Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-11-21
The Banner.

In the winter of 1870 had occasion to
go from Green Bay to Chicago on the \.
w. Railway. AtOshkosh we were Joined
by a delegation of lawyers, on their way
to Madison, the capital, to attend the Leg
islature, then in session. They were all
men of more than usual intellect, and of
exceptional character. Two were ex-
judges of the Circuit Court, and one [ had
seen chairman of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association. The party found seats
near together, and after salutatiOns were
over, and the news duly discussed, they
began to look about for means to while
away the time. After awhile some one pro-
posed game of cards. No sooner said than
done. Two seats were turned apart so as
to face each other, cushion, imprOvised
for table, and three of our lawyers, in
Guiding the chairman of the Young Mems
Christian Association, and Chicago run
ner, OH good terms with them, were soon
deep i'll the mysteries of a game of euchre.
was surprised to see Christian gentle
men and judges of law and equity; lead
ers of society makers of public sentiment,
lawgivers for great State, directors of
public morals, supposed to be public ex-
emplars of all that is good, and guides to
the young, thus setting publicly their seal
of approval to most dangerous and evil
practice. To be sure, they played for
stakes no higher than the cigars for the
party. But it seems to me that, in the
eyes of all discreet persons, this does not
change the act nor lessen the danger of its
example, but rather heightens it; as from
the less to the greater it the invariable
course of crime. But did not intend to
moralize on paper, but was about to say
that while was filled with such thoughts
as these, one of the praty grew tired OF
the game, and our remaining judge was
invited to take his place. 1 saw the blood
mount, in an honest blush of disapproval,
to his manly face, and he hesitated and
drew back. But the game had become in
teresting, and his excited companions
urged him: 'ECome, Judge, take hand,' y
they cried, "we can'tg on without you. "
So the judge slowly rose from his seat,
inwardly condemning the act, as evil
dently saw, and stepping forward, took a
seat among the players, and the game
went on.
1 had noticed an old lady in a seat to
the rear of the players, who had got on
board at Menasha, l believe. Gray and
bent with age, she had sat abashed, and,
with eyes closed, seemed asleep most OF
the time, until the train, stopping at Osh-
kosh, took on board the company of law
yers. She then underwent a change, and
became greatly interested in the company
looking often from one to the other, as il
she recognized them all, or was trying tt
recall their faces. When the game O.
cards was started she became very restless
would hitch uneasily about in her seat
| take up the hem of her faded apron anC
neryously bite the threads. Once ol
twice thought she wiped her eyes under
her ssShaker bonnet" but could not tell
She acted so strangely, l became more
| interested in her than i'll the players, an(
watched her closely. She got up after
time and tottered 70, ward, holding on tt
the seats as she passed. She brushed
against Judge - in passing, but he hat
become interested in the game and di
not notice her. Reaching the water tan
at last, she dranka cup of water, and too
a seat near the door, with her back to tn
PLAYERS. But she did not long remail
there; rising again with difficulty, sh
tottered back toward her former seat, bu
reaching the players, she paused directl.
in front of them, and now greatly excited
threw back her bonnet from her face ant
looked around the company. Her actiol
at once arrested their attention, and paus
ing in their play, they all looked up in
quiringly.
Gazing directly in the face of Judg
-, she said, in a tremulous voice, I'D
you know me, Judge?''
; stNo, mother, don't remember you,
said the Judge, pleasantly. 'EWhere hav
we metz"
'sAIy name is Smith, said she; ''L wa
with my poor boy three days, off and OIL
in the court room in Oshkosh, when h
was tried for--for-for robbing somebody
and YOU are the same man that sent hil
to prison for ten years, and he died thert
last June"
: All faces were now sobered, and tn
passengers began to gather around an
stand up, all over the car, to listen an
see what was going on. She did not giV
the Judge time to answer her, but b.
coming more and more excited, she wei
on: ''He was good boy, if you did sen
him to jail. He helped us clear the farm
and when father was took sick and die
he done all the work, and he was gettin
along right smart, till he took to going
town and got to playing keards and drinl
ing, and then, somehow, he didn't like
work after that, but used to stay out ofte
till mornin', and he'd sleep so late, and
couldn't wake him when 1 knowed he
bin out so late the night afore. And the
the farm kinder run down, and then v
: lost-the toam; one of them got kill'
when he'd been to town one awful co
night. He stayed late, and 1 suppose the
had got cold standin' out, and got skeer'
: and broke loose, and run most home, b
j run agin the fence and stake run in
II one of 'em, and when we found it ne
. mornin' it was dead, and the other w
standin' under the shed. And so aft
y awhile he cOaxed me to let him sell t
u farm and buy a house and lot in the V
u lage, and he'd work at carpenter wor
III And so / did, as we couldn't do nothin'
~ the farm, But he grew worse than evt
u and after awhile he couldn't get a
III work, and wouldn' t do anything but gal
G Bile and drink all the time. l used to
II everything could to get him to quit a
nj be good, industrious boy agin, but
E used to get mad after awhile, and once
rk struck me, and then in the morning
Is found that he had taken what little mt
H. ey there was left of the farm, and had l.
"a off. After that got along as well a
y could, cleanin' house for folks and was
on in, but didn't hear nothing of him