The Huron Signal, 1881-06-03, Page 22
THE HURON SIGNAL, F$T?AY, Jun 3, 1881.
A LIFE FOR A LIFE.
11 Dana ¥ULOI:a
CHAPTER XXYV'
all WORT.
MY DLitt Tsaonune,--I did not write,
because I could not. In some states of
mind nothing seems possible to a man
but silence. Forgive me, my love, lily
comfort and joy.
1 have suffered much, but it is over
now, at least the suspense of it; and I
can tell you all, with the calmness that I
myself now feel. You are right; we
love one another: we need not be afraid
of any tribulation.
Before entering on my affairs, let the
answer your letter -all but the last
word, "Come !" My other self my bet-
ter conscience, will herself answer that.
The substance of what you tell me,
I already know. Francis Charteris came
to me on Sunday week, and asked for
Lydia. They were married two days
after --I gave the bride away. Since
then I have drunk tea with them at his
lodging, which, poor as it is, has already
am recovering myself; 1 think, with the
relief of tailing all out to you.
"But," seasoned the eh•pla, "when
a man is utupeent, soup should he not
declare it t Why sit taasely ander cal-
umny t It is unwise, nay, usual*. You
are almost a stranger here, and we in
the provinces like to find out everything
about evurybudy. If I might suggest,"
and he apologised for what he called the
friendly impertinence, "why not be a
little less modest, a little more free with
your personal history, which must have
been • remarkable one, and let some
friend, in a quiet, delicate way, see that
the truth is as widely disseminated as
the slander i If you will trust me—"
"I could mot choose • better pleader."
said I, gratefully: "but it is impossible."
"How sot A man like you can have
nothing to dread --nothing to conceal."
I said again, all I could find words to
say:
"It is impossible."
He urged no more; but I soon felt
painfully certain that some involuntary
distrust lurked in the good man's mind,
and though he continued the same to me
4 -
lamp also his offence; and that such • bead -ii weariness all over me. I did
pintillun sot, would be the first step to- not teed anything much, after the tirst
maw* ng a mere headstrong lad, half hour; except • longing to sae your
seat here street:row, Into a hardened little face once again, sod thea, if it
ruffian. I ,leaded for hila strongly. were God's will, to he down and die,
The govenor listened -polite, h.t in- somewhere near you, quietly, giving no
Illegible. trouble to you or to any one any incite.
1 went on spiskiag with ungual You will remember, I was not in ray us -
warmth; you know my horror 0. these uaf haialh, and had had extra bard work,
floggings; you know, too, my opinion un for sum little time.
the system of punishuent, viewed as a Well, my dear one, this is enough
mere punishment, with no ulterior airs about myself, that day. I went home
at reforniatiun. I believe it is only and fell into harness as usual; then was
blinded human interpretation of things nothing to be done but to wait till the
spiritual, which transforms the imam- storm buret, and I wished for manly
table law that evil us its own avenger, reasons to retain my situation at the jail
and that the wrath of God against sin as long as possible.
must be as everlasting as his pity for But it was a difficult time: riaing to
sinners -into the doctrine of eternal each day's duty, with total uncertainty
torment, the worm that dieth not, and of what might happen before night; and,
the tire that is never quenched. duty done, struggling against a depress -
The govenor heard all that I had to
ion such as I have not known for these
.ay; then, politely always, regretted many years. In the midst of it came
that it was impossible either to grant your dear letters -cheerful, loving con -
my request, nr release me from my tented - unwontedly contented they
duty. seemed to be. I could not answer them,
"There is, however, one course which for to have written in a false strain was
I may suggest to Dr. Urquhart, consider- impossible, and to tell you everything
ing his very peculiar opinions, and his seemed equally so, I said to myself,
the cheerful comfort of a home with a' in all our business relations, a cloud known sympathy with criminals. Do "No, poor child ! she will learn all soon
came over our private intercourse, which you nut think it might be more agreeable enough. Let her be happy while she
woman in it, and that woman s wife. ou to resi 2
to "
I left them -Mr. Chitteris sitting by was never removed. y dui•'
the fire, with his boy on his knee; he About this time another incident oc- The words were nothing; but as he I was wrong. I was unjust to you and
seems passionately fond of the little curved' You know I have a little friend fixed on me that keen eye, which, he to myself. From the hour you
scapegrace, who is, u you said, his very here, the governor's motherlessdaughter, boasts, can without need of judge or gave me your love, I awed it to us
s bonnie wee child whom I met in the jury detect a man's guilt . or innocence, both to give you my full confidence, as
picture. But more than once I caught I felt convinced that with him tog mmy
his eyes following Lydia with a wistful, garden sometimes, where we water her name wise It was no longer much as if you were dear life, I had no
keep -
grateful tenderness. flowers, and have long chats about birds, goodgone.right to wound your heart by
a battle with mere side -winds of slander ing back from it any sorrows of mine.
