Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-10
MARA; OR THE GIRL WITHOUT
REFERENCES.

Halsey was many weeks recovering; but
he did recover, and then began for him
life of misery by which fate appeared deter
mined 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. He walked round
its walls, with his child in his arms, or tod
ding 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, or indisposed, and oiten-con-
trary to all rules-messagos from her. The
regulations for convict establishments allow
ed him to write to his wife, and to receive
Il letter from her, once in three months, both
letters being perused by the governor Of the
penitentiary; and once quarter he was al
lowed to pay his wife a visit Of fifteen min
utes' duration. The visit was conducted in
this wise there were two iron gates a
yard apart, and between them a chair where
matron sat. Halsey came to his 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 so much as
touch the tips Of each others fingers and to
81 10 oil otntn
but one of those endearing expressions that
lose half their soothing charm when pronOun-
ced in any third persons hearing, would have
been forbidden. Imagine man meeting,
under such conditions, the woman who il more
to him than his hearts blood Imagine
him seeing her shed tears, and being unable
to press her to his heart, and whisper to her
to take courage aud hope in God Imagine,
above ALL the man feeling that his fellows
are submitting his wife to these internal tor
ments, and keeping her from him through no
crime of hers But this is an age Of human
ity; and we talk Of those barbarous times
when society put offenders out Of their mis-.
cry in half minute by killing them
There is no use in dilating on life which
was human adaptation Of hell. | had
thought at Mara's trial that | should soon
he able to learn something which would
throw light on her innocence, which | had
never ceased to trust but two years went by
had made not one step out of the darkness;
and hope sickenei within me. Halsey's hair
had grayed though he was scarcely thirty;
and his voice was that OF broken-hearted
man. One day he came to me and said quiz
city, II received this morning letter from
where Mara is The never said the pententia.
ry), to tell me she was i'll aud was allow
ed to 20 and see her in the infrmary She is
going to die"
We remained silent some minutes. Hal
sey pressed his finger over his eyes and hot
tears slowly trickled through them over his
hand. At length he continued 81 thank
God for it She will be out of her pain
soon. Death is more merciful than men,"
"Is it hopeless ?" faltered, dreadng this
death, which should remove Mara before her
guiltlessness was established. 1t is curious
how men will go on hoping against hope.
The doctor has told me the truth" an
''ered Halsey, as if with gratitude. "she
may live six months but that is the longest
She may be called away in eight days"
Il was a week, day for day, after this,
that | was told woman wanted to see me.
Ny reseap after jesse Mill were so we'll
known, that often received calls from vaga-
bonds of both sexes who had known her
formerly, and iancied they had seen her, OF
heard of her. The present woman, however,
said quickly, ali you want to see Jesse, you