Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-08-28
"UntiI Death Us Do Part"
A VOICE FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Seldom does this SIM sick world see a
sadder sight than that witnessed in the
county Jail of Rockingham when An
derson Shif1ett, the man condemned to
die the 25th of next month, was married
to Susan, the woman with whom he has
lived for fifteen years, and who is the
mother of his four children. Taught
by his faithful advisers and by the Holy
Spirit of God to see the mistakes of his
life, the wretched man now listens to
the whispers of the still, small voice,
and bitterly repents his misspent life
DESTROYS of doing the only thing he can
do to in any way show his remorse for
the past, he has begged to be allowed to
marry the partner of his life of sin and
shame. And thus they stood under the
shadow of the gallows upon which he is
condemned to die, but oh! thank God,
under the shadow, too, of the cross of
Jesus Christ. The disciples of Christ
have come to him and told of the love
and pardon which the Saviour offers,
aching heart and cries for mercy! Who
will dare say it will not be granted him
Who would dare shut out the light from
that cross, or seek to prevent its shining
upon the path down to the Valley of
the Shadow of Death ? Do ears accus-
toned to the signs and groans of dying
men often hear sadder words than those
of that marriage service in that gloomy
cell? "Until death us do part" those
hands are Joined! Oh! woman, happy
in your true virtuous life, go forth to
teach the laws of God and man to the
children of ignorance and crime. Oh
man, in all the strength of your intel
lect and high principle, 60 forth to teach
those who stumble and grOpe and fall
in outer darkness. Oh! Virginia, if you
had furnished schools to these, thy
wretched children! If you had filled
your schools, your prisons had not been
so crowded; this sad, sad story had per
haps never have been written; that in
nocent man had never have been MUIR
dered; this wretched couple had not
been reared in Ignorance, lived in sin
of life only "till death do them part"
and oh how soon and what DEATH!
Neither of the unfortunate children
of crime and wretohedness could read
and write! If their lives of toll afforded
moment of rest or relaxation, they
could not sit in the shade of the spread
ing tree and read the loving words of
the Holy Bible which teaches to Glove
thy neighbor as thyself :" they could
not read the law, written upon tablets
of stone and meant to be engraven upon
hearts of flesh, "thou shalt not KILL"
"thou shalt not commit adultery" and
though they had, no doubt, some idea
of the laws of man, with threatened
prisons and gallows for violation thereof,
of the law which enlightens the heart,
the undefiled law which "worketh no
ill to his neighbour" they knew naught.
And now it is all too late for them in
this world, but not for their children
The longing desire of this miserable
man is that his children may be
taught to escape the dangers and temp
tations which have been his destruc-
ton. He says he has told ''Susan to
try and mind her book and teach her.
self and them to read" and Christian
friends, who have been raised up in his
hour of sorest need, will see that they
are taught in the public schools, which,
thank God, are now to be found in the
darkest places of our land. And we
and the churches which always accom-.
pany education and the desire after
better things, "Shiff1ett's Hollow'' and
the Devils Acre. may lose their dread
ed characteristics, and the evidences
and solitary place blossom as the rose.n
1.-THE above very touching description
of the marriage ceremony of Shiftlett
in Harrisonburg, and forcible appeal in
behalf Of popular education, is from the
pen of an accomplished Christian lady,
Valley Vryinian.
VIRGINIA's NEXT GOVERNOR