The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-07-01
The Convict's Return.
"vben T first settled in this village


lust five and twenty years ago, the most
notorious person among my par1shioners
was a man of the name of Edmonds, who
leased a small form near this spot. He
was a morose, savage-hearted, bad man.
idle and dissolute is his habits, cruel and
ferocious in his disposition. Beyond the
few lazy end reckless vagabonds with
whom ne sauntered away his time in the
fields, or sotted in the ale-house, he had
not single friend or acquaintance; no one
cared to speak to the man whom many
feared and every one detested--and Ed
monds was summed by all."o @oHs sais2E
"This man had wife and one son, who,
when first came here, was some twelve
years old. Of the acuteness of that wo-
mans suferings, of the gentle and endur-
ing manner in which she bore them, OF
the agony of solicitude with which she
reared that boy, no one can form an ade
quate conception. Heaven forgive me
the supposition, if it be an uncharltable
one, but do firmly and in my soul lbe-
lieye that the man systematically tried to
break her heart; but she bore it all for
her child's sake, and, however strange it
NAV seem to many, for his fathers too; for
brute as he was and cruelty as he had
treated her, she had loved him once, and
the recollection of what he had been to
her awakened feelings of forbearance
and meekness under suffering In her bo-.
som, to which all Gods creatures but wo-
man are strangers. -. as .,g.,e9o. -sI t-..
'They were poor-they could not be 9TH
erwise when the man pursued such a
course; but the woman's unceasing and
unwearied exertions, early and late, morn
ing, noon and night, kept them above
want. Those eXertions were i'll repaid.
People who passed the spot in the even
ing-sometimes at late hour of the night
reported that they had heard the means
and sobs of woman in distress, and
sounds of blows; and more than once,
it was past midnight, the boy knocked
softly at the door of a neighbor's house,
whittier he had been sent, to escape the
drunken fury of his unnatural father.
During the whole of this time, and
when the poor creature carried about her
Inc marks of ill-usage and violence which
she could not conceal, she was a constant
attendant at our little church. Regular
ly every Sunday morning and afternoon
she occupied the same seat, with her boy
at her side; and though they were poorly
lressed-much more so than their neigh
bors who were in lower station-they
were always neat and clean. Every one
had friendly nod and kind word for
poor Mrs. Edrnonds, Sometimes when she
stopped to exchange few words with a
neighbor at the conclusion of the service,
in the little row of elm trees which leads
20 the church porch, or fingered behind
to gaze with mothers pride and fond.
ness upon her healthy boy, as he sported
before her with some little companions.
her careworn face would Tighten up with
IN expression of heartfelt gratitude and
she would look, if not cheerful and hap
by, at least tranquil and contented.
olive or six years passed. The boy had
become robust and well-groWn youth.
The time that strengthened the child's
frame and knit his weak limbs into the
strength of manhood, had bowed the
mothers form, and enfeebled her steps;
but the arm that should have supported
her was no longer locked in hers; the face
that should have cheered her no more
cooked upon her own. She occupied her
Old seat, but there was one vacant beside
ner The Bible was kept as carefully as
ever, the places were found and turned
there was no one to read it with her; and
he tears fell thick and fast upon that
book, and blotted the words from her
eyes Neighbors were as kind as they
we're wont to be of old, but she stunned
all with averted head. There was no ling
ering among the old elm trees now-no
cheering anticipations of happiness yet
in store. The desolate woman drew her
bonnet closer over her face, and walked
hurriedly away. Y .4
Shall tell you that the young man,
who, looking back to the earliest of his
boyhood's days to which memory and
consciousness extended, and carrying his
recollection down to that moment, could
remember nothing that was not in some
way connected with long series of vol
untary privations suffered by his mother
for his sake, with illusage and insult, and
violence, and all endured for him. Shall
tell you that he, with a reckless disre-
gard of her breaking heart, and sullen
wilful forgetfulness of all she had done
and borne Cor him, had linked himself
with depraved and abandoned men, and
was madly pursuing headlong career,
which must bring death to him and
shame to her I? Alas for human nature
you have anticipated it long since.
"The measure of the unhappy womans
misery and misfortune was about to be
completed. Numerous offences had been
committed in the neighbood. The perpe-
traitors remained undiscovered, and their
boldness increased. A robbery of dar-
ing and aggravated nature occasioned a
vigilance Of pursuit, and strictness OF
search which they had not calculated up
on. Young Edmonds was suspected, with
three companions. He was unprecedented
committed, tried and condemned to die
1.-THE Wild and piercing shrek from