Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-06-14
. Romano. orn. Anm.sray.r, Day.

correspondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial has been delving in the records of the
underground railroad IN the early abolition
days, and an interesting story is the result
Calvin Fairbanks is the hero, and the heroine
his wife u Massachusetts, woman, who for H.
weary years proved loyal to her betrothal
while he served a state prison sentence for
helping slaves to escape. Fairbanks first Of
fense was i'll 1874, when he successfully helped
of family of Lexington negroes. but failed
to escape himself. He was sentenced to II
years imprisonment for this. but after four
years the great efforts in his behalf by his pa
rents aud friends secured his release. In 1851
business drew young Fairbanks from his New
York home to the Kentucky border once more,
and his anti-slavery sympathies again getting
the better of him he ran of TO Canada and
freedom u young slave woman, and then by
perversity of luck he was again arrested and
the old sentence of II years in the Frankfort
prison re-ailirmed. This was a severe blow,
for the young abolitionist was ON the point of
marrying Miss Tileston of Williamsburg,
Mass, who had already been true to him
through the period of his former imprison-
ment.
1t also came like u blight upon his sweet
hearts hopes and dreams of happiness, but
her affection only increased with the new de
mand made upon it. The prospect of such "A
long and dreary separation would have chilled
the ardor of any but the purest and most un-
selfish love. There was little hope for par
don, AS this was the second offense there
was nothing to do but await the expiration of
the l. years. With many this would have
amounted to n REIMBURSEMENT of the marriage
perhaps, in time TO the forming
of new ties by the lady. But Miss Tileston
never entertained such thought she fulfilled
the highest ideal of womanly cOnstancy, with
that unconsciousnesso of doing anything praise
worthy which always accompanies noble ac-
tions.
She left her home and friends, in Massa-
chusetts for the purpose of being near her
betrothed, and devoting herself to him. She
came to Ohio established herself at Hamil-
ton and began to teach school. 1t was no
slight thing TO leave the shelter and support
of a home and earn her bread among strang-
ers, but thoughts of her lover and how she
could sustain and cheer him, were uppermost
in her mind She planned constantly how
she could alleviate his hardships and comfort
and sustain him in distress He had need of
her utmost sympathy and affection. His life
at best was dreary, brutal, monotonous, and,
at times, his suferings We're great. His
keepers disliked him on account of his anti
slavery principles, and were especially severe
on him because this was his second offense
He was kept at work in the hemp factory
where the air was filled with dust and floating
brown lint, and this SO aggravated the lung
disease with which he at times suffered, that
his health and strength failed, and he could
not always fulfill his daily task. When he
failed he was bound over n chair and whip
ped ON his bare back with strips of raw hide
until he tainted. He says: Il have counted
the blows up to 60; could count no more.
After the whipping, little particles of flesh
I Ill. &. q
away
But this part of his sufrerings he kept from
his "dear one watching over the border" as
he called her He desired to spare her fond
and faithful heart all he could Often, he
says, when the years between him and free
dom rose before him like an iron wall, which
| no human energy could surmount and the
| cruelty and horror and dreary mOnotony of
| his lot came keenly to his mind, and he real
| lied afresh that he was shut from all improv-
| ing influences, the faces of friends the de-
| lights of social life, the common joys of ex-
istence-the dark thought of suicide present
| ed itself to him, but he thrust it aside for his
| loved ones sake and summoned again all his
| courage and endurance. Thus each lived foi
the other, and found higher JOY in loving
than being loved The faithful. loving wom
an spent her daily life and fulfilled her daily
duties at Hamilton, but her heart was al
| Frankfort.
She was watchful of every need, and of ev
cry opportunity to relieve or cheer the pris
oner. She sent him warm, comfortable bed
ding and Undertaking, boxes of supplies,
canned fruit, preserved meats and other deli
cacies, which were in pleasant contrast to the
coarse prison fare. She sent him books anC
papers, and money with which to purchas,
little comforts and luxuries. She wrote hin
often, long, loving letters, which assured hin
of her unwaverng affection and cheered hin
and filed him with hope. She encouraged
and sustained him. and enabled him to en-
dure his hard and dreary lot, She visited hin
as often as the prison authorities would allow
and her visits brought sunshine whose radi
ance lasted for weeks. She petitioned tn
governor for his pardon, and she appealed Il
influential men in Frankfort and Lexington
! in his behalf. Her efforts in this direction
however, amounted TO nothing. He had vic
lated the laws of the State "A second time anC
though efforts were made at various times by
his friends to obtain his release, they availeC
nothing. And more than all else this BRAY,
and loving woman did, she learned the ''long
dull anguish Of patience" which is infnitel!
harder than TO do or dare Miss TilestOn en-
dured for her lovers sake the slow years o.
waiting, the long separation from home anC
friends the round of daily toll among com
parative strangers, and did it all because i
seemed the right thing to do, unsonsciou