Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-08-04

Space.
INV, LUF = III I'd. /.
a Clever Satire.

CO. iCf .vAT.D.
A Clever Satire.
Ia View 0t lhs fact that Dauy good men of
tho house Of the Lord" are at varauc, with
each other, you will do favor to macy Of Jour
readers by giving them Mark Twaiu's idea on
the ga OF. SPICE.
Tha pew Atlantic contains The tale of Edward
Mills aod George Deoton. by Mark Twain,
which is as clover stite 90 the sentimentaliy
over crime as that sort of gush has ever re :.
caived Edward Mills minded from boybood :;
George '3,uton never did. Edward prospered,
George always had to be helped. They had
the same adopted parents, who left all the
property to g .nrge because Edward could take
care # hiuset. So ii. weof iD all things. Even
tue gr that Ei9srd was engaged to dropped
him, Ell it Was her duty to save George. Hard
times threw Edward ou; ct regular work. and
ho relapsod to COMMON laborer for awhile but
G.orsc b, caue q fl arsbiug druukard. We
civa thu lat part oi the story, leaving it tc
rca ;ets of the Atlantic to got the full eti)y-
ment Of the whoie:
| A praed temperance revival was got up. and
after sorau rouslug speeches had baeD made,
tie chairman sad impressivey; 1--WE are now
about 10 call for signers and think there ls
d spectacle 10 store tor you which not many in
this hcusc will be able to view with dry eyes,"
! There was an cleo lent pause. and then George
Is 'ntou. escorted by red s,shed detscbment
OF the Ladies' of the r R.fuge, stepped forward
upoo the platform snd signed the pledge The
air was ront with applause, aud everybody cried
ter JOY. Everybody wrung the hand Of the
uew c0uveIt whom the meeting was over his
salary was enlarged the next day; be was tho
talk # the towu, aud lis hero. Au scc,unt of
it was published.
| George i nson fell regularly every three
uooths but was faithfully rescued and wroughe
| with every time, and good situations were found
foc him. FioalIy he Was taken around tho
country lccturiag as reformed druukard, and
be had great houses and did 40 immense amouud
of god.
Ho was so popular at home, aud SO trusted
during his so)or intcrvsls-that no was enabled
t. uss the Dame OF priuci pal ciliz.n, aud got
a large SUN OF money at the bank. a mighty
pr s1uro was brought TO bear to save him from
the ems querc 70 of his forgery, aud it was par.
TALLY suco fl-he was "seot 40" for only two
years. When, at the end ofa year. the tireless
ttfJrts Of the benevolent were crowned With
success, and he emerged from toe peoitentisry
With pardon in his p7ck,t, the Prisoners
Fricoi Society mot him at the door with
situation aud oomfortsbe salary, aud ell the
OtuSl oCuCfVicut pSUIlC Cau1o lUIWaTU aUN RAVo
him edV,co, encouragement an1 help. Edward
Society for stu alton, when 10 dire need, bnt
the QUESTION, "H,ve you been q prisooer?'
mad. brief work of his case.
While all these thiogs were going on. Edward
Mills had been quietly making head against ad.
versity, He wes still poor, but was 10 receipt
of steady and suthaien salary. as the respected
and trusted cashier Of bank. George ,Dtou
nover came near him, and was never heard to
inquire about him, George got to iuduleiog 10
long absences from the towo; there we're i'll
reports about hin. but nothing defiaite.
Joe wloter's night some masked burglars
forced their way into the bank, aud found Ed
ward Mills there alone. They commanded him
TO reveal the combination" 90 that they could
get into the sale: lie refused They threat
eued his life. He said his employers trusted
him, aad he could not bo traitor to that trust.
He cc1'i die if he must, but while be lived he
would be faithful lie would not yield up tho
"combinaiio1." The buglars killed him.
The detectives huoted dowE the criminals;
the chief one proved to be George Benton. A
vide sympathy vas felt for the widow and or
phans OF the dead msr, and all ths newspapers
10 the land begged that all the banks in the
land would testify their appreciation of the
fidelity and herolsn Of the murdered cashier by
conlDe forW .rd with generous contribution of
money 10 aid OF his faulty, now 5ereft of sup.
purt. The suit vas mass of solid cash.
anicu 1ting to upwards Of $50O-a1 average of
Dearly threooeishths of csot for each
. bark 10 the Uainn. Tie cashiers own bank
testified lis gratitude By endeavoripg to show
(but huuiiiatingly failed in l) that tho peerless
; servants tccouots wtro not sqlsrs, and that
he himself aad Knocked ri, brains out with
a bludgeoo TO escape '1ettc 100 and punishment.
George benton was arraigned for trial.
Ihen everybody seemed to forget the widow
aud orphans 10 their so!ici ule for poor
George Everything that money and in.
fdebc, could do Vas done to save him, but
it all failed; be was sentercsd to death.
4 Strsightway the Governor ives besieged with
petitions for CT N mutation Or pardon; they were
brought by fearful young girls; By sorrowful old
malGsi oy deputatlons OF pathetic widows BY
shoals OF impressive orphans. But no. the
D Governor for OIL would not yield.
Now: George Banton experienced religion
The glad news few all around From that time
fortn his cell WAS always full of girls and women
and fresh ,wera; all the day long there was
pray or ana hymn singing and than kssiving and
homilies and teara, with mover an interruption
except an occasional FIVE minute iatermission
ter refreshments.
This scrt of thing continued up to the very
galloWs. and George Benton went proudly home,
| III tue claCH Cap, Oelore WallnR audience or the
sweetest and best that tne region could produce.
His grave had fresh flowers Oh it every day for q
t while, snd the hesdstole bore these woros, un.
q dor hand pointing sloft: "He baa fought the
!. gooG fghtn
4 The brave cashiers headstone has this inscrip.
zion: "Be pure, honest sober, industrious, con.
siderate ana you wilt never-'
Nobody knows who gave the order to leave il
. that way, bnt it was 30 given.
. The cashiers family are in stringent circum
= stsrc IS now it is said; but no matter, lot oi
. spprecias.ve people, who were not willing that
. an act 60 brave and true az his should 20 unre.
warded, have co.lectsd S42,G00-snd built