beasts, and the wonders of foreign parts.
"The most sensible, practical girl im- I even have given a present or two to -the storm hail begun. Forgive me, and forgive something
aginable," he said, during her momen- this, my child sweetheart. Are you I might have sunk like a coward, if else, which I now see was crueler still.
tary absence from the room,; "and shejealous 1 She has your eyes : there were only myself to be crushed Theodora, I wished many times that
knows all my ways, and is so patient Well one day when I called Lucy, she under it. As it was, I looked thegover' you were free; that I had never bound
with them. 'A poor wench,' as Shak-came to me slowly, with a shy, sad coun- nor in the face. you to my hard lot, but kept silence and
spears hath it. 'A poor wench, sir, but tenance, and I found ont after some "Have you any special motive for left you to forget me -to love some one
pains
mine „inn "" that her nurse had desired her not this suggestion?' else better than me -pardon, pardon !
For her, she busied herself aboutto play with Dr. Urquhart again. because "I have stated it." For I was once actually on the point
house matters, humble, silent. except"he sou naughty." "Then allow me to state that, what- of writing to you, saying this, when I
when her husband spoke to her, and
Dr. Urquhart smilingly inquired what ever my opinions may be,' so long as my remembered something you had said
then her whole face brightened. Poor he had done T services are useful here, I have not the long ago -that whether or no we were
Lydia !'• None familiar with her story The child hesitated. wish or intention of resigning." ever married you were glad' we had been
are likely to see much <.f - her again; Mr.,.Nuis•+ does not exactly know, but He bowed and we parted. betrothed -that so far we might always
Charteris seems to wish, and for veryshe says it is something very wicked -as The hx'y was flogged. 1 said to him, be a help and comfort to one another.
natural reasons, that they should begin wicked as anything done by the bad "Bear it; better confess" -as he had For, you added, when I was blaming.
the world entirely afresh; but we may people in here. But it isn't true -tell done-"confeas and be punished now. myself, and talking as men do of
fairly believe one thing concerning herLucy it isn't true." It will then be over." and I hope, by the "honor- and "pride" -to have left you
as concerning another poor sinner :- It was hard to put aside the little grateful look of the poor young wretch, free when you were not free, would
"Her sins, which were many. are for- loving face, but I saw the nurse coming. that with the pain, the punishment w•■ have given you all the cares of love,
given, fur she laved much." Not an ill -meaning body, but one whom over; that my pity helped him to endure with neither its rights, nor duties, nor
After I returned from them, I found I knew for as arrant a gossip as any it, so that it did not harden him, but, sweetnesses; and this might -you did
your letter. It made me cease to feel about this place. Her comments on my- with a little help, he may . become an not say it would --but it might have
what 1 have often felt of late, as if hope self troubled me little; I concluded it honest lad yet. broken your heart
were knocking at every door except was but the result of that newspaper When I left him in his cell, I rather So in my bitter -strait I trusted that
mine. tattle, against which I was gradually envied him. pure heart, whose instinct, I felt, was
I told you once never to be ashamed growing hardened; nevertheless, 1 It now became necessary to look to truer than all my wisdom. I did not
of showing me that you loved rale. Do thought it best just to say that I had my own affairs, and discover, if possible, write the letter, but at the same time,
not be; such love is a woman's glory, and heard with much surprise what she had all that report alleged against me -false as I have told you, it was impossible to
a man's salvation. been telling Miss Lucy. or true -as well as the originator of write any other, even a single line,
" Let me now say what is to be said "Children and fools speak truth," said these statements. Him I at last by the Your last letter came. Happily, it us. I was roused into a full consciousness of
about myself, beginning at the begin- the woman saucily. - merest chance discovered reached me the very morning when the I "Doctor, why will you misapprehend !where and what I was, and what,
ning. "Then you ought to be more careful My little lady, with her quick, warm caws which I had been for weeks ex -
1 mentioned to youonce that I had that children always hear the truth." feelings, must learn to forgive, as I have pecting occurred. I had it in my pocket
' here a gond many enemies, but that I And I insisted upon her repeating all the long ago forgiven. It was Mr. Fraincis all the time I stood in that room before
should soon live them down; which, for ridiculous tales she had been circulating Charteris. those men. But I had best relate from
some time, I hoped and believed, and about me. I believe still, it was less from malice the beginning.
