The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-12-24
written for the Fremont JournalI
A WEEK IN THE WOODS.
III.-TaE FIRsr DAr.

chaTgeaOke 20 Hy many irons N the nre,
but so little regard for my intentions hat
the weather-clerk or some other climatolOg
ical ofici1l that storms of one kind or other
from copious tbunder-shOwsr down to
smart curtain-lecture intsrVened. In fac
some untowsrd event had delayed me near,
ly year. Either it rained, or 1 feared i
would. or my surveying instruments Wer'
unObtainabls. or could make more money
by not going: this last was Usry untOEsrt
hindrance. / had lost my reputation fol
promptness. Ineyer bOasted the exaetnes,
of Lorenzo DoE, who often appointed meet.
ings and ordered brOiled chicken year in
advance; but people had hitherto suficisni
confidence IN my appointments to prepare
for my coming. This continued failure was
a more serious thing than / had counted it;
in fact, had given no thought to cOnse-
queuces, and bad no idea how much lost
time should find charged against me. But
this is rather anticipating.
Having so often disappointed those who
had sent for me, I experienced that peculiar
sensation which only deliuqusnts have
debtors can appreciate me when I was
10th 10 meet those friends of mine. 1 viii
not undertake to analyzs this feeling, and
viii only remark that it seems to be quite a
national one. Perhaps it is designed as
part of the penalty for inpromptitude. At
any rate it is too unpleasant to be pleasure,
and don't wonder that its constant pres
ence iu ones heart gives him the sppearauce
Of detected culprit. But am on a tan
gent, aud must return to my subject. Ny
reader has no conception how many times
I dOdged across the street and around cor
ners TO avoid meeting those Wronged friends
of mine. But this could not always be,
and at length the dreaded meeting came. 1
expected the 'windowsof' the "heaYen" Of
their wrath would be opened and poor guilty
/, be overwhelmed so I assumed the atti-
tude of a badgere1 rat brought to. bay
trembling bnt reckless. How great was.
my mistake! was cordially greeted as in
days when we were boys together. They
made no alIusion to my remissness. But
my burdened conscience kept me on the
rack of unrest, and their very forbearance
was uueudurable. Yet when selfforced 10
make some-explsnatiOO, my sbarpest scrut-
ay detected only the least lifting Of the
eyebrows, or curling of the lips, or shrug-
ging Of the shoulders--tokens of distrust,
weak as peddled milk 10 be sure but all
the skeener-becansso the effort to repressi
it Had my friends scolded me roundly,
even sPHcing with a sentence or so of the
emphatic language said to have been used
by ''ths-srmy in Flanders" I should have
taken it better, because l would have had
at least. the little relief afforded by the
feelings; "Well have received only what
I deserved, but the debt is paid in part at
least "E tell yon, reader, nobody prefers
to be under. .obligation TO smother; and
though u may be deemed wild opinion,
I fully believe that when punisbpent has
been visited upon ap offender, be is clear Of
the effsnss. Sound logic will sustain that
position. A man commits larceny and is
fined or ipprisoned according to the amount
be has stolen, The penalty Measures the
crime; and when atonement has been made;
the offender is-as- thougb'be had not been q
thief. I did not intend to be led of in any.
tangent line Of sthought but before I return
to ny subject, must say that I religious.
ly believe that the reception given by soci-
ETY. 20 discharged convict. more than any,
o;6st cause Continues him in life of crime.
And the cruel injustice Of such trsaI Imcnt
can, be realized only by rehscting that those.
who condemn aud neglect the erripg. are.
probably equally guilty with them, though
their crime'is of another sature, aud has not
found them out. But to return.
At last became desperate about that job
of survey yiDg, and the leading one Of those
wanting it dOne, meeting me one day, said,
'sIt is dry sgain; We must make some fence,
and we ought to know where our lines are.
Can you not do that surveying tomorrow
''Not 90 soon, the notics is too short" Ire
piled, begging of. But he was persistent
and asked When thsn?' next Tuesday, +"
was my answer; and l added ashamed, IF
it don't rain" he was reused and bIurted
out, 40 say nothing Of the weather-coms
rain or shiuel' This nettled ne aud an
swered laughing though The while; "well
can stand the water if you can, then catch
ing mOmsntary Inspiration, said.
Tuesday morning, on the first train you
may expect me, rain or no raiul7
Reader you should have seen the mingled
irony, doubt, pity and entreaty in that
countenaDce, my f1isnd was about taking
the train, but be turned on his heel, reached
out his arm and coiling the serpentins I'm
gers Of his right hand about mine with
tightening grasp and drawing me 10 him. he
hosTsely whispered with au.sir Of ineffabls
queerness; eve nl0y detend on JOu- this
tiusF'' 'It alive" was my solemn reply.
His grasp loosened; he slept aboard the
moving train and was gone. Reader, think
you 1 could go back on ny word thsDi
Could have the aPPsr ition OF that longing
gaze sndsneeringlip? 1 would have gone
though esrried in vhesl-barrow. bad
almost said, though It had raiued drawn
swords, POINTS down. Aud vent.
Armed with the proper instruments I
went TO the depot an hour early, fearing 10
be late. How 1 passed that sixty minutes
it matters not When the steam horse
fretted in bis.bits l was, aboard, and halfaD
hours ride brought me to the place of my
destination. The first man l saw was my
Comico- -trag;cal friend. He had not expect
ed me and my coming almost Overcams him.
Converting his hands into temporary spy
glass, he took one long and piercing look,
then staggering onward me. he had time and
strength only TO gasp, in scripture words,
"Art thou be that should come, or do we
look for auother2' when he gently sank
back into my waiting arms. Il am he" l
replied assuTingly, and then Whispered, be
composed" He was IS calm as a canned
oyster or a scared oPOssum or an old maid
in aswoou. Recovering at length be strobe
on toward bis house and / followed hin the
space Of a mile. It was neither morning
nor neen, nor yet evening.
Taking hslf-bushel Of cold eatables aud
our tools and implements We trudged on
three miles, farther afoot. It was row ]
.o'clock,.P, NJ and We hardly knew-whsther
to dine or hunt up our help. We decided