Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-05-13

with all the innocence and love OF gen
erous boyhood, were his? But when he
rushed forward, held out both his hands
to me, saying, in wounded, passionate
sort of way, Robert, oh Robert, save
neu then 1 knew it was my mothers
darling that's stood before me-"
Eere the old man fell back upon his
pillow, and lay for moment with closed
eyes. moistened his lips, and raised
his head, as Tsaw that it was with diff
Guilty he was unable to breathe; his
breath coming in quick little gasping
sobs, that plainly told the end wa. draw
ing nigh. -
"Ah, SIR" he said, speaking slower
than before, "you can not tell how felt
when I saw that this man was George.
teok him in my arms. and laid his head
upon my breast. / smoothed my hands
over his brown curly hair, as 1 had so
sften done in the days of our loving,
happy BOY hood" 5000 - -s.g
He was speaking now with alingering
tone Of love in his voice, that knew
would go out only with his life.
:. / pfzced him in my swn cushioned
chair, and passed my arm around his
neck Don't, Robert, don'tu he said
your kindness hurts me; am moi
worthy Of your love; yeu do not know
all, you never can. Even now j am
fleeing from justice, and only came to
you as = last asylum lssOh Georgsr l
sighed but he went right on talking,
and I, not having seen him for 80 long,
and not having listened to his voice, was
content to sit and listen to the dear tones
that then, after all those years, were to
me the most pleasant sounds in all the
world. held his bloared hand nmine,
L.. voI Of h. g.
ed that this was the same hand that had
lain within that of r1y mother; that
this hand, these fingers, when they were
small and tender and white, had been
pressed to her sweet lips. All, yes
coarse and rough and hardened as he had
grow n, yet knew and felt that he was
my msther's baby. Other than this he
never could be to me. death remind.
me, he said. in sort of gasping whis-
per, and with . strange light stealing
over the gray eyes, that ! can not loiter
in the telling Of this story. l know not
what he had done that night before COM
| ing to me, nor in any of the long days
and nights Of the past. He must change
his clothes he said, as the officers
was running down the sailors, and
he could not ga out ~ one. gave him
my own coat, placed in his hands beau
tiful little portemonnaie, well fiIled--ah,
sir, Marah had wrought it, and 1 want
ed him to have something near him
that she had done. 1t was foolish
fancy, no doubt, but l thought, maybe,
| it would make him better.
al have never seen my brother since
that night. The portmonnaie I had
given him, pocket handkerchief, one
Of my swn, that had been, no doubt, in
the pocket ofmy coat, were found with
in the postoffioe. My coat was found as
you know, in the yard next to my dwell
ing; also the letters taken from the Of
flee. The burglar had added to his
crime the one of arson. as the building
but promptly extinguished. had moth
ing to complain Of" he added, after a
moments pause; /" they have all been
very kind to me.p tllLts II 4i
Nothing to complain Off" said in
dignantly, for could not underf tand
how this man, 30 unjustly imprisoned,
could wear, year after year, as he had
done, this peaceful, happy contented
look upon his face. r-
mo, sir. I have been very eomforta-
BILE here" and he looked around his
room with loving lGhtins his eyes.
glanced around the room, too, but ii
must have beeHywithn a lock of deep
4 loathing, fer be irnrned dixteiy said !: II
looks different to me thanrte you. Just
here near me, is Marafi's picture; No
living artist can or, could produce its
equal. Her mother stands by her side,
holding out her hand to help me to her.
4 Fhe water runs very clear between her
and me. Every stone sir. / have mark
ed in my heart rs possessing some loving
"reminiscences Of the past; and if inani-
mate things have voices perchance they
may whisper q soothing tale in ssme fu-
ture prisoners heart; for alas, sir, it is
4 not at ell likely that 1 am the last one
that will find home in '64.'"
rough stone, his rude bedstead and pallet
Of straw, the worn tin cup, the iron bari
lat his window, the Ecearse striped stuff
of his clothing, his shavsn head and un-
shaven beard and then ] thought, ITO
the pure all things aFe-pure;" to the
beautiful in heart all shings are beauti.
4 full. -
"If you ever see George" he centin-
ued after moments pause, Q" tell him
1 didn't mind it much that time passes
very quickly to US old peopie-much
faster than it does to the young. Give
the dear boy my old Bible; I have
marked many passages. so he will knew
what like tn read, and may be. know
ing it, lie will read them, toe. Upon
every leaf have sbreathed for him q
prayer. Tell him this; and tell him,
tOs-but tell il in such way that he
will not feel hurt byi the hearing of it
that what ] hasG lioneu for him is but
little compared &ith what He has done
for Us all. Do you realize it yourself, siri
Can you make him understand 1t p
i L could but 6e touched by the way he
always spoke OIL brother, referring ts
him rs bay, forgetting that his hal,
must have long since grown gray. ,sa1
I. "Ah,n said he family land bent for
ward to catch his last whisper, ~ a marat
i-Marah-teerge- -good-by-at peace;
and tho light went aut af his eyes asthe
last word passed his lips, ,,s n Ss-,s,i +
Poor old Robert Martin - 4 ,.7ss., ~
Ysu that know where they bury theil
prison dead know where poor old Robt
Martin sleeps. If you ever go there, e
to his grave. You will know it by thes'
II ROBERT MARTIN -s
! los stDied
/ g Oct. 5th, 1851" e-r q
, After the burial,I took his Bible il
kmy hand and turned away from tn,
tpfison walls forever. 1 determined Il
Il find George Martin, He should know
: how his brother died, would max
[, him feel, to the innermesta depts Of hi
soul, the ssd reaiitysof his brothers. lif
T and DEATH would be to him an aveng
e ing Nemesis. All, but could 1 do this
3 Had I,notc renewed the promise tina
, Robert Martin had given to his mother
t years and years before2 i had promised
e him to shield his brother: i would Civ,
him the Book, and teays bis panishmen
q to God. -s1JI zfos1i isTsv o. sni 81 90 IL %
Il Iinserted notwithstanding In ali Of th,
leading papers Of the rcelntry; but To- n
q any information BY this means, wfier