The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-21
EMPEROR AND PRISONER.

IN the gray of an early morning
uurlng the reign of Joseph ii. o.
austria, strange scene occurred in
one OF the streets of the old city ol
tfesourg. We can forgive history
much Of its dry details and stiff for.
mallty when it also records for Us
lleart'touching incidents of real life
IKE this that we have here to tell.
Ihe nearly silent street, fl mixed by
us TWO rows of tell houses, most OF
Inc blinds and shutters still closing
the windows at that early hour, was
pelng swept by "A gang of conyictS,
brought each morning through the
prison gates for the purpose. In The
inc of prisoners was an old man
whose hair and beard were as white
as.s4iyer, and whose ugly uniform did
'%4Bt hide a certain stateliness of bear
Ing, which he, however did not allow
TO hlner his work. But in spite of
his prsOssesSing look and manner it
was toNe noticed that only he of all
his wrethed companions dragged at
his leg arbain weighted by IA heavy
bullet, Jet it seemed impossible to
believe int he excelled in crime the
repulsive Toookiug wretches about
him.
AS the WCk of cleaning the streets
progressed tie thoroughfare, in spite
of the early hur. came at last to have
one passer-by A tall. elderly man,
very plainly Gessed, but wearing a
Kind OF uniform, advanced along one
OF the payem@ts, and as he looked
at the gang OfsyeeperS his eye quick
~ singled out tie Old prisoner, This
observer Seemet soon to notice that
although the Wlite-haired aged man,
in spite of having the ball to drag,
managed to keep up with the others
IN his work, the overseer was nearly
always shouting at him in anger and
finding fault without cause. The
spectator steppeI into the road to the
old mans side.
What" he asked, sis your crime
that you are treated in this way ."
The old prisoner, at the sound of
voice which had in it a tone of pity,
looked up and stood still, resting his
broom on the stones. 1t was terri.
able story of prosecution and cruelty
to tell. He belonged to a distant
province and his position was answer
ed to the class in England called 'yeo.
nan, he having been owner of a small
OF his own. But. most un-
for him, the farm lay on
the skirt Of the great estate of Count
-, and his nObleman had fixed an
enviOuS eye upon its scanty fields, as
King Ahab did long before on Ma.
b0th's vineyard. The owner, prizing
ihe spot as having been the home of
bis forefathers, refused to sell it to
The Count.
From that hour began his prosecu-
ion. One legal process was served
npOn him after another, costs being
run up at every stage. In the end he
was fairly ruined, and was forced TO
agree to sell his farm to the rapaci)us
nOblPman hut he bargained that he
was to remain in the house for one
year more. One day soon after this
he was standing at his gate, deep in
grief at the prospect. A wounded
hare Unexpectedly ran by, and, with
out thinking what he was doing, he
instinctiveIy raised his stick and put
the poor creature out of its pain. At
that moment the Counts servant ran
up and arrested him on the spot !;
and although he had not laid a fin
ger upon the hare he was taken to
prison. There he lay for six months
before he was tried and when he
was placed before the judge the in
fiuence of the wicked Count secured
his being sentenced to two years i'm
In the meantime his
wife and children We're turned out of
the house and plunged into utter pov-
erty.
THAT. SIR" concluded the aged
prisoner, sis my history"
"But can this persecution be posi-
Bile ?" asked his Sympathizing listen
er. "Why is your Emperor not in
formed of it ,"
"O," sighed the old man. getting
his broom again in motion, "the EN-
peror is far away and besides, in a
quarrel with a nobleman, a poor
man like myself must be in the
wrong"
~ will see the governor of your
prison." was the next remark,
"Nay, nay, SIR" the prisoner has
tened to say in a trembling voice,
"pray do not try to interfere in my
favor. A person once did so, and as
the result l suffer ed fifty lashes, and
have had TO drag this heavy chain,