, 1884-12-06

fDetroli Free PresAl
,r,,acrned 10 doathpn Ever since |
the ludrs spoke the awful words IN the
hnah u he crowded COURTROOM they |
havebocn ringing IN his ears. His nerves
had been strained to their utmost tension
when the words were spoken, and they
seem to have burned into his brain. When
he closed bis eyes the sentence stood out
red. whore ali else was black. When he
forgot himself for a moment he come
back win a start 70 a sense Of bitter rscol-
lection. As someihing seemed to whisper
in his ear, ''Condemned to death" Al
hrst the time Of execution appeared mer-
tifaily far on, but day after day passed.
ike the steady dropping OF water, AMI
each fair summer morning that woke
tbs world 10 the enjoymett Of Life and
leauly, merely for him iinged the stone
walls with gray and gave more fearful
.ieniacanco to the words that haunted
him-"Condemned to death"
lie wakes In the middle Of the silent
might, and sits bolt upright with the over
whelming pressure q some undehnable
fear upon him. He asks himself; "What
Is itfs aWhero am II" He must have
had,a horrible dream. He must wake
himself He viii laugh At this dream
-shen sleep has completely left him, But
a. hearousss himself he secs the terrible
,atiers Ike phosphoroscont handwriting
II his opll, and be falls back aghast as II
strnf X BY an unseen hand. whichever
wav be turns the words ''Condemned to
deaihn confront him, with a groan he
sinks on his hard bed. The grim reality
a more fearful than the dreadful dream.
He trios 10 forset--to sleep, Il possible
The distant bells which tell to others the
hour Of the night, toll out TO him; "Con-
,,lemnod to death, condemned to DEATH"
At last tho very rythm Of the words in
his ear brings on a troubled slumber'
alut what must be The dreams Of a wretch
sent % sleep with such hidlous lullaby
ITo drcams, perhaps, Of The man in tho
room Of evor-closing wallis that at last
crush him 10 death. He secs himself In
narrow passage, from which there is no
escape. An iron grating shOyos him
coward the other end. As he nears i he
seos in his pathway an open grave. He
rrasps tho iron framework that is send
ing him romoEselessly on. He puts forth
his strength but It avails him nothing
'rhe next move win be. the Last. He
lines himself against the wall and then
shrieks for help. Tho grave fades from
his sight aud he finds himself grasping
The iron bars Of his cell. He draws a
breath Of Intense relief, but the next in
slant begins the dread refrain;
Acondcmncdto death"
He has his Wild and fruitless dreams Of
escape and then tho madness Of self de-
s.ruciion makes him for The moment in
sane. There arc the hours Of unutterable
.lispair when he sits on his bed with bis
hoad bowed and bis fingers tangled in his
hair. He listens with dull, mechanical
agony at the footsteps OF the death-watch
on the sione-hoor outside, aud they seem
to slowly creak the wordsi ITO death, to
.ieaih, 70 deathiii
Al times IL Is impossible for him to be-
sieve that he, who is sound in health and
limbs, robust aud full Of vigor, with not
an ailmeni that he knows Of, man in the
primo Of life, with energy, strength, well
al that goes 10 make life worth living
that he Is Gagged here, helpless lil<e rat in
q trap, waiting TIL at signal No VIII be q
.1ui,aring inert mass. Thon he faces his
rsal and raves and curses all mankind.
The knowledge Of tho usolessness. Of this
forces itself upon him and he becomes
calm again. His thoughts turn to the one
and only channel that can give relief.
There is but one ray Of light that enters
.tho cell Of the eondemned-Religion. Ho
aias doubtless given little regard to II in
former Life, but now he realizes that it
alone can dull the ghasily significance Of
The dismal echo in his ears, ''Condemned
10 death"