still believe that it would have been w, When, with difficulty, 1 got the facts premediated, than from a mere propen- You are aware that any complaints
under ordinary circumstances. I have out of her, they ' were not what I ex- sity for talking, and that looseness and respecting the officers of this jail, or
ever held that truth is stronger than pected, but these: Somebody in he jail inaccuracy of speech which he always questions concerning its internal man-
toYour are the town's talk."
falsehood -that an honest man has but had told somebody else how Dr. Urqu- had -that he, when idling away his time,
.it still, let the storm blow over, and hart had been in firmer days such an in the debtors' ward of this jail, repeat -agement, are laid before the visiting shamming.
justices. Thus, after the governor's I And another suggested that "Brown had
bide his time. It does not shake this abandoned character, that still his evil ed, probably with extempore additions, hint on every board -day I prepared my better mind his Y's and Q's, there were
doctrine that things have fallen out dif- conscience always drove him among what your sister Penelope once mention- self for a summons. At length it came, I such things as actions fur libel."
ferently with me. criminals; made him haunt jails, prisons, ed to him concerning me-namely,that Iostensibly for a very trivial matter- i I replied if the gentlemen referred to
For some time I had seen the cloud reformatories, and take an interest in Was once about to be married, when the some relaxation of discipline which I
zathering: caught evil reports flying every form of vice. Nay, people had lady's father discovered a crime I had had ordered and been counteracted in.
about; noticed that, in society or in pub- heard me say -and truly they might !- committed in my youth --whether dig- %tut my conduct had never been called
lic meetings, now and then an acquaint- apropos to a late hanging at Kirkdale; honesty, duelling, seduction, or what, into question before, and I knew what
ance gave me the "cold shoulder." Also, that I had sympathy even for a murder- he could not say -but it was something it implied. The very form of it -"The
what troubled me more, for it was a er. absolutely unpardonable by an honorable governors compliments, and he requests
hindrance felt' daily, my influence and I listened -you will imagine how-to man, and the marriage was forbidden.Dr. Urquhart'. attendance in the board -
authority in the jail did not scent quite all this. On this, all the reports against me had room." instead of "Doctor, come up to
what they used to be. I met no affront, For an instant I was overwhelmed; I been founded. my room and talk the matter over" -
certainly, and all was tolerably smooth felt as if God had forsaken me, as if His After hearing this story, which one of
sailing till I had to find fault, and the, mercy were a delusion, His punishment the turnkeys, whose children were down
as you know, a feather will show which never-ending, His justice never satisfied. with fever, told me while watching by
way the wind blows. Despite my promise to your father, I their bedside, begging my pardon for
it was a new experience, fur, at the might in some fatal way have betrayed doing it, honest man ! I went and took
worst of times, in camp or hospital, my myself on the spot, had I not heard the a long walk down the Waterloo shore, to
prior fellows always loved me -I found little girl saying, with a sob, almost- calm myself, and consider my position.
it hard.tour pet ' For I knew it was in vain to struggle
More scurrilous newspaper paragraphs, "For shame, nurse ! Dr. Urquhart any more. I was ruined.
the last and least obnoxious of which I isn't a wicked man; Lucy loves him." An innocent man might have fought
sent you, lest you might hear of it in And I remember you. on; how any one, with a clear con -
some other way, followed those proceed- "My child," I said, in a whisper, "we science, is ever conquered by slander,
ings of imine concerning retorm•tories. are all wicked, but we may al[ be for- or afraid of it, 1 cannot understand.
