The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-18

her, III pity on lis, nGr cnllu, anu nCiSeII,
to give her own version OF the atrOciOUs
history; but, though our supplications
must have put her to moral torture,
answered that the secret was not hers
and that besides, if she did speak, all
that she alone could say would not serve
her. Halsey and then set ourselves to
find Jesse Mill and Jem Raft; but the
former had been convicted at the same
time as Mara of receiving stolen goods,
andhad been few months
imprisonment only. Jem Raft had got
clear away. The police could give no
clue to their whereabouts. WeSearched
the White-chapel Slums, crOss-q question
cd thieves, made the acquaintance OF all
those bad characters who might be colo
nizing African wastes for lis il the Gov
ernment did not prefer to keep them as
curiOsitieS to show the stranger; but,
search or question aswe would, we heard
nothing Of Jem OF his honest mistress,
who seemed to have melted into space.
1t was then that Halsey, who had been
worn away to the shadow Of his former
self, broke down and, shortly after, the
trial took place.
Halsey was many weeks recovering;
but he did recover, and then began for
him life of misery by which fate ap-
peared determined to make him pay
for every one of his past glad moments
by tenfOld the number OF tears and
means. He left the house where Mara
and he had lived, and took lodgings
near the penitentiary. lie walked
round and round its walls, with his
child i'll his arms, or tOddling by his
side, its small hands clinging to his.
This was the only place where he ever
went for exercise; and half his income
was spent in fees to warders or nurses,
who brought him every day the news
that his wife was well, OF lndlspOSed,
and Often-cOntraTy to all rules-mes-
sages from her. The regulations for
convict establishments allowed him to
write to his wife, and to receive letter
from her once in three months, both
letters being perused by the governor
Of the penitentiary; and once a quarter
he was allowed to pay his wife a visit
| visit was conducted in this wise; there
were two iron gates 4 yard apart, and
between them a chair where the matrOn
sat. Halsey came to the gate with the
child, and Mara to hers. In this way
| they could talk, the matrOn listening to
what they said;. but they could not 50
much as touch the tips of each others
fingers; and to have passed notes to
each other containing but one OF those
endearing expressions that. lose hall
their soothing charm when pronounced
in any third PERSONS hearing, would
have been forbidden. Imagine Il man
meeting, under such conditions, the WO-
man who is more to him than his hearts
blood! Imagine him seeing her shed
tears, and being unable to press her ,tc
his heart, and whisper to her to take
courage and hope i'll God! Imagine
above all, the man feeling that his ,fel
lows are submitting his wife to thest
internal tOrments, and keeping he1
from him through no crime OF hers
But this is an age of humanity; and we
talk of those barbarOus times when so
cietv put offenders out Of their misery
in half minute by killing them.
There is no use in dilating on lift
which was human adaptation Of hell
I had thought at Mara's trial that
should soon be able to learn something
which would throw light on her limo
cence, which | had never ceased to trust
but two years went by. | had mad
but one step out of the darkness; ant
hone sickened within me. Halsey'
hair had grayed, though he was scarce
" thirty: and lis voice was that of
brOken-hcarted man. One day he cam
to me and said quietly, | received thi
morning letter from where Mara
Che never said the penitentiary} to tel
me she was i'll; and | was allowed t
go and see her in the intirmary. She
going to die" ~
We remained silent some minutes
Halsey pressed his finger over his eyes
and hot tears slowly trickled throug
them over his hand. At length he con
| tinued, I thank k God for it! She wi
be out of her pain soon. Death is NOR
merciful than. men,"
~Is it hopeless?n I faltered, dread
inc this death, which should remOv
Mara before her griltlessness was es
! tablished. 1t is curious how men wi
| go on hoping against hope.
"The doctor has told me the truth
> answered Halsey, as if with gratitude
"She may live six months; but that
{ the longest. She may be called ava
in eight days"
+ It was week, day for day, after thi
/ that I was told a woman wanted to SC
! me. MY researches after Jesse Mi
r were so we'll known that I often II
! ceived calls from vagabonds of bot
/ sexes who had known her formerly, an
| fancied they had seen her, or heard {
: her. The present woman, hOWeVe
| said quickly, IF you want to see jess
t you must come with me ut once; for,
: an hour, it might be too late. Slithel
!, Ben has done for her."
h I followed without a word, called
= cab, got into it with the woman, ar
s was driven to q lodging house i'll Seve
: | Dials. The cabman seemed by I
6 means so re-assnred about his safe
t in that region as I did, and, soon as
= paid him, drove away very much fast
4 than he had come. The lOdging-hOu
4 was one of the lowest description
haunted by crime died faces, whi'
4 made way for me crrriously, and SCENE
:, | to consider me as q being from anOth
n world, though none showed a dispoS
l. ton to mOlest. climbed greasy stai
o case with d rope baluster. The won;
e threw open a door, and, showing I
a the squalid form Of woman with
q bandaged head on mattrass, sal
n "That's Jesse Mill. She was screw
+ t'other night, and got bandying WOT
a with Slithery Ben, who had been gi
d ming too. He fioored her with a bottl
rf and it didn't look much at the time, b
4 now the doctor says she's g0in to die
le it. Jess, here's the gentleman; a
se there amt no Charley with him"
= The figure on the mattress propp
n herself on her elbow and looked at II
n it was countenanee devoid of all fen
1e nine expression. Drink and crime b
N unsexed her; yet it was said she b
er been pretty once
ID "Tm past caring about the Charley
a she answered with an effort at a hoal
o. laugh; and yet somehow, at the sig
n of a stranger above her sphere and pa
or n rag of wOman's nlOdesty lit mp ]
" face; and she drew her ragged count
as pane so as to cover her emaciat