The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-06-23
From the Atlantic Monthly.l
THE LAUSON TRAGEDY.
(CoNCLUsION.(

In nHure the squire WAS Vi Ueululn
height, with a deep chest and heavy
limbs. He did not stand upright, but
the atoop was in his shoulders and not
in his loins, and arose from a slouching
habit Of carrying himself much more
than from weakness He walked with
cane, but his step, though rather short,
was strong, rapid, and he could get
over the ground at the rate of three
miles an hour. At times he seemed
little deaf, but it was mainly from alb
sorption of mind aud inattention, and
he could hear perfectly when he was in
terested. The great gray eyes under
his bushy, pepper-and-salt eyebrows
were still so sound that he only used
spectacles in reading AS for voicc,
there was hardly such another in the
neighborhood; it was strong, rasping,
dictatorial cOW, like the utterance Of
gigantic crow; it might have served
the needs Of sea-captain in tempest.
A iOcose neighbor related that he had
in a dream descended into hell, and that
10 trying to find his way out he had
lost bis reckoning, until, hearing a tre-
msndous volley of oaths on the surface
of the earth over his head, he knew
that he was under the hills of Barham,
and that Squire LausOn was swearing
at his oxen.
Squire Lauson was immensei you
might travel over him for week with
out discovering half his wonders he
was continent, and he must remain
for the most part an unknown Conti-
nent. Bringing to close our explora-
tions into his character and past life,
we will follow him up simply as one of
the persoDages of this tragedy. He
was at the present time very active, but
also 10 q certain extent inexplicable.
It was known that he had interviews
with various officials Of Justice, that he
furnished them with his plaster cast ol
the strange footprint which had been
found in the garden, and that he ear
nestly impressed upon them the value
of this object for the purpose of tracking
out the murderer. Blu he had Othel
lines of investigation in his steady old
hands, as was discoverable later.
His manner towards his granddaugh'
ter and his wife changed nOticeably
Instead Of treating the first with neglec
and the second with persistent hostili'
ty or derisiOn, he became assiduousI!
attentive to them, addressed them fire.
quently in conversation, aud sought t
win their confidence. With Bessie thi
task was easy, for she was one OF thos
natural, unspolled women, who lon!
for sympathy, and she inclined towar'
2 her grandfather the moment she saw
any kindness in his eyes. They hat
long talks about the murdered relativs
about every event or suspicion whlc
seemed to relate to her death, about tn
property which she had left to Bessie
, and about the girls prospects in life.
Not so with Mrs. Lauson. Even tn
horror which had entered the tamil
life could not open the hard crust whiC
disease and disappointment had torme
over her nature, and she met the oil
mans attempts to make her cOmmun
? cative with her usual sulky or pettis
reticence. There never was such q
unreasonable creature as this wretcho
wife, who, while she remained unma
'e ried, had striven so hard to be agrees
, able 10 the other sex. 1t was not wit
her husband alone that she fought, bI
with every one, whether man or w
man, who came near her. WhOev'
entered the house, whether it were son
= gossiping neighbor or the clergyman
the doctor, she few out OF it on disco
ering their approach, and wandert
alone about the fields until they depar
ed. This absence she would perhaI
employ in eating green fruit, hoping,
, she said, to make herself sick and dl
: or, at least to make herself sick enouE
to plague her husband. At meals 81
generally sat in glum silence, althoug
once or twice she burst out in viole
trades, scoffing at the Squire's ma
agement of the place, defying him
=, strike her, etc.
az Her appearance at this time was mi
= erabls and little less than disgustin
Her skin was thick and yellow' D
eyes we're bloodshot and wateryi h
nose was reddened with frequent CT
ing; her form was Of an almost ske
at ton thinness; her manner was full
W. strange starts and gaspings. 1t "
: curious to note the contrast betwe
her perfect wrstchedness Of aspect q
the unfeeling GOODNESS with which I
SQUIRE watched and studied her.
In this wOful way was the Laus
family getting on when the Ooun.
around was electrified by an event viii
,e. almost threw the murder itself Into
shade. Henry Foster, accepted lo'
OF Bessie Barron, q professor in
= Scientific College Of Hampstead; Y