The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-09-26


be must be done.
lat John promptly obeyed his summon
nut entering respectfully and inquringly.
ed shade OF distrust upon the Judges fac
on made him uneasy, but he calmly an
with manly dignity awaited the commun
q. ication.
u oit down, John. the Judge began kind
W. ly; 1t may be long interview.
:" de complied and began neryously re-
IN voiving bis straw hat by shifting bis ting
10 ers along the edge Of the brim. but b,
: looked firmly at his employer.
John your surname, ia il Dorker?
% A slish. pallor swept over the honest
n face, as he replied;
o 1t is, sir. You have remembered me a
0 last
I You expected me to?
Yes. i did.
No. l didn't recognize you. John, said
the Judge, with note Of disappointment
10 bis voice, but lawyer at the bar told
me who you we're.
u Always some one TO give fellow KICK
no matter how hard be is trying to get
up.
Yes, 1t seems so. Now, John, be says
sentenced you to five years 10 the peniten-
tiary. Is it true?
Yes. sir.
And you served your full term OF Eve
years.
Lacking the time OF comnuatiou. |
did.
What have you done since You were re
leassd2
Nothing but try, sir; shifting about
from place to place. You know the way
1t is; convict-discharged. So it's been
going. nothing but hard luck. I've tried q
hard. desperate hard. to lead true, honest n
life but it's ell uphill work. There's a b
weight on man like me, sir. The Open o
ing penitentiary door is at the very foot Of p
The hill. and when poor fellow comes k
out and tries to walk up. there's always v
'ome one glad to push him back again. n
Were you guilty? f
was Sir / was my first crime. The al
easy gain looked tempting and l fell. o.
'eeded money, but there is no excuse, I N
deserved the punishment. Those awful re
ears, sir. gave me time for reflection, and Ii
determined that when l got out, with
'ods help to pick myself up. It's been be
ard. cruelty, fesriully hard. but have 90
: fallen again. I'm an honest man in ",
y heart, sir, il the world won't acknowl. Cc
ige it. At
But why didn't you tell me this when ho
ou came? 1t would have been better. ho
suppose it would, sir. But was too no
eak. needed work so badly, and if you dls
I'd turned me away then why wa
What. John? boz
Never mind, il you please sir; you did. 7
turn me off but
Very well, John, I'll not ask you. Blu, to
u said you bad special purpose in dar
ming to me. Can you tell me that? No
John Dorker arose. laid his hat upon ter
chair, and facing the Judge said i'm new
essively: diss
Do You remember. sir, what you said new
zen you sentenced me? and
10, do not new
Well, sir, your words burnt themselves coaC
my heart as il they'd been sparks. / had
d to fancy saw them written 10 fiery +"
'ers at night upon the black wall of M deal
!. You spoke feelingIy. sir, like you The
led me,snd that's what made them take won
hold on me. They we're: for
oung man, you have set your foot on a ther,
gerous path. The way of crime never ing
Is upward. always down, down TO the spieI
nown depths. The pure sunlight OF
ven never smiles upon it. It is crowd
1ith wrecks OF noble lives. When YOU M.
d 1t you leave mother, true friends. tho i
!. peace, heaven and God behind you c,,v
are going TO prison. In the quiet ,,ise
. you shall spend there look over this sna
y ,o.''' 'nu SUNK you can AFFORD cspte
'end the smallest possible portion OF It occas
lis path. Come out pure man. You A. tba
still be young. With much Of your life oroce
% you; many years TO he useful aud FINAL
In. snd to retrieve this false step respo,
ne ssy from my heart. young msp uslly
o"so. your h'e. ing 81
u.'u'1 '"o 'osis rom his eyes and Ameri
,eded: "a !,
mother sat weeping behind me, cir. aya,i,
'sood 1t the rail. was her only fup.
God alone knew how she was TO A. II,
Turing those years. Your words were n. ns
tbrusts. sir i did have 10 leave her W. :.
- ps'' "oa'e" Anu 'nc "od she trst III
so earnestly taught me TO pray 10. a.ms.,
did reflect, sir. 10 those quiet years them
came out pure man. God know nov a,
We tried not to let that false step whe
'oea'er Seat,som' sife y
ptesd the truth: Employing that an ho,,
that John D1rksr; Why. hes coo g,nja.
my sert
came desperate; q temptation stared irving
The face. felt myself veskenips Laur,
'ion. gloom despair. broken heart I'm sur
her we're about me. and I wsvered. down.
'en . thought came; Surely. surely vhiskey
Igs Who spoke those words would 1 va. d
.; be vouldnt turn me away. And Ps.is.
!. II vAs ny Last ehance Too the heal
depended upon my getting work. sick tod