The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-09-23

,plritl I date not conjecture / only
know that. goaded to madness, in ! &
frenzy Of Wild Inconsistencies, tho un-
happy woman rushed to avenso her
wrongs; TO cancel her misery in the
crims for which she now stands chsrg.
ed before you"
It was aswelIimag,ned defence, and,
| always thought, prompted tho reoom-.
moudation 70 mercy which accompanied
the verdict Of guilty. In consideration
Of that recommendation, the sentence
Of death VS. commuted into one Of
transportation for life anu the subject
dropped from tho record Of hunans
events, These occurrences took place
four years after the death Of Sir An;
drew Heath. Inssall the laeerating
pain they bfought,ait was yet comforts
to remmbc, that he"had not hvedl to,
know them. From that ,timer ny ina,a
tive land became more than MIR ahs
tasteful to me. My father died, aud Z
succeeded 70 tho title and estates, IN
alien and : foreigner. Love, marriage,
aud al the dear domestic ties. realized
iu tho one word ''home" were not sfot
me; : blight was upon my life !; g@.t-
" memory Was attached to al sseh .s-
sociations; and not. until thirty-6ve
years of exile had blanohed my hair,
and warned me of coming old age, did
I venture back to the cold hearth 1
had left a buoyant, joyous youth.
Here, comparatively happy in the
genial society Of my books, I have lived
for five solitary years, with tho ashes Of
nearly forty winters to cover the story
Of my early life a story 50 old rs IL
most u belong to the records ola for
mer generation ; yet this very night, my
friends, I have learned that till within
a few hours ago it had sequel.
- III. sT'2s> J
AZ Sir Edward Ashly pronounced
the last words, he, placed before the
doctor and clergyman tho papen oon6d:
ed to the latter BY tho dying servant
They were three in number. !
The first was = baptismal registry u
Gabrielle Heath, laughter Of Sir An.
drew and Lady Gabrielle Heath, with
date and local particulars.
The second, certificate Of marriage
between James Wynn and Gabnell'
Heath, With date and names of witness
es.
Tho third, . ticket-of leave diecharg<
tro,a prison for 6 nod conduct, granted
to the convict, Gabby sWynn, and dat
ed some six years back.
"My God" exclaimed DR.. Nichol
ri cannot be possible! That strange
wizened creature,-that mass Of scarce
ugliness and deformity-"
"Was once the peerless Gabrielle
heath p said Sir Edward, concluding
the doctors sentence IN: the absen
tones of mau whose thoughts .re ia
away from the subject on which he il
speaking. =. 49,. =. 2;::.i :
"Truly she was, as she herself said
a deeply guilty sinner" musea Nj
Nugent, as he renewed in thought .th'
death-bed scene he now IS fully com
pretended! shut the mercy Of God, j
infinitev' -" '4~yr J." pa. .o.>
party. But s hat nig6 , for the 6rs
time since its reoccupation, .Ashly Hal
harborcd guests, for the clergyman m,
doctor refused to leave their, frieni
alone With that strange revelation, Will
the dead was yet in the house.
A few days later, when . mourning
train issued from the gates If tie Hall
the lord of the manor attended as chic
mourner, and truly
| 'sths little port
| Had seldom seen . costlsr funeral"
But 10 this extraordinary deferenc'
to the memory of an old servant, tn
people Of Ashly only saw a confirmation
Of their opinions respecting the "ecoon
trio Sir Edward, who, being the great
est aristocrat and landed proprietor i,
the neighborhood, had given: too dsel
offence to the county by this uuexpect
ed seclasion aud unacoountable inhospi
tality to be- worthy . renewal OF sur
prise. Others, whose greater curiosit.
took them to the churchyard to inspect
the lastetestimonial to tho object Of Thu
homage, found only . simple marble
slab, erected near the family vault o.
the Ashlys. and inscribed with the sim
pie letter G.