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


ysu considered all your sacrifice? DE-
you think of your dead mother, youl
lonely home, and of yourself living
ihere alone, an outcsst from society p
Forgive me for paining you by citing
these things.n - -tfs. ~
II shall not stay there, Willie. The
house is to be sold. am going to live
at Albany. / shall alwsys-aiwsys stay
near father" and the girls voice wa.
broken by sobs. mo " lille, it will moi
do for you TO marry . conyict's daught
er."
"But, Marsh, only think Of the lene
future before us. of the bright visions
we have INDUCED in, let me make you
forget your unhappiness."
4" have only one answer, Willie, AND
that have given. Please do not detair
me. Plead with me NO more. l shall
always remember you, and next to my
father you shall receive my last prayer
L heard door close. and espicd &
slight figure passing up the street TOWARD
the cid Jail. knew it was the daughter
of the convicted man to whose trial ]
had listened in the morning.
1 had . deal Of sympatt y with young
lovers then, and I sighed as I thought t
myself of the hard fate of these tive
young lives.
Time went by, and in the year 1850
was appointed physician Of the New
York Stale Prison. / had almost On
tirely forgotten the circumstances hav,
related. While walking through tn.
prison grounds with the warden, wh(
was exhibiting to me the workshops o
the prison, We passed q groups of mel
chipping stone. They were repairing /:
breach in the wall. A piece of rock flew
up and hit me sharply upon the hand
| glanced carelessiy around; but my
gaze was arrested by pair of luminous
,ad-iooking gray eyes, with q world ri
hidden meaning in their depths
Where had I seen that face? Surely
one need meet chat look but once to re
member il ever aiterwardi All at 0nc'
uieinory proved faithful to her trust, an(
| remembered the convict, and though
of the convict's daughter.
IAN old man." replied the warden, t.
. question | asked him in r. gard to til
prisoner, who was brought here in 1885
fifteen years ago. A fair-haired gir
once came every week 10 the prison Il
visit him. 1t is years new since sh'
came. The old man is all alone"
"What has become of her" inquired
"She struggled while with her grea
grief; but finally became feeble il
health, and died in q city hospital" WA
the answer, somewhat sadly given.
WANTED to learn mere. Was that all
Had fifteen years passed over that gra.
head, and wrought no other changer
For fifteen years had he lived this mon
otonous life, and yet retained that beau
tiful expression of the eye that had ap
pealed to me 80 feeIingly, by only sin
gle glance, years age? Was the lool
real? Was it the physical eye, emily
which was fascinating me, or had reall.
Caught glimpse of the soul within?
Sundays, when the prisoners wer
permitted to walk in the prison-yard
be would take his Bible with him, and
seating himself upon a piece of rougI
stone, read, with his dim eyes, its well
worn. time-stained pages. For ther
twere other finger marks there than his
the marks of baby fingers, made by som
Iloving little hand. A leaf was partl,,
torn from his dear old book and fan
lcied one day while watching him ab
lover the leaves, as he came to il, a ten
fell from his eye and gIistened upon tn
torn page. Every house containg
lskeIeton, ii is said; every heart rtcont&in
la grave; and did not wonder at tn
tear that fell frsm Robert Martins eye
Such little sad glimpses as these wsr
the only ones be ever caught of his los
home; for he had no life outside Of hi
,tprison walls. His thoughts never stray
4 ed out into the world; if fthey,fitted else
twhere, rave within his little eight by
4 ten feet room, it was heavenward. Th
'tgloom of his solitary life was never Ell
ilivened by the pleasure of singl
friendly visit. No one outside of tn
'iprison walls sver called or inquired 70
Robert Martin; no petition was circu
Hated for his pardon no home Wa
waiting, With open doors, no lovin
ones, with open arms 10 receive him, a
the expiration his term. Lone, solitar
/ old man! In all the beautiful countr.
(which he was once so proud to call hi
iown, there was No home for him but
prison! - - ~ - g.. = s-,, -
4 The time came when he was unable t
take his usual placein the yard; and 9
one other Of Gods free blessings wa
taken from him. An official one mol
ming requested me to go to his cell; b
lhad been reported sick. / found hir
4 lying tfpon his prisenbed, wearing III
i prison clothes. The gray hair that
knew had once covered his head pre-
: fusely, was now utclOse, and the han
that had noticed at the trial as beiH
long. slender and white, was hardene
!. by exposure and toll.
4" have sent for you, SIR he sale
! speaking somewhat slowly. Ito receiv
the last words OF dying man. a
though have learned to live alone,
land he smiled sadly, II find 1t yer
hard to die alone. Poor Marahy' sal
he, with q tender loving look in his eye'
and q caressing tone in his voice, die
| alone. Marah-Marah-r namet
!. The name, sir,y signifies bitterness. A
her Birth I lost my wife" He closed hi
i ieyes and lay for several moments quit
! still. spparantiyl lcommanins with tn
past. ID -75lv 70 % ", ..,-..-..s----,e- Z
r I noticed by the dim light that on
candle made, that the gray. shadow
were fest setting upon his eyes. ha
; seen such shadows come over too man
: a face, not to know what they portendet
/ felt his pulse, and knew it was beatin
8 slow-slower; and the death-damp ws
E igathering upon his brow. as
9 q All, sir, y said he, his voice CROWN
! weaker, al find myself hardly capab
: of making q full sacrifice. You hay
D often woudered, no doubt, what coul
4 tempt me to commit crime. There
lnothing, sir, nothing that could tenn
j me; but oh, i would do much To 0nshIel
a brother, much fer my mothers fayori
4 lboyI / have dene al for him that no
: lpoor means have allowed. And nol
e fsir, with my hands upon this old Bibl
i shall tell you all the truth. Lay yol
t band there, just over mine, and promi
me to act, in this matter, ss 1 for yea
!. have acted. sbicld my 6rstter's name
= laid my hand upon lis, and felt th
. lit was cold. and / could see that IL
nails were turning blue.
!. That will dc. p he said, as he felt m
q fingers closing over his. "Sir, l fe
d happier now-the first hand L have fe
!. since Msrah's-a long time for ono to |
n withosst = bit oflove or single cares
Asrl1 ~