The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-15

the fates decreed to the twin brothers
GAS bad a case as ever came across,
one lawyer was saying to anothe
through the hum of mingled talk goins
up from a crowded court house, wher,
they were waiting for the verdict; "nt
redeeming point about it-simple brut,
force aud low cunning"
" A thorough scamp" was the reioin
der che is one of our social failures
just one of those willfulIy hopeless.
thieve, in and out of jail all his life
going from bad to worse. and never 6
chance of redemption afforded him.
do not see how he could be anything
but what he is-and he is only one OF
hundreds.
"There you are again, Shilleto. with
one of your overdrawn theories about
the moulding power of circumstances.
OF course don't deny that education
goes for much but do you mean to
tell me that any surroundings could
have degraded such q man as, say,
Judge Rainleigh into what the prisoner
is? It's difference of nature, not of
education"
"I disagree with you," answered Mr..
Shilleto. ''I think that if you reversed
their educations you would reverse
their positions, OF course you will say
it is one of my dreamy fancies but 1
have been studying the two faces all
| through the trial, and I tell you that
there Is remarkable likeness between
| them"
"Come, come, now-that's a little
/ too strong" was the knocking comment.
Judge Rainleigh's face is particularly
| 80 III hi
| the other-ugh it sickens one to look
at it-coarse lips, swollen nose, pulled
cheeks, bloodshot eyes that never look
straight at anything"
"Just the effects of his surround
ings," stoutly maintained MIR. Shilleto-
"marks of excess and sin, and habit
ual fear of detection. I repeat that the
two faces have much in common, max
| ing due allowance for the refining and
brutalizing effect of their several educa-
tions. But grant you the faces are
far enough apart now, and the likeness
I see does not lie on the surface. Per-
haps," he added, laughing slightly at
his own earnestness in defending so far
fetched an idea" perhaps after all the
fancy arose from my irving to idealize
the prisoners face into what might have
been under happier circumstances.
See I" and he held out a pencil sketch
to his companion, who started as he
looked at it.
"Why, man, you've been drawing
the Judge all the time that you have
been dreaming about the prisoner p he
exclaimed.
Mr.. Shilleto smiled family.
"No," he said, 81 was drawing fancy
sketch of the prisoner; but you see the
likeness now"
His friend said no more, but confided
to his wife, after dinner that evening,
that poor .Shilleto was madden than
ever with his absurd theories about the
effect of education in raising and REIN
ing the GLOVER classes"
Meanwhile the jury had come to their
decision, and, as Mr.. Shilleto replaced
his sketch in his pocket, they came
filing into court. The lawyer criticized
somewhat curiously the respective faces
of Judge and prisoner as they once
more faced each other, and turned away
with silent laugh at the folly of fancy
ing that anything could have made one
share the level of the other.
There sat Judge Rainleigh, noble
looking man, in the prime of his mental
and physical vigor, calm, intellectual,
refined, dignifed in bearing, polished
in Misunderstanding him stood the pris-
oner, haggard and brutalizsd, well-built
also, but old before his time, shifting
uneasily from one foot to the other, his
eyes rowing furtively from side to side,
his bearing half ferocious, half servile,
resembling nothing so much as that of
a savage beast longing to spring, but
cowed by his keepers lash.
The verdict of ''Guilty" was followed
by low murmur of applause, for the
prisoner was convicted of peculiarly
ferocious and brutal murder. He was
asked, as usual, if he had anything to
say in mitigation of his crime. He did
not look up at the question, but con-
tinued his uneasy movement from side
to side, and wiped with his hand his
forehead, on which great drops we're
standing. In the pause that followed
some dim notion of hardship and
Injustice somewhere-of unavoidable |
wrong in himself and his surround |
ings-must have foated mistily across
his clouded brain-a notion of suffering |
as vague as had once made him stretch |
ont his baby arms into the empty cold. |
"Ive never had a chance" he NUT |
tered-''never had chance, SO help me
heaven p
A plying, sorrowing look crossed |
the Judges face as he caught the NUT
tered words and felt their bitter truth. |
Those who knew his private life knew
that the object dearest to his heart was
to make this reprcach impossible, and |
knew, too, that he daily devoted his |
time and money to rescue outcast street |
children, and to give them at least "a
chance"
Here, before him, awaiting the SEN
tence of death from his lips, stood one
who, as he felt in the depths of his |
Just, merciful heart, was only partially |
responsible for his evil life, and who
truly never had a chance" Still, law
was law, and when broken must be
avenged, and with stern lips, but pity
ing heart, Judge Rainleigh spoke the
words that consigned "Slppery Jack"
to felon's death.
When the court broke up, Lord Rain
leigh and Mr.. Shilleto drove homewards
together; they were old and close
friends, and shared together many a
labor in the cause of the poor.
Rainleigh, have provoked Mostyn
terribly by libel on you"
The grave eyes lighted up humor-
did Mostyn defend me against you,
Shilleto? ?"
"Look here" answered the lawyer,
producing his derided sketch.
Caricaturing mep cried Judge |
Rainleigh, the look of amusement deep
ening. "IIl have you up for contempt |
of court I"
$50 you see the likeness. too ?" Shil- |
leto exclaimed. at is very strange !;
but I drew the prisoners face as it |
seemed to me it might have been-as |
his mother has seen it, and sees it still, |
if she is living, poor soul y he added,
oftly.
The light faded from the judges face,
and it grew grave and sad.
eft is like looking at myself in a
glass;" he murmured. "What it might |
have been, you say. Good Heaven,
Shilleto, how pitiful it all is Can it |