Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-03-17

was said until ne had folded the missivt
and laid it aside. His eyes were moist
as he finished the perusal, and he wiped
them with his handkerchief. Then HI
got up and shook me warmly by tn,
hand. and after few passages of friend
" banter, he said tn me:
.Sit down. old fellow, I've cot story
for you" And he laid lis hand upoT
the letter he had been reading. 81
won't bore you. It's simple sketch
and the colsring you can put in for your.
self"
l seated myself, and the doctor told
me rs follows: I4
Twelve years ago was called to the
police court to give my testimony con-
corning the result of post naortene on
the body of man who had been killed
in street brawl. This case having Deen
disposed of, took seat within the bar
to watch the wheel of fortune revoive
upon other cases. They came up from
the prisoners dock. one by one, the old,
the middle-aged and the young, repre-
sentatives Of all degrees of crime and
degradation, and wondered, as saw
them pass off to punishment. how many
had been absolutely born to a life of shame;
how many had been led thereto by sur
rounding circumstances and influences
over which they had no control; and
how many might have fallen from q bet
ter estate through criminal choice. At
all events could not put away the con-
viction that here was field for mission
airy effort. But never mind my moraliz-
ing. Only suffer me to say that as fired
a shot at what conceived to be misdi-
rected missionary effort the thought
forced itself upon me, "What have done
in the way of this redemption ?" and
concluded that / had better wait until
had redeemed myself from inactton be-
fore blamed others for misdirectiOn Of
action.
had just passed this reproof upon
myself when prisoner stepped up from
the dock who particularly attracted my
attention. It was boy, not more than
14years of age, and rather small at that.
He was light of frame, and, 1 thought.
slightly understood; but every inch of
HIM was finely strung and firmly set,
and his form was beauty itself. His
face was thin and pale, and his features
of a clear Grecian cut. saw him first
in profile, and as his wavy hair, of sun
NY hue, struggling into ringlets here and
there, swept back from his full brow. 1
thought had never seen more tempt
ing study. When he turned his face to-
ward me saw G pair Of large blue eyes.
and found that the view thus obtained of
his features was equally interesting with
the other. His clothes were ragged, but
not dirty, and there was no dirt upon his
hands nor upon his face. This struck
me fOrcibly, because most of those who
had come up from the prison cell had
come bleared and grimed.
He answered to the name of Dick
Printle, and was up for petty larceny !;
and the officer who presented him said
that this was the third time he had been
up for like offending. The Judge nod
ded grimly, tor he himself recognized
the lad as one who had before passed un-
der his sentence. The boy could not
plead innocence, for he had been caught
in the very act of pilfering, and he ac-
knowledgcd his guilt. The Judges
brow was black with judicial thunder,
but he did not deem it worth while to
vent much of it upon so Insignificant an
object.
so. This is the third time ~ he said.
The boy started and trembled, and
thought he tried to speak; but the awful
voice:of power sounded again: "You'll
come to the gallows yet, sir! do you know
that? You are incorriglble! Haven't
you had enough of prison life yeJ?"
The boys trembling ceased, and he
looked defiant. He stood erect, his blue
eyes flashed, and his finely cut nOstrils
distended.
By this time had called to mind when
and where, on former occasion, had
seen that same boy. had been called
to his mothers death bed three years be-
fore. / remembered the name-Printle
and l remembered the curly headed boy
who had held her failing hand. And /
remembered that had then heard the
dying woman's story. Her husband had
once been captain of a ship, and account
ed seaman of very first-class; but rum
had broken him down, and cast him a
complete wreck upon dark shore. She
had suffered more than she could tell
had sunk to the sorrOwful level where L
had found her-and was only too glad
to die. And, dying, she had left her boy
the inmate of den of criminals; and, in
her ObliviOusneSs wherein only these
children of night had been her friends,
she looked thankfully upon the keeper of
the den when he promised to be friend
to the boy.
Thought of all this while the prison.
er stood at the bar, and before the sem
tence had been pronounced L stepped
over and touched the clerk upon the
arm. and told him that l would like to
have that boy placed in my charge for a
month. The clerk whispered to the
judge, and the judge beckOned to me. l
went to him, and he told me he feared it
would be of no use. "The little rascal is
utterly incorrigible,r said he. 'sThis is
the third time within the year that he
has been up for stealing
looked at the little fellow, and as 1
marked the finely cut lines of the hand
some face, now so defantly Set, thought
to myself that If he were suffered to
grow up into manhood of crime he
would give society some trouble. He
would play no second part in the drama
of life, were it fair or foul. And l
whispered to the Judge my thoughts. He
had been a classmate of mine in college,
and was willing to please me; and the
sentence which few moments had
waited upon his lips, was suspended, and
the boy was placed under bonds in the
sum of $5O-which bond required that
he should appear again in court at the
expiration of one month. 1t was not
nv purpose to bail him out at that time,
and the little fellow seemed slightly be-
wildered when the officer sent him back
into the dock; and he may have been
more;bewildered still when he found h:m-
self, consigned to Jail instead OF being
sent to the penitensiary.
On the following day went down to
the Jail with an order from the sherlh
and was admitted to the boys cell. His
face frightened when he saw me, and III
that instant saw rs if by inspiration,
the latent goodness of the poor wait
sat down and called him by name and
asked him If he remembered me.