Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-07-20

b. communinc with his inner con
scfou=uess most OF the tine. Bur every \
now and then be would give me
glance so sharp and penetrating that /
I felf he was looking into my very soul. /
I entered the room sulzv and un- \
recanc-led with my fate. The govern +
or. sitting sprswicd ont in his chair, .
loase-iointed. looking more the back F.
rvaodsman than the statesman. his (
ewes duucd with that peculiar intro f
spccfion- lie asked me q number ~
commonplace questions. which I an
svercd with q mixture Of contempt
and dooredncss-
suddenly Strengthening himself Tsp
and fixing on me q glance so sharp and 4
penetrating. and 20 thc same time SD
commanding rs to make me involun-
tarfly rise from my chair. he fired az
me a volley 20 questions 50 pointed. So
comprehensive. 80 searching. that II
( seemed % me he was scanning my in
/ nermost consciousness-
Before realized 81 was pouring
out the most sacred secrets % my soul
( 90 this man who bat moment before
I had been an utter stranger 20 me. and
4 whom I had been taught Cd regard
/ only in the Right of q coarse and self
I ish politician. Something he said
sfunr nv pride. and his personality
1 won my confi6cncc-au so arffullv and
50 quickly that I iuvoluntariiy re-
sponded-
Listen 20 me. ST." I cried. my fists
! cleuchlng. while ] fel. tire veins stand
out or my neck. even as 1 had felt them
stand ont on that day when J killed
/ Philip sherry. Il am not criminal. 7
am not a bad man i do not believe my
/ tendencies are vicious God knows J
have Al awful temper. But upon the
/ memory ~ my mother. I believe that
temper has never been aroused. except
/ upon just proTocation or by some aci
q injustice or brutality.
i remember well the first time
ever realized had a temper II was
the same time also that realized
Was at independent personality. I was
a peculiar boy. sensitive. lonely and
conscious-shunning the othei
boys because their hadgering way.
: played upon All my suPersensitiv'
nerves
NY mother. God bless her. VII,
would have gone 90 the rack OF n
stake 20 save me n moments pain, an
consciously emphasized The terrors o
my situation b keeping me in lon
curis and bzbyish attire long after Ia
other boys % my age were hab.te
Ike miniature men. YoE can imagin
{ the humiliation 20 which I was SUI
jecfed. even had I not been cursed wilt
suPersensitive nerves
But underneath al my bashfn
/, mess ! had the temper OF demon
, The first time / discovered il ] va
4 frightened nearly 20 death IL wa
\ still in the period Of my long cur
Z and girilsh costumes
"A big fellow who delighted in bull,
INK. and who had made il his especi'
= delight 70 torment me because Of m
= efTeminate appearance and bashf'
= manner. brought his prosecutions
q climax by leading a crowd
: sehooinases 20 catch me, throw Il
= down and pile on top % me- vi
4 severely hurt. but my physical ,
! Surien were Insignificant eompars
% with The humiliation. And as 4 Ia
= ground into the earth under thi
4 srrirvssng mass Of boys, the hot bios
y surged through my head, carryiI
q. with Il a sense Of courage, and a b
X Ter hatred which ! had never guess
Re J was % lsabls Of possessing.
,e when they piled OF II me and
ae me riss. Emping and nearly smoi
Is. cred while they ran away laughing
be picked np big Jagged stone and 4
IA loved them. 4 remember IL ~
Is some hours before sccceeded IN =
~ ting sQuarely ia front OF the /
Peter Werner, who had led tne Z
be szuif. and who had By this tiTne Il
~ gotten &C. les drive nay stone vi
CT sr sks force ! pcssesse6, $50
~ mez>zs Es;l ~ az xeK zakt y