The Van Buren press., 1897-12-25

season was a busy and responsible one
with him, for he chose that time to
investigate thoroughly the criminal rec
ords of the state and pardon such pris-
oners as good conduct or eXtenuating
circumstances placed within the pale
of executive clemency.
If questioned as to his selection of
the holiday season for the exercise of
the benign prerogative" he was wont
turn the tide in the soul of some Paul,
and I have a fancy to do it when peace
and good will are most likely to be at
the food; that is all"
Whether this were all, and it were not
in response to some deeper sentiment
those who knew him best alone could
say.
Tonight, as he looked at the piles of
mail matter on his desk yet to be dis
posed of, he pushed back his chair with
smothered groan and started to the
door, moved by wild impulse to get
outside and turn the key on it all.
An obstruction in his path caused him
to stumble, and he saw a curious-look-
ing bundle in brown paper, clumsily
tied with a coarse twine string, lying on
the floor at his feet.
He remembered the clerks having
mentioned a package from the state
prison-this must be it-and pushed
it impatiently to one side; but as he
did so something in the coffin-shaped
outlines made him stoop and tear away
a part of the cover.
He found. to his amazement, violin,
and appended to it soiled pencil-writ-
ten note, evidently an appeal of some
kind
Curiosity conquered fatigue. He had
handled many and various petitions,
but never one in shape like this
Detaching the note from its fasten-
ings. he crossed the room to the win
dow. and by the waning light Of the
winters day deciphered the following
illiterate text:
"To the Guvner: They tel me thet yer
Hart gifts tender to Prisners a. chrismus
time and YOU listens to what they has to
say I've ben Hear % years fer KILN man
and I've ben Sorry evry day sence / done
It, I was a hot headed Boy Nv % and the
man called pap a Liar and sed things agin
man. I couldn't noways stand thet and
nocSed him down. he was a pale sickly
complected tender foot and he never got
up agln I never ment to kill him but my
fist was hevy and sum mad thing inside NV
me sicked me on. they never give me no
sort Nv a Trial but jes put me in Hear fer
Life. his folks was rich and mine was pore
and couldn't pay no Lawyer. pap Is gone
blind and nam is old and they aint got no.
body to look after EN- but JoseeL Joseel
is the gal thet was goin to marry me. she
left her home when they sent me Hear and
went to look after the old Folks sames they
was hern ef | could git back to Joseel
and the old folks and the mountins fde
never lif my han agin no man agen ceptin
twas to help him so help me God.
'They tel me as how you kin make F'id-
die talk til the Children puts down their
Playthings and follers yer. GuVner | sends
you mine along Nv this what l made when
/ was a Boy back in the mountins, the
sames / koted my gal with and played fer
nam and pap round the fire sunday evnins.
shes aged along with me but she KEEP her
voice sweet and stiddy yit
Take her Gunner and set down by your
self In the still NV the evnin and let her
talk to YOU fer me ! aint afeerd shell fer
the mountin and nam and pap and Joseel
a settin thar and waitin these 20 years fer
the Boy they wouldn't let go their holt NV
nor quit luvin no matter what he did. No
shell not fergit nuthn. she's too much like
them Wmmen shell be telln you about.
seems like she knows things as well as do.
praps cause shes ben lyiu agin my Hart so
long. and if she cant tell you nuthin GuV-
uer let her talk 10 yer Wife Its about
[Vimmen shell tel you mostly. Nimmen
and Sorrer. And Wimmen is quicken men
10 understan them things
That's all. its tux me weeks 10 rite
this letter Goodby. God 60 with the old
Fiddle and help her tel it strate
"ABNER HILL"
Wien the governor turned away from
th,G irdov there was look on his
face that few had ever seen there except
his wife.
He lifted the violin carefully from
The floor. tore away its wrappiugs and
looked OF TT long and curiously. 1t was
roughly made ofuatiye pine and maple
and vanished with the home1ade var
nish of the mountains. but the strings
gave back the true viol tone clear and
ringing.
p ice,rr hi- chair closer othe CRATE