Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-27

At THE PRISON GATES.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.

a hard price for the mother to pay, but
she had paid it. and she had her son again
for from that day Alice had no more influ-
ence with Philip; the lesson had taught
him to what lengths an evil temper might
lead, and not all her taunts and gibes
could provoke him to reply. But the mis-
chief was done. and the temper that she
could not rouse because she was under
stood, was ready, fostered and developed
by her, for its opportunity.
He did not have to make the exertion
long in Alice's regard though, for one
morning she did not come down to break
| fast-the house maid said she had not
slept in her room. A note came by the
morning mail, saying she should return
no more, and signed Alice Roberts. No
further information was given, and Mrs.
Hamilton was left to conjecture whether
Roberts had at last procured fortune of
his own fit to marry on, whether it had
taken years of correspondence to make
Alice's charms outweigh her poverty, or
whether she had met him in recent visits
at her Cousins and renewed her old cap
tivations. But that day Mrs. Hamilton
divided her husbands property into three
portions. and sent Alice, through her law
yer the deed of one.
Now it began to seem to Mrs. Hamilton
as if she might have some comfort of her
life once more. She gave herself up to
Philip; she played with him, she studied
with him, she all but abandoned her few
friends and acquaintances for him; she
made his schoolmates welcome round her
fire and table; she rode with him, walked
with him, sketched with him, when she
sang he turned the leaves, when he prac-
ticed mt a mark she loaded his pistols
Wen, he appreciated it all, he was dis
covering what y mother he had. Just on
the verge of manhood, she began to seem
10 him the very ideal of womanhood.
There would have been something too
sacred aud holy about her if she had not
been so teudcr and so sweet to him; he
felt rs if he could not lavish enough love
upon her, and his gentle consideration,
his gayety, his devotion. were growing
daily and hourly hers. She was SO happy
| she dared look neither before nor behind,
knowing the envious tates that lie in wait
for those that are too happy. The only
glance at any future she allowed herself
| was. just before she fell asleep at night,
to picture the man he was so sure to make,
the brilliant work that he must do, the
noble purposes that he must serve, and
| then she was hali-conscious OF applauding
crowds, vague phantoms OF the future
who were applauding him.
They had but one trouble in their lives
at this time. an absurd and petty trouble,
which they magnified because they had no
other. II was the recurrence in walk
they were fond of taking, of insults from
a parcel of young men and boys who
haunted the region, and who, with the
assumption that Philip and his mother felt
above them, made themselves offensive.
Two or three times Philip had confronted
them angrily. but his mother had begged
him to take no notice, but to hasten on
with her, and he had obeyed. Once in
troublesome, and had even gone 50 far as
to hurl his mother an opprobrious epthet,
Philip turned and snatched from his vest
the little pistol he had been using at his
target. '.Do you see that ?" he cried.
1.-The next cur of you that dares to open
his mouth shall have its load in his face n
Fortunately there was not one that did
| dare before his mother had her little hand
| upon it, and had persuaded him away.
Then they began their derisive boots at
| the lad who was led by woman. But
Philip did not care for that, though they
followed him to his own gate with it; only
the two quietly deserted the walk for
another.
! Ii came the Christmas of his seventeenth
year at last. He was to enter college with
the New Year, having been delayed in
his studies by the time wasted when Alice
was at home, but now being ready to Join
the prcsen class and take up their studies
with them. The house was lively with
the cluster of young people assembled for
the Christmas merrymaking; evergreens
and bright berries made it warm and rosy.
The youths and maidens were laughing
and chatting over the vestry wreaths, the
Christmas tree was kindling its tapers. a
Young girl at the piano was singing a
Christmas carol and-suddenly an upIoar
at the gate, the door bursting suddenly
open and shutting behind Philip, who had
run down to the station to meet friend,
and then the house was full OF a mob, and
the only thing that Mrs. Hamilton saw
was Philip covered with blood and bruises,
the only thing she heard was the agonlzed
cry of Mother mother,' before they
arrested him for murder
For murder. The rabble Of young men
and boys, lettering here and there about
the rambling old country town that was
bright with festa windows and forest
greens, had seen him issue from the light
ed house, had wavlaid him, and jeered
him, and stoned him, and showercd
shameful names upon his mother, and
crazed him, and he had turned upon them
with his pistol, and one of them had Bit
ten the dust. Popular feeling went
against him at the trial, in one of its vir-
tuous paroxysms; horrible circumstantial
evidence was found. that to the eyes ol
his mother, who kuew, meant nothing, bu,
TO strange eyes meant everything; the
Judge leaned to the side of the humble
the jury would demonstrate that wealth
could not buy them; the boy went to tn,
State prison for life, and so wild was tn,
public sentiment, so hard and hopeless ;
complexion did the case assume, that hi
mother felt it for little time like an in
terpostion of Providence, that her bril-
liant. her brave and noble boy was not to
swing strangling at a ropes end.
She was sick after the trial she begged
to die, and then she was beside herself ana
in an asylum for some years. empty anu
forgotten wears, but Just enough LOT her