Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-10-01
A FUGITIVE.

Comely Mistress Sally Suydam sat on
q low bench beneath the apple tree In
her back yard, shelling peas. Delicate
petals from the fragrant blossoms over
head dropped upon her; the blue bird.
perched upon the hollow stump hard by,
sang to her n song of spring and sun
shine. the fresh morning breeze, that
made ripples all across the golden sur
face Of Flushing bay TO mark its prog
ress, cgme 10 lift caressingly the soft
brown curls on her temples Before her,
on an upturned pail, rested gaunt old
man, with white hair, and long, bony
fingers that were interlocked over his
knobby knee
"Indecd, "sIske Mistress Suydam, con-
| tinuing her conversation, sit Is hard
that Abner SHOULD be so long awaySfrom
his home and i'm peril of his life, but ho
would be no true American did he lag
at his wifes apron string when his coun-
try has need Of him. And, of q truth
instead Of repining, ! should rejoice
daily that he is still alive and at liberty.
think | would rather hear that no had
fallen on the field than that he was q
prisoner in tho cruel hands of tho Brit.
ish"----
"In that Jersey prison ship. Verify
it is wondrous that men endure TO live
in that hell upon earth If the half that
is told of it be true"
"The half Of its horrors hath not been
toldw exclaimed a suppressed but dis
tinct voice from tho clump of lilac bushes
behind Mistress Suydam. The good dame
gave little jump and an exclamation
Of alarm, while tho gaunt man sprang
10 his feet. Peering In the direction of
the voice, they saw under tho bushes,
close to the ground, tho haggard, yellow
face of q man with great, wild eyes and
tangled hair and beard.
"Who are you, and what want you
here?' demanded Mistress Suydam,
stoutly.
Robert jameson; q fugitive from the
Jersey prison ship am /, and sore in need
Of all that man may need to live"
"Come forth, man; como forth. You
shall need no longer here" responded
the old man. earnestly, going toward
| him.
"Back-back! Keep your distance
mani There is death in my garments
the poison of the prison fever. Stand
aloof; but | pray you lay somo food
where l may get it without coming
auigh YOU"
While he spoke Mistress Suydam r.
flected, and when he had ceased, quickly
| took the ordering of affairs in her hands
Giving to the old man-who was none
other than the patriot parson Egbert
| Elisa suit of her soldier husband .
clothing. she instructed him to sec that
the fugitive, after casting away his in
| fccted garments, bathed in tho creek at
tho foot of the garden, and then put on
The clean raiment, by which time she
would have n good breakfast ready for
him-and with the clothing she sent a
generous glass Of rum to keep him warm
in his bath,
When Jameson's hunger had been ap-
pcased, he told his story:
II was taken prisoner through the run
ming down of the boat was in on the
Hudson, and was put aboard the prison
ship three months ago. Tho night be-
fore last sprang overheard, being will
ing rather TO die than live longer there
but coming ashore little below the tide
| mill, managed 10 make my way into
the country, and since then, hiding when
could, and running when l dared,
| have fed thus far, eating nothing until
now. How anxiously listened TO your
speech, to learn if ye were friends OF
| foes y
Is life on the prison ship indeed &c
terrible as men say I" asked Mistress Suy-
dam,
Only the dead have learned all its
horrors, but the living there know
| rnra l TO madden them. Twelve hun.
| died men are crowded in a space tha,
| woad not suffice for the healthful keep
| ia &c one-fourth so many. They arc
s.uuily fed upon Ainted meat and YER
min infested bread, so that violent and
| laul disorders are rife among them.
| The dreaded fever hath broken out, and
60 RACES that ut times as many as two
hundred die OF it In night. Through
sheer malignity the British officers re
? !re water even to those parched will
fover, and find sport in seeing theii
| t.. TX biliISt OiiNc SiShi ihUo- OiVei
! t.l... inky darkness Of the lower gm
, t.ca. uherc they are confined at night
"r,.. og cry Is heard, Look to your
.,t,,s H"e here hath gone mad and ht
a.,a. a..'c.' And tho madman, know
.., uut what he does, slashes right and
mrt with bis weapon, until in self de
lu. ,Hcy must kill him-and all that II
uo da.l Md that much amuses the
l'r. a oilicera"
Lord. lat death seize upon them, ant
let them ;o down quick into hell" ejac
ulatcd taa pastor, in fervent quotation O.
the psalmist.
"kmeni' responded jameson .betweer
his clinched teeth, continuing his nara
tive. 1T is common sport with then
TO cast apples among the prisoners to Sc
them fighting. The wretched men, who's
minds are weakened by their sufferings
seem maddened at sight of the tempting
fruit, and will beat and tear each other
with claws and teeth, like starving, raw
enous beasts, to get possession Of it."
Lord, let burning Goals fall upor
them: let them be cast into the fire, int
deep pits, that they rise not up again,
broke forth the parson.
"Men are shot down like dogs by tn,
sentries, excuse therefor being found II