The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-06-19
LLFE'S LONG SHADOWS.
The Story OF Siberian Exile.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

bitterness Of my thoughts-and my
Indifference angered them. HE is a
sullen dog" said one of them, and,
spurning me with his foot, passed a
cruel jest that sent the hot blood
surging to my head. Had / not been
bound l would have fallen upon him
and torn him to pieces, but they had
chained me to ring in the wall, and
strain as I would, I could not reach
him. My fruitless struggles but
served to amuse them, and they jeered
at me and tainted me with the impo-
tency of my rage, and so goaded me
with the brutality Of their jests that
| was like to go mad. When at
length they had satisfied themselves
with the cruel sport they left me-
left me to the tortures of a sleepIess
night, of a night filed with memories
of my dear ones and of the cruel trag-
| edy that had robbed me of them; and
countless times through those long
hours of darkness did l see them, side
| by side on that dusty road, with their
blood-stained faces turned toward me
as if in mute appeal to avenge their
! deaths.
with the dawning of the morning
these visions faded and l sank into a
heavy slumber, which lasted until the
guards appointed to take me to the
place of trial aroused me.
Heavily manacled, was marched
through the streets to the court, and
as l passed through the crowd gath
cred around its doors many were the
words of pity for me heard on every
side, and many the prayers that God
might comfort me and have me in His
keeping.
II will pass over the scenes in
court-the testimony of the soldiers,
the Kisses of the people when the
Judge condemned me to life Of penal
servitude in the Siberian mines, and
their eagerness to catch a nearer
glimpse of me when I passed out on
my way back to prison. The recital
would but weary you. The next day
l began by long and toilsome journey
to Siberia.
with many other exiles was
marched through the town and out
into the country by the road that led
past my forge. Long before we came
in sight Of it, was straining my eyes
to catch a glimpse of the little ho4nv
stead l loved so well; but wheea Of
length it came in view another nore
enchanted my attention and stillet bel
moment the eager throbbing of htl
heart. All! What a sight was that!
! Coming toward us, round a bend in
the road, was a tumbTil, heavily
draped with black, and, following it,
= a long procession of men and WON.
en-, many of them weeping bitterly. A
mist blurred my vision and magnified
the tumbril until to my tear-dimmed
t eye it seemed as a great black cloud
that wrapped the whole countryside
| in it's sorrowful folds. On me it cast
: it's darkest shadow, and l cried to the
| guards to kill me and lay me beside
+ my dear ones. for there was not on
! Gods fair earth one more desolate
, than I. But they only cursed me fol
: a mailman and dashed me with THEN
r whips to urge me forward.
"The tumbril was almost abreast o.
! us when the mourners recognized me
g? and a great cry Of compassion wen
s. up from all, for they knew how it haC
e been with me, and their hearts were
d sore to see me treated thus in The
d presence Of my dead; and moved b!
? common Impulse, they broke in upoI
d our ranks, and, closing round me, Dor,
d me, despite the frantic strivings o
g the guard, to the tumbril's side. On,
/, passionate kiss on the shell that hit
d my darling from my eyes, one ferc
it cry of vengeance on the authors o
y my misery-and / knew no more.
I, when came to myself / was ly
II ing at the bottom Of the wagon il
y which the guards carried their foo
y and equipment The tumbril an
h mourners, the familiar countryside
ID all had gone-and naught save tn
70 toiling band of human misery, tn
t. poor Siberian exiles. was in view.
IS Il will not dwell on the details c
1t that terrible journey. Suffice it t
le say that we reached Tobolsk. ate