Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-17

yond the reach of mad doctors and Lors
Justices. To hospitable America our heart
turned as TO our second country. The serioui
question was, how were we to get there
We had attempted to correspond, and hae
failed. Our letters had been discovered
and seized by the proprietor. OF the asylum
Fortunately. we had taken the precaution o.
writing in a cipher Of Rolands invention
which he had taught me before our marriage
Though our letters were illegible, our pur
pose was suspected as n matter of course
and watch was kept on my husband nigh
and day.
Fooled in our first attempt at making ar
rangements secretly for our fight, we con
tinued our correspondence (still in cipher
by means Of advertisement in the newspa
pers. This second attempt was discovered
in its turn. Roland was refused permission
to subscribe TO the newspapers, and was for.
hidden TO enter the reading room Of the
asylum.
These tyrannical prohibitions came too
late. Our plans had already been communi.
Gated, we understood each other, and we had
now only to bide our time We had ar
ranged that my brother and a friend Of his,
on whose discretion we could thoroughly
rely, should take it in turns 10 watch every
evening for given time TO an appointed
meeting place, three miles distant from the
asylum The spot had been carefully chosen
1t was on the bank Of a lonely stream, and
close to the outskirts Of a thick wood. A
waterproof knapsack, containing change Of
clothes, false beard and wig, and some
biscuits and preserved meats, were hidden
in hollow tree. My brother and his friend
always Tx their fishing rods with them
and presel. I'd themselves as engaged in the
innoc, o, ipation Of ANGLING TO any chance
stran 'eho might pas hin sight OF
them. ne occasion tn rrietor Of tn
asylum himself rode by my brother on the
opposite bank e the stream, and asked po-
litely if he had had good sport
For a fortnight these stanch allies Of ours
relieved each other regularly on their watch
and no signs Of the fugitive appeared.
On the fifteenth evening Just as my brother
(whose turn it was) had decided on leaving
the place, Roland suddenly joined him on
the bank Of the stream.
Without wasting a moment in words, the
two at once entered the wood and took the
knapsack from its place of shelter in the hol-
low tree. In ten minutes more, my husband
was dressed in a suit Of workmans clothes
and was further disguised in the wig and
beard The two men set forth down the
course Of the stream, keeping in the shadow
of the wood until the night had fallen and
the darkness hid them. The night was
cloudy; there was no moon. After walking
two miles, or little more, they altered their
course, and made boldly for the high road to
Manchester entering on it at point thirty
miles distant from the city.
On the way from the wood, Roland de-
scribed the manner in which be had effected
his escape.
ha cfA -, oh L., LII
assumed TO be suffering from nervous illness,
and had requested to have his meals in his
own room. For the first fortnight the two
men appointed to wait upon him in success
sion, week by week, were both more than
his match in strength The third man en-
ployed, at the beginning of the third week,
was physically less formidable person than
his predecessors. Seeing this, Roland de-
cided, when evening came, on committing
another "act Of violence" In plain words,
he sprang upon the keeper waiting on him
IN his room and gagged and bound the man.
This done, he laid the unlucky keeper (face
10 the walD on his own bed, covered with
his own cloak, so that any one entering the
room might suppose that he was lying down
to rest He had previously taken the pre-
caution TO remove the sheets from the bed,
and he had now only 10 tie them together to
escape by the window Of his room, situated
on the upper floor of his house. The sun
was setting and the inmates of the asylum
were then at tea. After narrowly missing
discovery by one Of the laborers employed in
the grounds, he had climbed the garden en-.
closure, and had dropped on the other side
"a free man
Arrived on the high road to Manchester,
my husband and my brother parted
Roland, who was ali excellent walker, set
forth on his way TO Manchester on foot.
By the first tfi. the next booming, trav-
elled to Manchester, and took i.lgng in
the suburb of the city known TO my husband.
0rim, smoky little square was situated in
. immediate neighborhood, and we had ar.
ranged that whichever of us first arrived in
Manchester should walk round that square
between twelve and one in the afternoon and
between six and seven in the evening. In
the evening | kept my appointment A
dusty, footsore man, in shabby clothes, with
a hideous beard, and knapsack on his
back, met me on my first walk round. lie
smiled "a ! looked at him. All ! knew
that smilt through all DISCUSSES was in
my ht hands arms once more
Ny y is told | am 81 ling these line,
from ia. N in the west of the United
States. Our neighbors may be homely
enough, but the toughest of them is kinder
than mad doctor, or a lord Justice.
Roland is happy in those agricultural pur-
suits, which have always been favorite pur.
suits with him; and | am happy with
Roland Our sole resources consist of INV
humble little fortune inherited from nv
dear mother After deducting orr travel
ing expenses, the total sum amounts 10 be-
tween s700 and $500.
We expect my father and my brother TO
pay us visit next summer; and think It
just possible that they may find our family
circle increased by the presence of new
member in long clothes.
In the meantime, the moral of our story
seems to be worth serious consideration. A
certain Englishman legally inherits large
fortune. At the time of the inheritance he
has been living as free man for three
years-without once abusing his freedom,
and with the express sanction of the medical
superintendent who has had experience and
charge of him. His next of kin and heirs
at law (who are left out of the fortune) look
with coretous eyes at the money, and deter.
mine TO get the management and the ulti.
mate possession of it, Assisted by doctor,
whose honesty and capacity must be taken
on trust, these interested persons in this
nineteeth century Of progress, can lawfully
lmprlson their relatives for life in a country
which calls itself free, and which declares
that Its justice Is equally administered to all
alike.-AH the Year Round.
NEGROES IN WAsHISToN Cry. - Here
slavery and freedom began the overture of
that forever memorable contest which, in the
triumph OF the black mans fortunes, has