News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-01-02
Sir John Cochrane's Escape.

In the troubled times OF Scotland Sir
John Cochrane was condemned to death
by the king. The death warrant was on
the way. Sir John Cochrane was bid
ding farewell to his daughter Grizel at
the prison door. He said: Farewell,
my darling child! l must die. " His
daughter said, "No, father, you shall
not die. 4" "But, " he said. 1.-THE king is
against me, and the law is after me,
and the death warrant is ON it's way,
and must die; do not deceive your
self, my dear child " The daughter
said, Father, you shall not die" as
she left the prison gate. At night, on
the moors of Scotland, disguised way
farer stood waiting for the horseman
carrying the mailbags containing the
death warrant. The disguised way
farer, as the horse came by, clutched the
bride and shouted to the rider-to the
man who carried the mailbags, obs
mount' He felt for his arms and was
about to shoot, but the wayfarer jerked
him from his saddle, and he fell fat
rhe wayfarer picked up the mailbags,
put them OH his shoulder and vanished
in the darkness, and II days were thus
gained for the prisoners life, during
which the father confessor was plead
ing for the pardon Of Sir John Cochrane
The second time the death warrant is
on its way. The disguised wayfarer
comes along and asks for little bread
and a little wine, starts on across the
moors, and they say: Poor man, 10
have to go out on such stormy night.
1t is dark and you will lose yourself on
the moors. " ooh, no, he says, 81 will
not. " He trudged on and stopped amid
the bramblcs and waited for the horse
man to come carrying the mailbags
containing the death warrant Of Sir
John Cochrane The mail carrier spur
red on his steei, for he was fearful be-
cause of what had occurred on the for
mer journey, spurred on his steed, when
suddenly through the storm and through
the darkness there was a flash Of fire.
arms and the horse became unmanage,
able, and as the mail carrier discharged
his pistol i'll response the horse flung
him, and the disguised wayfarer put his
foot on the breast Of the overthrown
rider and said, Surrender now!" The
mail carrier surrendered his arms, and
the disguised wayfarer put upon his
shoulders the mailbags, leaped upon
the horse and sped away into the dark
ness, gaining A more days for the poor
prisoner, Sir John Cochrane, and before
the IA days had expired pardon had
come from the king. The door Of the
prison swung open, and Sir John Coch
rane was free. One day when he was
standing amid his friends, they con-
graduating him, the disguised wayfar-
er appeared at the gate, and he said,
admit him right away" The dis
guised wayfarer came in and said,
Here are two letters; read them, sir,
and cast them into the fire." Sir John
Cochrane read them. They were his
two death warrants, and he threw them
into the fire. Then said Sir John Coch-
rane: "To whom am I indebted? Who
is this poor wayfarer that saved my life?
Who is it?"
And the wayfarer pulled aside and
pulled off the jerkin and the cloak and
the hat, and, 10! it was Grizel, the
daughter of Sir John Cochrane. ezra
cious heaven ~ he cried. my child, my
savior, my own Grizelp' But a more
thrilling story. The death warrant had
come forth from the king of heaven and
earth. The death warrant read, 1.-THE
soul that sinneth, it shall die F." The
death warrant coming on the black
horse of eternal night. We must die |
We must die! But breasting the storm
and putting out through the darkness
was a disguised wayfarer who gripped
by the bride the oncoming doom and
flung it back and put his wounded and
bleeding foot on the overthrown rider.
Meanwhile pardon flashed from the
throne, and, Go free! Open the gate |
Strike off the chain Go free! And to-
day your liberated soul stands i'll the
presence of the disguised wayfarer, and
as he pulls off the disguise of his earth
ly humiliation and the disguise Of his
thorns and the disguise Of the seamless
robe, you find he is bone of your bone,
flesh Of your flesh, your brother, your
Christ, your pardon, your eternal life.
Let all earth and heaven break forth in
vociferation. Victory through our Lord
Jesus Christi
guilty, weak and helpless worm,
On thy kind arm fail;
Be thou my strength and righteousness,
bly, Jesus and my all.