Year: 1878

A robbery Of daring and aggravated


nature OCcasoned a vigilance OF pur.


suit and u strictness of search, they had


not calculated upon. Young Edmunds


WAS suspected, with three companions


He was apprehended, committed, tried,


conference.-the die.


"The wild and piercing shrieks from a


wOman's voice, which resOunded through


the court when the solemn sentence was


pronounced, rings in my ears at this mo


ment The cry struck n terror to the


cuIprits heart, which trial, condemna.


tion, the approach of death itself, had


failed to awaken The lips which had


been compressed in dogged sullenness


throughout, quivered and parted invol-


unfairly; the face turned ashy pale as
the cold perspiration broke forth from
every pore; the sturdy limbs of the ielon
trembled, and he staggered in the dock.


" In the first transports Of her mental
anguish the suffering mother threw her
self upon her knees at my feet, and Ter.


vently besought the Almighty Being
who had hitherto supported her in all


her troubles, to release her from world
OF woe and misery, and to spare the life
OF her only child. A burst of griet, and
Il violent struggle, such as | hope may


never have to witness again, succeeded


knew that her heart was breaking from


tnat hour; but | never once hearG com
/ plant or murmur escape her lips,


1t was Il piteous spectacle TO see that


woman in the pri-on~yard from day to
day, eagerly anu ietvently attempting,


by affection and entreaty, to soften the
hard heart of her obdurate son. 1t was
in vain. He remained moody, obsti-
nate, and unmOved. Not even the un>
lOOkCd-i0r Communication of his sentence
TO transportation for fourteen years,
sOtteued for au instant the sullen hardi'
hood OF his demeanor.


But the spirit OF resignation and en-
durance that had SO long upheld her,
was unable TO contend against bodily
weakness and intirmity. She fell sick.
She dragged her tottering limbs from
the bed TO visit her son once more bu
her strength failed her and she sunk
powerless on the ground.


And now the boosted cOldness and
Indifference Of the young man were
testel indeed; and the retribution that
iell heavily upon him, nearly drove him
mad A day passed away and his mother
was not there another flew by, and she
came not near him; third evening ar.
rived and vet he had not seen her; and
in four and twenty hours he wa+ to be
separated from heI--perhaps forever.
Oh how the long forgotten thoughts OF
former days rushed upon his mind, as
he almost ran up and down the narrow
yard--as If intelligence would arrive the
sooner for his hurrying--and how bitter
sense OF his helplessness and desolatiOn
rushed upon him, when he heard the
truth? His mother, the only parent he
had ever known lay ili--it might be,
dying-Within one mile OF the ground
no stood on; werehe free and uniettered,
a few minutes would place him by
her side He rushed to the gate, and
grasping the iron rails with the energy
OF desperation, shook it till it rang again,
and threw himself against the thick wall
AS if to force a passage through the stone!
but the strong building mocked his fee
bic efforts, and he beat his hands together
and wept like child.


II bore the mothers forgiveness and
blessing to her son in prison, and | car
riea bis solemn assurance Of repentance,
and his iervent supplication for pardon,
to her sick bed. / heard with pity and
compassion, the repentant man devise a
Thousand little plans for her comfort and
support when he returned; nut ] knew
that many months before he could reach
his place of destination, his mother would
be no longer OF this world.


He WAS removed by night. a few
weeks aIlerward the poor woman soul
took its flight, confidently hope, and
sOlemuIy believe, TO place Of eternal
happiness and rest. ! performed the
burial service over her remains Sne
lies in our little churchyard, There is
no stone at her graves head. Her sOr-
rows were known to man; her virtues to
God.


"lt had been arranged previously to
tha convicFs departure, that he should
write TO bis mother as soon as he could
obtain permission, and that the letter
should be- addressed to me. The father
had positively refused to zee his sen from
the moment Of the apprehension and it
was a matter of Indifference to him
whether me lived or died. Many years
passed over without any Intelligence of
him, and when more than half his term
Of transportation had expired, and had
received no letter, concluded him to be
deal, us indeed, almost hoped ne might
be.


'Eimunds, however, had been sent
distance up the country on
his arrival AZ the settlement; and to this
circu Instance, perhaps, may be attributed
the TACT, that though several letters were
dispatched, none OF them ever reached
my hands. He remained in the same
place during the whole fourteen years.
At the expiration OF the term, steadily
adbering to his old resolution and the
pledge he gave his mother, he made his
way back to England amidst innumer-
able difficulties, and returned, on foot, to
bis native place.


On fine Sunday evening, in the month
of August, John Edmunds set foot in
the village he had left with shame and
disgrace seventeen years before. His
nearest way lay through the churchyard.
The mans heart swelled as he crossed
the stile, The tall old elms, through
whose branches the declining sun cast
here and there a rich ray OF light upon
the shady path, awakened the associa-
tions of his earliest days. He pictured
himself as he was then, clinging to his
mothers hand, and walking peaceably
10 church. He remembered hsw he used
to look up into her pale face, and how
her eyes would sometimes fill with tears
as she gazed upon his features
tears which fell hot upon his forehead
as she stopped to kiss him, and made him
weep too, although he little knew then
what bitter tears hers were. He thought
4 = g.. la had run uaerriIv down that