The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-11-26
The Retribu,ion of Crime.
John Biacktritgc. The Judge


 IoLn Blackbridgc Inc ladgc
 They me, on the border of large and ominously dusky cloud. on which failed 10 observe d silver Inning quite on the borders of planetary space. They wore d disappointed appearance. and evidently were not happy. You might have thought they had been hred aut 0. aannons. or bounced from a democr prmary, or had come 10 from n unsuccessful study of President Arthur policy. or had been betting on the wrong side n the Ono election. They were companions in misery. and. as such. the< soon began to exchange condolences.
 The rules up there said one oi the crowd. are much strleter than they used to be. Why. m my grandfather tune St Peter used to exclude only the very tauzhest eases. .ue h |. had figured IS defendants ID breach oi promise suiis. and i,f.tg@ed about eateaias tnuT-poand trout. My grandfather ~as an army satlef af the :. n.,i kind. md IL got III. and na question asked. Ny father was sewing machine tsont and 1T 70, III on ConaI- tions bu, here an. bounced. and ai. Fctcf h.> warned me not to apply again tor t hundred years .'ill ihe foul deeds. ct ,ee Hamlet fnd yet my sns ere iriting.
 =. Ma; .!sd >au do = asked lhc erawd.
 MAS tn advertisement soiiotot tor ti,e=ak k,=t'''''.'',t, ,flsisa.e e.a'ssa.AI..-3e-. printed one ,opy fnt each td> ertser. and ,ea cial others Tor the prooi-readcfs and editors. besides dozen exchanges: 1nd the erime for which am now shut out from the golden gates was that stated the circulation Il li,ile less than ninety thousand coples. This. St, Peter saYs. under the new Code. IS Il felonlous mai versatlon oi phllology Tn ihe hrst degree. .tnd get .t hundred years of waiting m the brigouhc planetary spaces ior this ,lss..zl- .a1 nt ihs< law excuses no one. says St. Peter and since Governor Cornell failed 10 veto the new Code we must he bound by 1t. al the next case And so l It out. and here am.
 Your lo, is indeed Il sad one. said Il loud-so.ced party near him. but not so sad as mine. l was an auctioneer. and gave heavy bonds 10 the state, signed by m, porter and oifiee-boy. My specially WAS rare oil paintings. brie-a-brac and ar tioles of s,,u. When put up cracked blue teacup never ,alled d hr,i bid short of ten dollars. and was sure to knock fl down to some wealthy luna,ic Il fifteen. The nrs, bid was fictitious, of oeurse. bn, that k only d harmless flight oI tanes. St Peter, Ii seems. thinks differently IL. has had d special statute passed against lust such doing,. and hereafter fl an aaes aonecr expects to sc, III at the k. H.. hc must wal, for straight-nut opening bid>. Meantime have got a hundred and twen- ty-iRe years of going. gong, gone. up among these damp and disagreeable clouds. and no prospect ot a iively, rat ting sale during all that tune.
 \ profound silence now fell upon the motley asscmblage as an individual strus- glcd up who appeared io have lost his last friend. and on whose hncanents de- spar sat cnihroned.
 =.'i an ctcrnally banished. and II serves me ngh,. too shreked the wretched out Cast. There is absolutely no hope While survey from at.tr the shining plans, studded with perennlally verdant groves. through which walk the good and happy comic editors. the ncorruptible lntl-monopolists. and the defunct judges at ,l4eNeAA -.ltstEet-4sati.is.-l must cternally clasp te my bosom the gnawing viper ot remorse and clank the everlasting chain ;ha, hlnd> me to mia my Mime was indeed Il trmc of the deepest dye. lou remember that at a eef- tain epoch all lokes on the mntherin-law and the Chicago teralc loo; were called in The world had had hong. long. weary pel,ing with them. and lt was dem on>iraied that either ;hls mu,t stop or 'he plane, would rush iranueailv from <, orbit. The poor old lobes. ,oo. had iarcd badly and needed rest. Originating tti back in the iaous,unc perlo,!, or, Is some s,pilquailanS insisted. IT he stone .l,,e. when man lived n c.nerr,>. and had noth- ing tu read hut the New York / sNia. Posl. they had been handed down i1ou, .eEturl to century. from i<anescs te Pharaoh. from Pharaoh to 10th. from 10th to Cambyse>. rom amby>es to eN- fIs. from Cyrus through an almost min itc scHcs. tii, finally t.e> were called n and died. IF l periodical |. wholi> an- connected Nilh the Feusoni, clement \ ct after that madlN. wlelcdh and tcio- nonsl> revived these fearful okcs on the matter, aforesaid and d.icd to send them to d comi, editor Can You wonder that am doomed to nhAbg; these gloom, realms forever md sha, ltrllite that my punishment l>lns..
 He ceased. and >ild aN.N nto t3, outca darkness. but just T. li> shaIloWy doors were closing on him. the .,rn ot the e,l- tor of Harpet'> Drawer VAS linked m hls. hollow voice called ou; jn;o the night. " Me Too" and both ,hc gr.5tly phantamS vanished.