Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-05-09

on, deadenlng my conscience ny con-
tinual opiateS Of SuhtlcSt suphiStry. 1t
is NOT for me 10 detail these; to say
how persuaded myself that my gifts
We're needed IN the ministry Of the
church; that l was bound to sacrifice
all, even conscience, 10 the sacred call
ing, and such-li6e. Blind was l, blind
with pride and Self-love. Nay, re-
fused even to look my sin in the face,
l Stitled memory; l never realized
what | had done until the awful mo-
meut of revelation, when stood eye
to eye with the friend betrayed, My
dear brothers, have you ever thought
what years Of penal Servitude must
mean To 4 gentleman, Il man OF refined
feelings of intellectual tastes. OF UNI
usual culture? To be hcrded with the
vicious, the depravcd, the brutal. the
defective or degraded organizations
which swell the mass of crime In our
land; to be cut off from all other hui
man intercourse, all converse with the
world of intellect and culture: to pass
weary, weary years In fruitleSs manual
toll and pining captivity: to wear the
garh OF shame: to he subject to rough
jailerS"--here something choked his
utterance for awhile-"to know no
earthly hope; to see the long vista of
twenty years monotonous misery
stretching remorSeleSSly ahead, and
all this in the flower of youth and the
blossom-time of life? From six-and-
tweny to SiX-and-forty, Can you grasp
what that means: This, and more
than this, | inflicted on the friend who
loved and trusted me; and Of this de-
clare before God and man | repent,
and desire as far as possible to amend.
Il few days | shall be in 4 felon'S
cell. | shall be happier there than |
have ever been in the brightest mo-
ments of my prosperity. My brothers,
| still bear divine commission TO
warn and teach; | heSccCh you to heed
my story and take warming. Let me
be to YOU as the Sunken vessel which
marks the treacherouS reef beneath the
wave! Listen and heed well what
say, as 1t were. with dN ing breath. for
| shall be ciyilly dead, virtually dead,
in twelve hours time. | repent, aud
there is merry for me as for the vileSt;
but | can never undo the consequences
of my SlnS-ncVcr, though | strove
thu tugh all the endless ages OF eternity.
| can not restore honor and Innocence
to her whom robbed of these price
less Jewels. | can not give back his
life to him whose blood | shed. |
can not recall the years of youth, and
hope, and health, and power of wide
usefulness which were blasted in the
prison of my friend. 1t we're rash to
say that the Almighty can not dc these
things: it is certain He can not with
out diSordcring the whole scheme of
human life, certain that He will not.
How far the human will can Illustrate
the divine purposes has never been
revealed to mortal man-iS probably
unknown. to the wisdom of seraphs;
but this we know, that nothing can
Happen without divine permission. 1t
may be that mans will is absolutely
free with regard to thought, and Only
limited with regard to action, to It's eff
fects upon others. Certain it Is, that
God can bring good out of evil, and
that those who trust in Him. however
oppressed and afflicted by the wicked
ness of their fellow-men, will neverthe-
less be delivered in all their Affections,
and that to them all things work for
good These are my last words, dear
brothers. Ponder them, heSeach you,
as men ponder dying words. even of
the vilest."
The dean ceased, and, turning, as u.s.
ual, to the east, repeated the aScrip-
ton with humble reverence. He then
TUNED once more to the congrega ton,
and seated himself, with a sigh of eX-
haustion, while the bishop, whose eyes
were full of tears, stood with uplifted
hand and pronounced the benediction,
in moved and aWc-StriCken voice,
upon the agtated, half-tcrriticd multi
tude, and upon the unheeding ears of
the dean.
AS this strange discourse proceeded.
the excitement of the congregation had
waxed higher aud higher, and spread
Itself by the irresistible cOntagion of
sympathy which exists in a vast as.
sembly The prevalent idea was that
the dean was mad. Many people pres
cnt had heard the story Of his youth,
and knew how bitter had been his sor-
row for his friends disgrace, and 1t
was not unnatural to suppose that
long 3rooding upon this early grief
had, in a moment Of mental ALBERTA
ton, worked itself into the nalluclna.
ton that he was himself the docr Of
the crime which had wrought such
sorrow.
In spite Of the rumorS circulated so
swiftly within the last fey days, there
were not many who believed the deans
accusations against himself. All were,
however, immensely relieved when the
painful scene was ended. Women had
become hysterical, and some had
tainted and been carried out; the Choir
listers were mostly pale with alright;
the clergy were dismayed, and wills
pered together about the cxpcdiency