The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-07-01
"He walked down the hill, and through

!, sed, enjoying the serenity OF the evening
and their rest from labor. Many look
was turned towards him, and many doubt
full glance he cast on either side to see if
|, any knew and shuuned him. There were
strange faces IN almost every house; in
some he recognised the burly form of
some old schoolfellow-a boywhen he had
last seen him-surrounded by troupe of
meary children; in others he saw, seated
in an easy chair at cottage door, feeble
and infirm old man. whom he only re-
lmembered as hale and hearty laborer;
but they all had forgotten him, and he
passed on unknown. b9i L4
"The last soft light of the setting sun
had fallen on the earth, casting rich
glow on the yellow corn sheaVes and
] lengthening the shadows of the orchard
trees, as he stood before the old house
the home of his infancy-to which his
heart had yearned with an intensity of
affection not to be described, through
long and weary years OF captivity and
sorrow. The paling was low, though he
well remembered the time when it had
seemed high wall to HIM; and he look
ed over into the old garden. There were
more seed and gayer flowers than there
used to be, but there were the old trees
still-the very tree under which he had
lain thousand times when tired of play
ing in the sun, and felt the soft, mild
sleep of happy boyhood steal gently upon
him. There were voices in the house He
listened, but they fell strangely on his
ear; he new them not. They were merry
too; and he well knew that his poor old
mother could not be cheerful and he away
The door opened, and group OF little
children bounded out, shouting and romp-
ing. The father, with little boy in his
arms, appeared at the door, and they
crowded around him, clapping their
hands and dragging him out to join in
their Joyous sports. The convict thought
of the many times he had shrunk from
his fathers sight in that very place. He
remembered how often he had buried his
trembling head in the bed-clothes, and |
heard the harsh word, and the hard stripe
and his mothers wailing; and though the
man sobbed aloud with agony of mind as
he left the spot, his fist was clenched and
his teeth were set, in fierce and deadly
passion a'e
"And such was the return to which he
had looked through the weary perspec-
tive of many years, and for which he had
undergone so much suffering No face
of welcome, no looks of forgiveness, no
hand to help him; and this too, in the old
village. What was his loneliness in the
wild, thick woods, where man was never
seen, to this?
Gle felt that in the distant land of
bondage and infamy he'd thought of his
native place as it was when he left it, not
as it would be when he returned. The
sad reality struck coldly at his heart, and
his spirits sank within him. He had not
the courage to make inquiries, or to pre-
sent himself to the only person who was
likely to receive him with kindness and
compassion. He walked slowly on, and
stunning the roadside, like guilty man,
turned into meadow he we'll remember
ed, and, covering his face with his hands,
threw himself upon the grass.
"He had not observed that man was
| lying on the bank beside him; his gar
ments rustled as he turned to steal a look
at the new conner; and Edmonds raised
his head. The man moved into a sitting
posture. His body was much bent, and
his face wrinkled and yellow; his dress
denoted HIM an inmate of the workhouse;
he had the appearance of being very old,
but it looked more the effect of disslpa-
ton or disease than length OF years. lie
was staring hard at the stranger, and
though his eyes were lustreless and heavy
at first, they appeared to glow with an
unnatural and alarmed expression after
they had been fixed upon him for some
time, until they seemed to be starting
from their sockets. ,Edmonds gradually
raised himself to his knees and looked
more earnestly into the old mans face.
They gazed upon each other in silence.
"The old man was CHASTITY pale. He
shuddered and tottered to his feet. Ed
monds sprang to his. He stepped back
a pace or two. Edmonds advanced.
wLet me hear you speak, said the con-
vict, in thick, broken voice.
"'Stand off, shrieked the old man.
Furious with terror, he raised his stick
and struck Edmonds heavy blow across
the face. sFather-devil! murmured
the convict, between his set teeth. He
rushed wildly forward, and clenched the
old man by the throat-but he was his
father-and his arms fell powerless at his
side.
"The old man uttered loud yell which
rang through the lonely fields like the
howl of an evil spirit. His face turned
black; the gore rushed from his mouth
and nose, and dyed the grass a deep dark
req, as he staggered and fell He had
ruptured blood vessel; and was dead
man before his son could raise him.
: ~ x
!, sIn that corner of the church-yard, %
| said the old gentleman, after silence of
few moments, ain that corner of the
church.yard of. which have before spok-
: len, there lies buried man who was in
t my employment three years after this
Al event, and who was truly contrite, peni-