The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-01-29

greater portion of the distance working
as one of the crew of canalboat.
wandered along the wharves of the me
tropolis, searching an1iously for SOM
means of escaping the country, ant
longing even to flee the fellowship o
civilized man. The opportunity wa
finally discovered in ship about sailing
around Cape Horn for the Pacific coast
on board of which my services were &C
cepted in a menial capacity.
I was soon safe from discovery ant
pursuit, and free upon the boundles
waters-free as one could feel with th'
remorse Of terrible deed upon bis soul
and the abandonment of all hope of {
happy hour in life again.
I need not describe the experience O.
long and tedious sea voyage, and th'
hardships and indignities put upon me-
in consequence Of inef6ciency and tota
ignorance of a seaman's duties. To mi
it was OF little account. But the changt
of life and scene, and the sea air, had {
wonderful effect in repairing my menta
and physical strength. 1t was on {
bright September morning that I frs
spied the hazy shores of California, anc
in day or two thereafter saunterec
along the streets of San Francisco, alone
in new world, with only the compan
ionship of bitter recollections.
As necessity required / sought en-
ploym ment, and managed to sustain my
self, leading istless, purposeless sort
of life. But the monotony soon became
oppressive, and the apprehension of ul
innate discovery excited renewed an1i
ETY.. Frequently I fancied the recogni
tion OF a familiar countenance on the
streets, that kept me in painful uncer'
tainty.
The day came in Which my worst fears
we're realized. The miserable wretch
in whose house I was sojourning de.
livered me into the hands of justice.
By what means he discovered my iden'
tity I could not determine; but I met
my fate boldly; for remorse had so fal
embittered my existence that I dis.
dained longer to struggle for its con-
tinuance.
"Gentlemen," I explained, as the
officers inclosed my wrists with iron
shackles, "take your accursed reward
I am Charles Harden, the murderer,
from -
They dragged me to- the prison, and
the officers of the law came and ques.
toned me. I told them all, and they
transferred me to more secure confine'
ment, lest should escane again the re.
tribution of crime.
Long T fingered in the solitude of 8
gloomy cell, awaiting the final decree
of fate, until calm Indifference succeed
ed despair, and gradually every emo.
tiop, even life itself, seemed to subside
in a dream.
But day came when my sensibilities
seemed terminating, like one emerging
from a trance. Slowly my mind mani.
tested activity, and in time I recalled
my identity; then suddenly the recol-
lection of my whole life flooded back
upon me, and all the weight of its great
burden OF remorse again descended.
An old man, whose kindly counte.
nance had become familiar to me, as in O
vision, appeared and sought to rally my
despondency with words of hope and en-.
couragement.
"You have bad long, bad spell,
Harden" he remarked, "but you are
coming around all right now, and will
soon be out in the world again"
Then I was not in prison, but an in
sane asylum. Thank heaven, my wretch
ed guilt had not been discovered.
Aud then I learned from the old man
the circumstances of my arrest as luna
tic, and the nature of my affection. In the
operation OF trepanning at the hands OF
unskilled surgeons, small splinter oi
the fractured skull had been left adher.
ing in a position to irritate the mem
brane of the brain, and this trifing over.
sight had caused the insanity attended
@ith such sad results, to blast the hap
piness of my life forever, and stamp my
memory with the ignominy OF murder.
The arrangement had been effectively
repaired by the skilled surgeon of the
asylum, and my mind rapidly recovered
it's original power. But what availed it,
I reflected bitterly; and why had I been
restored from peaceful lunacy to a con.
sciousness to which death would be q
relief.
One morning the old attendant of whom
I had spoken interrupted my gloomy
meditations with q countenance more
than usually cheerful, that seemed to
radiate the light of some hidden hope.
Harden" he remarked, "you are
growing vigorous again in both body
and mind. I have a message for you
that may excite you little. Do you
think you can stand an agreeable sur.
prise ?"
Anything agreeable to hear would
indeed be surprise" I replied. "But,
my dear friend, I fear the world could
now hardly afford message to me suf1'
ciently pleasurable to inspire any appre-
ciable excitement.
"Well, if you are confident to that
extent, I will permit the bearer of the
message to impart it directly to you"
The old man withdrew, and presently
returned with a companion. A thrill,
premonitory Of some great surprise,
startled me as I heard the approaching
footsteps"
I raised my eyes. Great heavens
they met the old love-look OF my wife
ready to advance into my arms.
The ardor with which I returned hel
embrace was assuring that my power O
nerve was restored.
The last great hallucination was dis
PEELED, and ray of gladness burst II
upon my heart, streaming through tn
dark cloud of despair that had hung
over me those long and wretched years
I laughed and wept by turns. And thel
I drew the restored treasure OF my Lift
more firmly to my breast, fearful wa
still in q dream that might vanish ant
leave me again in misery and despair.
"And how did you follow me here |?
I demanded, when sufficiently collecte'
to make the inquiry.
"There is your address, my wife re
piled, handing me an Eastern pape
containing the following paragraph
copied from San Francisco paper:
"FoR STocKToN.-An unknown maj
was taken from q boarding. house o.
sansome street yesterday, and brough
before the commissioners of lunacy, AM
by them committed to tho asylum a
Stockton. From what could be gathere'
from his incoherent talk, his name
Charles Harden, from New York city
and he imagines himself to have com
mitted some serious crime. His insanit
! is caused by fracture Of the skull
,nh;,b HOE boo,, ;nonronarlv E,anannad