Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-05-27
made as though he would draw hi:

SHClu. nut l ruSneu upon MIN l.he
wild beast loosed from its cage, and,
graphing with him, forced him 1ack'
wards down the steps. He ragged and
SwCre at me, and struck me With the
heavy keys which he held in his hand
rnti tic Elood Strcamcd down my
face and nigh blinded me; bnt clung
the more tightly to MIN. and. putting
my foot behind him. trippcd him and
threw him heavily to the ground. His
head struck the stone floor with stun.
ming force, and he resisted no longer.
With Il glad cry | sprung to my feet,
and, sratching the sword from his
side fell back pace that | might
give greater force TO my blow. NerY'
Ing myself with tho thought OF all |
had suffered in the past, was about
to strike when felt the light touch OF
hand on my arm.
Great Cod: What did see! Stand.
ing beside me, in a radiance Of light
that seemed in ? moment TO melt the
black shadows envelopins my heart.
was my darling boy, with look OF
mingled rcproach and compassion on
his pure young face that blottcd
from my min3 all further thought Ul
evil. With cry Of shame threw
the murdercus weapon from my hand
and falling OH my knees, wept bitter
tears Of sCrro%:, and thanked the good
Cod who had sent him TO save ne
| e I,of 1,o.nrni
! decd. Then blessed calm. such as !
! had never known before. fell upon Ely
! split. ard | raised my eyes to the
bris:t figure above me. y heavenly
sli.iio lit up his angelic face, as il ir
approval of tic change his presence
had wrought in mc-and he was gone.
Rising up new man. | went into Ill?
cell, and bringing fCrth pitcher OF
water, bathed the temples OF the
| prostrate guard and moistaEcd his
lips Gradually hn returned TO ron.
sci0usneSs. and when he was suiIi'
ciently rrcu"c:cA. | handed him his
sword. ard lnccijng before him,
begged forgiveness for the Injury
hal done him and the still greater
wrong | had mclitael against him.
But with mutte"cd threats and curses
he sDurrcd ne FROM him. and bidding
nc enter my cell. locked the door on
nc and left ME.
Tie next day was taken before
the governor and condemned to he
l;nout"d.
AS sucn as the sentence had been
courtyard and fastened by the wrists
~ an iron most Then two stalwart
wardors. with krouts in their hands.
barc;! my shoulders and commenced
TO lash m2.
What suffered as the cruel thongs
dosccnIcl en- my flesh and Tapped
around ny Quivcring body 10 words
can express. I shriekci with tho
asoDy and called On them in mercy
Ia Kill me outright. But they lashed
me the more, and was at the point
touch on my arm that had already
spared ne 6 worse punishment, and,
looking Up, behcId my boy beside me
AS MS tender. compassionate eyes
met mine the pain OF the scourSins
c"p&ed. and | felt not the blows they
raincd down on my bleeding shoul'
GERS. Lifting his hand, he directed
NY attention to Il spot some few
yards ahead-and there behcld
strange sight.
Pound to an iron pillar with his
face turned from us. was another
prisoner. his Two shoulders barred ana
liyid from the blows that had already
bc"n shGwcr2d upon them. AS
yazcd on The cruel sight the prison
walls melted before my eyes and | be
held as in a vision, the whole world
spread out before me. And say
myriads OF pc0pl,-men. women anu
children of ell sorts and conditions
Eocking irom every point toward the
pillar where the poor prisoner was
tied. And as they GREW nearer | saw
that all-2vcn the childr@n-br:c
scolirges in their hands, with which,
rs they passed the pillar, they smotc
with reluctance. as il urged On
bv those behind. Others, and they
were numbcrleSs, smote with all their
might and with malice inconccivable,
while others again turned ana smote
more Gcrcely than before. One there
was who !ivetcd my attention. by tho
eagcrr.ss with which lie pressed or
To the pi!!ar. and by the revolving cX'
vr.ssiGa of his cOun;enanc2. Never
had seen 50 much malice and hatred
delivered with one blow as when he
struck those now t!"Shlcss bones.
cried alC;,d with hGrr0r at the sight
and strained to burst my bands. that
mi"ht tear him TO pieces. so infllri-
atcd was | by his brutality. And in
that moment both he and the victim
OF his malice turned and looked at
me and my heart sank within me.
I'm that raging brute whom had
cursed and hungcrcd to tear | bchcld
none other than myself, and in his
victim-thc man Of sorrows-thc mas.
ter Of all.
"Thcn tho vision faded and found
myself lying on bed i'll the prison
hospital. had been unconscious,
they told me, for many hours-so Sc
we're had been the punishment | lad
suffered at the hands Of the wardcfs.
When was well enough | re-
turned TO my work. and thcnccforth
my life was happier one. The one
short glance of divine forgiveness
w,iich the master had deigncd TO cast
ON ne at the pillar changed my whole
life, and gave me now hopes OF a bet
ter one hcrcaftcr-Of a glad reunion
with those had loved long since lost
a while.
For many years | have waited for
that happy day Of emancipation. and
! | know now that it cannot be ia: Off
nay, that it is very near. Often, OF