Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-05-11
THE COAVICT'S RETURN.
BY CHARLES DICKENS,

/ "When | first settled in this VILLAGE
said the old gentleman" (which is no,
: just ti!Ve'ahd twenty years ago, the mos
b notorious person among my parishioney
was man Of the name Of Edmunds. wh
( leased small farm near this spot. II
: was morose, savage hearted man; idl
and dissolute in his habits; crnel an,
ieroclous in hil opposition. Beyond th,
few lazy and reckless vagabonds will
whom he sauntered away his time in tn,
fields or sotted in the ale house, he bac
not a single friend or acquaintance; NJ
one cared to speak to the man whom
they feared, and everyone detested--spc
Edmunds was Stunned by all.
This man had a wife and one son
who, when | first came here was about
twelve years old. OF the acuteness o,
that woman's sutferings, of the gentle
and enduring manner in which she bore
them, OF the agony of solicitude with
which she reared that boy, no one can
form an adequate conception. Heaven
forgive me the supposition, if it be an
uncharltable one, but | DO firmly and in
my soul believe, that the man systemati.
calIy tried for many years to break her
| heart; but she bore il all for her chid's
sake, ard, however strange it NAV seem
to many, ior his fathers, too; for brute
as he was, and cruelty as he had treated
her, she loved him once; and the recol
lection OF Whist he had been to her.
awakened feelings of forbearance and
meekness under suffering in her bosom to
which all God creatures, but woman,
are strangers.
" They were p0or-they could not be
otherwise when the man pursued such
courses; but the womans Unceasing and
unwearied exertions, early and late,
morning, noon and night, kept them
above actual want. These exertions
were but i'll repaid People who passed
the spot insthe evening--some!imes al a
late hour of the night--rep0rted that
they had heard the means and sob, of
woman IN distress, and the sound Of
blows; and moro than once, when il was
past midnight, the boy Knocked softly at
the door OF neighbor's house. whittier
ne had been sent TO escape the drunken
Jury OF his unnatural father.
During the whole of this time. and
when the poor creature often bore about
her marks OF ill,usage and violence which .
she could not wholly conceal, she was n
constant attendant at our little church.
Regularly every Sunday, morning and
afternoon, she occupied the same seat
with the boy at her side; and though
hey were both poorly dressed-mpch
more so than many of their neighbors
who were in lower station.-they were
always neat and clean. Every one had
riendly nod and kind word for poor
Mrs. Edmunds; and sometimes when
he stopped to exchange few words with
neighbor at the conclusion of the ser.
lice in the little row OF elm trees which
eai to the church porch, or fingered
'ehlnd TO gaze with mothers pride and
ondness upon her healthy boy, as he {
ported before her with some little com. t
her care-worn face would c
ghten up with an expression of heartfelt /
rautude; and she would look, if not !
heertul and happy, at least tranquil and
=
tlve or six years passed away; the
oy had become robust and well-grawn v
outh The time that had strengthened a
he child's slight frame and knit his h
'eak limbs into the strength of man
ood had bowed his mothers form. and O
nteebled her steps, but the arm that ii
lould have supported her was no Longer d
'cked in hers; the face that should n
ave cheered ber, no more looked upon I
er own. She occupied her old seat, Il
ut there was vacant one beside. her. W
he bible was kept as carefully as ever. h,
le places were found and folded down u
they used to be; but there was no ii
le to read it with her; and the tears hi
Ii thick and fast ucon the book, and m
otted the words from her eyes. Neigh. to
'rs were as kind as they were wont to to
OF old, but she Stunned their greetings he
th averted head. There was no lin. as
ring among the old elm trees now. no te
eerlng anticipation of happiness yet in as
're' The desolate woman drew her W,
met closer over her face, and walked wi
riedly away, ho
Shall tell you, that the yoppy msp pa
10, looking back to the earliest of his lo(
lldhood's days, to which memory and mt
nsclousuess extended, and CARRYING his an
down TO that moment. could me
member nothing which was not in qu
ne way connected with a long series PR
voluntary privations suffered by his lee
ther Tor his sake, with ill.usage. and co,
ult, and violence, and all endured for
a shall ] tell you that he, with a ser
Sless disregard of her breaking heart ito
a sullen, wilul fOrgetlulness of ali clio
had done and borne for him, had Low
ked himself with depraved and abaD. he
led men, and was madly pursuing a sti
.dlong career, which must bring death M
him and anne to her Alas for am
nan nature You have anticipated the
)ng since. rs1
The measure Of the unhappy WON. tin
misery and misfortune was about he
be completed, Numerous offenses me
been committed in the neighbor. for
d; the perpetrators remained undis. old
cred, aud their boldness increased. Tn,
'obbery of daring and aggravated bib
nre occasioned vigilance of pur. nov
and a strictness Of search, they had she
calculated upon. Young Edmunds the
suspected, with three companions. OF
was apprehended, committed, tried, owe
iemned--t0 die. he
The wild and piercing shrieks from n "
nan's voice, which resOunded through as b
court when the solemn sentence was for
lounced, rings in my ears at this mo had
i. The cry struck terror 10 the chn
rit's heart, which trial, condemna- retu
/. the approach 0f death itseli mad a.