Little Falls transcript., 1879-05-15

| 1QentlCY ana the recOllectlOnS OF the night
Then a horrible conviction came upon me
Good heavens! 1t was my wife-the
realitysof the form / had dashed down
and destroyed in my frenzy!
Overwhelmed with remorse, I rushed
wildly from the house-and fled knew
| not whittier. The greater grief that had
come upon me re-animated my mental
power, and I became calm in despair
but shrank cowardly from the desOlation
that my own hand had wrought.
1t was some weeks after the dreadful
| night have described that l reached
New York city without detection, great
er portion of the distance working as one
Of the crew of a canal boat wandered
along the wharves Of the metropolis
searching anxiously for some means OF
escaping the country, and longing even
to flee the fellowship Of civilized man
The opportunity was finally discovered in
a shi sailing around Cape Horn for the
Pacific coast, on board of which my SER
vices were accepted in "A menial capacity
was soon safe from discovery and
pursuit, and free upon the boundless wa
ters-frce AS one could feel with the re-
morse of a hellish deed upon his soul, and
the abandonment of all hope of Il happy
hour in life again.
l need not describe the experience of
a long and tedious voyage, and the hard
ships and indignities put upon me in con-
sequence of inetficiency and total igno-
rance of a scaman's duties. To me it was
Of little account. But the change of life
and scene, and the sea air, had wonder
ful effect in repairing my mental and
physical strength. 1t was on bright
September morning that first spied the
hazy shores Of California, and in day or
two thereafter sauntered along the streets
OF San Francisco, alone in new world,
with only the companionship ola bitter
recollection - -
AS necessity required, I sought en-
ployment, and managed to sustain myself,
leading a listless, purposeless sort of life.
But the monotony soon became oppres-
sive, sand the apprehension of ultimate
discovery excited renewed anxiety.
frequently. fancied the recognition Of a
familiar countenance on the streets, that
kept me in painful uncertainty.
The day came in which my worst fears
were realized. The miserable wretch in
whose house was sojourning delivered
me into the hands Of justice. BY what
means he discovered my identity / could
not determine; but met my fate boldly,
for remorse had so far embittered nv ex-
istence, that disdained longer to strug-
gle for its continuance.
;"Gentlemen,' I exclaimed, as the Of
ficers inclosed my wrists with iron shack
les, "take your accursed reward! l am
Charles Harden, murderer, from"
They dragged me to prison, and the
officers of the law came and questioned
ME. told them all, and they transfer
red mo to more secure confinement, lest
l should escape again the retlibution of
crime.
Long fingered in the solitude of a
gloomy cell, awaiting the final decree of
fate, until calm Indifference succeeded
despair, and gradually every emotion,
even life itself. seemed to subside into a
dream.
But day came when my sensibilities
seemed terminating, like one emerging
from trance. Slowly my mind mani
tested activity, and in time I recalled my
identity; when suddenly the recollection
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 countenance
had become familiar to me, as in a vision,
appeared and sought to rally my despond-
ency with words Of hope and encourage
ment.
"You have had long, bad spell,
Harden he remarked, ''but you are com.
ing around all right now, and will soon
be out in the world again.
Then I was not in prison, but an insane
asylum. Thank heaven my wretched
guilt had not been discovered.
And then learned from the old man
the circumstances Of my arrest as luna.
tic, and the nature of YIN affliction. In the
operation of trepanning at the hand of un
skilled surgeons, small splinter of the
fractured skull had been left adhering ir
position to irritate the membrane of tho
brain, and this trit1ing oversight hac
caused the insanity attended with sucl
sad results, to blast the happiness of m,
life forever, and stamped my memor!
| with the signominy Of murder.
The arrangement had been effectivel,
repaired by the skilled surgeon of th'
asylum, and my mind now rapidly recov
cred it's original power. But what availet
t, reflected bitterly and why had beer
restored from peaceful lunacy to con
ciousncss to which death would be re
lief
One morning the old attendant o
whom l had spoken interrupted mi
| gloomy meditatiOns with cOuntenanc
more than usually cheerful, that seemed
to radiate the heart of some hidde,
hope: s.- -
"Harden,' he remarked, ''you are grow
ing vigorous again in both body ant
mind. have message for you tha
may excite you a, lite. Do you thinl
you can stand an agreeable sur prise?''
:"Anything agreeable to hear woul,
need be a surprise" l replied. "But, m,
dear friend, fear the world could nov
hardly afford a message to. me sufficient
ly pleasurable to inspirehany apprehensi
bic excitement.' =, s.
"Well, if you are confident to that ex
tent, l will permit the bearer>of the mes
sage to impart it directly to YOU
! The old man withdrew, and present.,
returned with companion. A thrill, re
monitory of some great surprise, startle.
me as heard the approaching footsteps
I raised my eyes. Great Heavens! the,
met the old love-look of my wife, read!
to advance into my arms. q,
The ardor which I returned her EN-
brace was assuring that my power O
nerve was restored +. ~~&j .
The last great hallucination was dis
hevelled, and ray of gladness burst il
upon my heart, ,~~ streaming through th
dark cloud of despair that had hung owe
me those long and wretched years.
laughed and wept by turns. And then
drew the recovered treasure Of my lif
more firmly to my breast, fearful I wa
still IN a drean,~ that might Danish ant
leave me again in misery and despair.
"And how did you follow me here?
I demanded, when sufficiently COLLECTED
to make the inquiry.
"There is your address," my wife re
piled, handing me an. Eastern paper con
tanning the following paragraph, copie'
from San Francisco paper: