away. All, you have little idea what
thoughts will come to a Man in such
Loneliness. Four years passed away.
and during that time l lived on fowls
eggs and fruit, and in hut which l
built of boughs. At length ship
was becalmed off the island and l got