Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-01-21


that it was well you we're not armed,
for had you been you would have kill
ed him instead of soundly whipping
him, as you did. Oh! Charles, how
different life would 5e to you now
than it is, even had you evaded the
law, and that rash deed been done.
How different it would be to us all;
what a black pail would rest upon
True, most persons would call this
an ultra view, but cannot forget the
anathemas of Jehovah against him
who takes human life; and l would
prefer to enter the presence of God
slain than the slayer. Murder-what
black, fiendish deed it is, yet the first
men perpetrate it under passions
maddening power. OH brother, put
those arms away. To me the carry
ing of them smacks rather of coward
ice than bravery. Granted, according
to your ideas, that there may arise oc-
casions when a weapon is necessary to
defend ones life, yet surely the in
stances are rare in the life of man
VINO Is just honorable and courteous
with his fellow-man, and it seems to
me that true bravery would prefer to
take so light risk to thus branding
Itself with such evidences of fear"
Charles had never been dictated to
by his little pet-nay, scarcely advised.
To her he had ever seemed too nearly
perfect to need it; and now, to ap-
Dease her fears, he took the instru-
ment from his person and laid it
aside, although it was to be resumed in
the quiet of his room ere going upon
the street.
Three evenings after this that house,
so blessed, so happy, so sought for
years, was closed and darkened. The
black pail had fallen upon it; and,
though the two old people bore up for
the sake of their boy, that none might
say that they condemned him, the
steel was ranking in their hearts and
sore affection filed them for their on
ly daughter, who lay raving in wild
delirium, a burning fever scorching
out life's vitality On what a change!
Their noble boy-their pride and hope
"a murderer and a refugee from JUS
tice, and their idolized daughter at the
gate Of death.
Charles Tresdon and Edwin Mott,
after a gay evening" with more than
usual amount of wine coursing through
their veins and mounting to their
heads, quarreled over a trife; words
became hot and insulting; and Charles,
mad with wine and hot words, drew
and fired, and Mott, his companion and
friend, fell dead at his feet-fell dead
without weapon about him-without
having raised his hand against him.
An hour afterward Charles, pale and
haggard, announced his deadly crime
to Ellen, and she sank lifeless before
him. He knew not then that terrible
blight, other than his crime. had en-
tered her soul. She had just decided to
eonfide all to him, and sat waiting his
coming to share her great happiness
with him, when his pale, haggard face
startled her from her sweet reverie
% hear the curse upon her house and
eel the double curse upon her heart.
Years have passed since, but Ellen has
never breathed her double grief to
Charles. and by her request her par
nts have been silent as to the reve-
ations of delirium. The old people
i'd not long survive the terrible shock,
nd at their death Ellen crossed the
cean, and now she and Charles live
n a foreign land. and though their
eads are silyered by time, neither has
yer thought of leaving the other, aud
he Italians say never were two such
cen; so tender, so gentle and loving
0 each other, so inseparable. yet so
saddened by some terrible
0ss, and never seeking others, yet
yer, when met, gently courteous. All
onor and love them, yet the two are
o evidently knit together by some
reat grief that they seem sufficient
Or each other, and none intrude. The
knows not that the sister
ares not leave the brother alone with
is remorse and grief Oh surely
lurder is a dreadful thing, and carry
lg concealed weapons a dangerous
lstOm.