The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-10-25
A Brand from tl.e burning.
BY sYLvANus COBB, JR.

| i Stl lilsDT. lUUiC > UIiICS. IIC IHdU
been reading letter when | entered,
and beyond a simple salutation moth
ing was said until he had folded the
miSsive and laid it aside. His eyes
were moist as he finished the peruSal,
and he wiped them with his handker-
chief. Then he got up and shook me
warmly by the hand, and after a few
passages Of friendly Lanter, he said to
me:
"Sit down, old fellow: I've got a
story for you." And he laid his hand
upon the letter which he had been
reading. II won't bore you. It's q
simple sketch, and tile coloring you
can put in for yourself"
seated myself, and the Doctor told
me as follows:
Twelve years ago was called to
the Police Court to give my testimony
concerning the result OF 4 poSt-mortem
of the body Of a man who had been
killed in a street brawl. This case
having been disposed Of, | took a seat
within the bar to watch the wheel of
justice pvolve upon other cases. They
came up from the prisoners dock, one
by onc-the old, the millle-agetl. and
the young-represcntatiyes of all de-
grees of crime and degradation, and
| wondered, as | saw them passed off
to punishment, how many of the poor
creatures had been absolutely born to
alite of shame ; how many had been
led thereto by surrounding circumstan-
ces and influences over which they had
no control and how many might have
fallen from u better estate through
criminal choice. Atall events, | could
not put away the conviction that here
was Il field for missionary effort, But
never mind my moralizing. Only suf-
fer me to say, that after had mental
" fired a shot ut what | conceived to
be misdirected missionary effort, the
thought forced itself upon me, What
have 1 done in theway of this redemp-
tion?' And concluded that had
better wait until | had redeemed my
self from ia0ctioa before | blamed
others for misdirection of action.
II had just passed tlis reproof upon
myself when u prisoner stepped up
from the dock who particularly attract
ed my attention. 1t was a boy, not
more than fourteen years of age, and
rather small at that. He was light of
frame, and, thought, slightly under
sized; but every inch OF him was fine
ly strung and firmly set, and his form
was beauty itself. His face was thin
and pale, and his features Of Il clear
Grecian cut. saw him first in pro-
file, and as lis wavy hair. of u sunny
hue, Struggling into ringlets here and
there, swept back from his full brow.
thought | had never seen a more
tempting study. Wle!. he turned his
face toward me | saw pair of large
blue eyes. and found that the view
thus obtained of his features wasequal-
ly interesting with the other. Ills
clothes were ragged, but not dirty, and
there was no dirt upon his hands nor
upon his face. This struck me fore
ibIy, because most of those who had
come up from the prison-cell had come
blearcd and grimed.
"IIe answered to the name Of Dick
Irintle, and was up for petty larceny;
aud the officer who presented him said
this was the third time he had been up
for like offending. The Judge nodded
grilnly, for he himself recognized the
lad as one who Ind before passed under
his sentence. The boy could not plead
innocence. for he had been caught in
the very act of pilftring; and he ac
knowledged his guilt. The Judges
brow was black with judicial thunder;
but lie did not deem it worth while to
vent much of it upon so insignificant
an object.
$50! This Is the third time!' he
said. The boy started and trembled,
and | thought he tried TO speak; but
the awful voice of power sounded
again, You'll come to the gallows,
sir do you know tlmt9 You are in
corrigiblc! Haven't you had enough |
Of prison life YETI
''The boys trembling ceased, and |
he looked defiant. lie stood erect. his
blue eyes flashed, and his finely cut |
nostrplS were distended.
"By this time had called to mind !
where and when. on Il former occasion, |
had seen that same boy. had been
called to his mothers death-bed three
years before. remembered the name
-printle-and remembered the cur
lv-hcaded boy who Ind held her failing
hand. And | remembered that | had
then heard the dying wom4n's story. |
Her husband had once been captain of |
ship. and accounted sealnan of the
very first class but rum had broken
him down, and cast him, complete
wreck, upon a dark shore. She had
suffered more than she could Il L.
had sunk to the sOrrowful level where |
| had found ber--alld was only too
clad to die. And, dying. she had left |