Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-01
OUR SATURDAY NIGH'
UNDER THE eALLows.
his Saturday night we feel sad

accomplished young ladY. ALI aOOut Inc
walk of life in which their feet were
stepping tembward were flowers and at
fractions. Rich friendr, merry marriage
bells, wealth and presents, music and
good wishes. 2
We confess it. we did envy himi But
now! Time brings changes. When we
all walk those who start from the bottom
of the hill to go up are quite apt te meet
with those coming down. So it is better
that we all try to 60 up: y 81
Seven years ago yesterday be Of whom
we write came to us asking for employ
ment His wife and three children were
in want He was stranger among
strange, strange faces, trying to gain a
new foothold in new country. His
easily-acquired or Inherited wealth had
been squandered, and he was at his first
real effort TO gain living for himself
and household.
Three years since we met him, but how
changed! Instead of strong, cheerful
man we saw being with unsteady gait
bloodshot eyes, feverish lips, poisonous
breath and look of smothered woe ready
to burst forth at any time. A man with
out home-a wanderer, supported in his
drunkenness by his once beautiful wife
mourned over by his two remaining
children-cared for by no one outside his
family who were without hope, almost.
Tonight we talked with him nearly
two hours, thanks to the kindness of the
jailor in one of our city prisons. Talked
with the condemned-with the man who
is soon to die upon the gallows under the
memorable decree of outraged law.
The doomed man talked slow-often
with the tears running like rain down his
pale, emaciated cheeks. He fears death.
He has no hope for the future. When he
enters the new life, it will be like one
who enters parlor by mistake, feeling
and fearing that he is not wanted-dread-
ing an introduction. s4 --.... -..t.
Seated beside him on his little cot OF
iron bedstead, occasionally moistening
his lips with water from tin cup, his
stockingless feet anon patting the bare,
cold floor of his prison cell, often wiping
the tears away on the back of his hand,
he said ...
"Oh, yes, do remember the long-ago
Too well-too well What a fool was
What coward l could not say, mo J!
See where am now, and to what l have
come. Her murdered, buried in Potter's
Field Do you see that hand-that right
hand g.? With this one-tbe left held
back her head by her beautiful hair, with
that horrid right hand / struck her once
-twice-thrice-fo times with knife
and she-she-looked at me; her eyes
plead for pity she-sbe-fell to the floor
and-and-died That hand-that hand
too, ever since seemed like horrid fiend
The moving fingers seem like lips of q
demon opened to speak to me ! Her eyes
those deep, earnest eyes, into whose
depths l so often looked enraptured, now
ever are before me like two wells of pity
into which it seems that must be drawn
"No; I did not mean to kill her. L was
drunk / was mad l was orazed with
villainous poison, stolen and begged
while she was at work over sewing ma
chine. to earn money with which to buy
me bread / was a brute l was not
myself. | was a wallower in that terrible
lake of agony and remorse to which had
lowered myself.
"But don't-don't speak to me of it
don't let me speak of it, or shall go mad
-wild-insane! Oh the load | carry
with me to the rope. 1t will break! 1t
cannot bold ail-oannot hold my agony
my day dreams and night horrors, with
nav bedside. Why can't 1 die here Why
cannot 1 be murdered ? This would be a
relief-if could only die as she died ed
"Once did not think it. Once 1 was
happy. thought life was all for me
with no toll or trouble in store. 1 went
and came, roaming everywhere for pleas
ure When tired of her | went elsewhere.
When tired of others l came to her.
When weary of the house l went ont.
When weary outside came in.
81 had nv companions. All good fell
Iows-all like me-gentlemen of leisure.
We drank wine. We played cards for
alta kes. and spent the winnings in revelry.
T never thought of work. l never tried
to help others I had nothing to do but
live. NY thoughts ran in every direc'
tion-away from home.
Loved me Yes-sAe did love me-
She often begged of me to engage in some
business in which she could help me-feel
interested, and encourage. But had no
time. I was an elegant gentleman of
leisure. At last my fortune began to melt
away. Not used to business entrusted
what was left to agents. They cheated
me. They robbed me. and did not know
how to prevent 1T.
"One day l found myself penniless
Not dollar My old friends all left me.
Some of them l had left before. None of
them could or would help me. Some of
them were even in want. None of US
well knew how to get along. l tried and
tried to find profitable employment, but
business men wanted business men-not
those educated TO idleness-to help them
What could do? 1 had no trade. l
had no business education,-no business
education or acquaintance. l could not
help Others, go they would not help me.
"Yes-she did encourage me. She told
me to cheer up-to be hopeful and all
would come ont right. She sold all her
iewelry-we lived on the proceeds. Then
I sold all mine. The proceeds did not
last long. I could not break off drinking,
lest nv friends notice it. 1 could not say
that | was poor. How we got along /
never can tell. 1t was all the way down
hill. 1 did not know the road up-so |
went down ....--
INV oldest boy died-then I gave up
and took to drink more than ever. She
never scolded me-never was harsh or
cruel in words When l would come
home she always had something on the
table for me-if but piece of bread and
cheese. No matter if she went hungry l
had something. l knew it all, but didn't
think ts.. @a.e
'One day five lady friends che had
known in better days bought her sew
ing machine. She took lessons md went
TO work. I could find no work. What
1 could fiud at first was too proud to &C.
cept At last when I asked for that, it
was gone, so l got no more. Once in
while little job here or there, but moth
ing steady.
"Oftentimes / would fnd her CRYING.
I hate tears. She said they sooald come.
Her eyes were always red. She would
cry about our dead boy-then cry about
the living children-then come and put
her hand on my shoulder to cry about
me. I always put her away-told her
not to be baby Then she would wash
her face and go to work while went to
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