Two articles -the titles, "Physician, given; I trust God has forgiven me;" With a clean heart, and truth on his
heal thyself," and ':Set a thief to catch a and I walked away without another tougue, a man ought to be as bold as •
thief" will give you an idea of their ten- word. lion. I should have been; but My
or -went so far as to be actionable libels. But since then I have thought it best love, you know.
Several persons here. our chaplain to avoid the governor's garden; and it This Waterloo shore has always been
especially, urged me to take legal pro- has est me more pain than you would a favorite haunt of mine. Yon once
ceedings in defence of guy character, but iinagme-the contriving always to pass said, you should like to live by the sea;
1 ,declined. at a distance, se as to get only • nod and I have never heard the ripple of the
One day, arguing the point, the chap- and smile, which cannot harm her, from tide without thinking of you --never to deal with them, and to their dealings
lain pressed me for my reasons, which I little Lucy. seen the little children playing about with the likes of me --a poor profession -
gave him, and will give you, for 1 hare About this time --it might be two or and digging on the sands without think- al, whose annual income was little more
mg a conscientious objection to reform
since had only too much occasion to re- three days after. for out of work -hours ing-God help me ! if one keeps silence, than they would expend carelessly upon ing bred including himself.
member them literally. f little noticed how time passed ---aa un- it i. nut bee»uae rine does not feel t1s oss of their splendid "feeds • But. un everybody-- y -
I said 1 had always had an instinctive pleasant circumstance occurred with knife. "Who would here thought the til lately among my eo costes in iieee, 1
dislike and dread of the Lw, that a man Lucy's father. old man had so mnch blood in him r" had been both friendly and papular
was good for little if he could not de- I must have told you of him, for he is Let me stop. I will not pain you, Now They took their tone from the rest
fend himself by any better weapons than a remarkable man; young still, and well- my love. noire than I vara help. Re. and even the governor end the chaplain
the verdict of an ignorant jury, and a looking, with manners like his features,* sides. as i told y, •u, the worst .4 my p.sssevexd t"ward me • rigid seismal
specious, sometimes lying, barrister's bard as iron. though delicate and polish- suffering is eroded. You de not know,our 'ad Riede parses
ed as steel. He seems born to be the i believe ? arms' ha, a rat till nightfall 01 heini "went t» (`"vestry." 1f yes olid
tongue. m s. i l.t underwtend h..a the..e tea
The old clergyman, alarmed, "hoped ruler of criminals. Brutality, chanes.. au IMMO the sand -hills by tae shore. Fee y"
I was not • duellist," at which I only or injustice would be impossible to hmm years to verve, if I lief a, long, 1 .hall aun"t" that, sro•rdeng to my "niers, I
Smiled it never occurred to ire to take Likewise, another thing mercy. tee as clear and altio as unreal as a paint -sat •1.o f fn•m uhf "'I while <.tisv
the trouble of denying any such ridion. It was on this point that he and i had ing that level sea -line, along which , business was proceeding were not the
Ions perpose. I kr.ew Lot how when our difference. moved the small white silent ships. and plessante t Iooes1Ma
ones the ball is set r'liter. •eainat a man We met in the east want. when lie steamers. with their h amraiag paddle- Men among assn grow hard, are liable
hie laghttwt words are me le to gather pointed out to me in passing that an- wheeie anti their -trailing thread of to evil passions, fits of pride, hatred,
weight and massing, Lis very looks ars aounoemer•t on the centre slate of "• , smoke, dropping one after the other and revenge, that are probably onfarail-
browght in judgment upon him it is , boy to be whipped ! into what some one of your favorite tar to yen sweet woman. it was well i
It seems ridiculous. but the words ' poets. my child. silk "the Nader world." had your letter in lay Pocket Besides.
she way ..f the world.
Yoe We I can ihoraliss s sten that 1 sickened me For 1 knew the hely. Sphere seemed • R'u'st willed no my tors is .►seething in enie►og to the M.
is of a great mietortune, which braises up wake guilt no bubo, and "lime
a rani nerves to sleet it. So when the i'leasaitt and easy. .There are eon- ,
governor, turning round in his always Sequences of sari which must Malika sin -
courteous tone, said the board regulated tier to the day of has death. .
a few minutes' conversation with me, ` It might have been one minute or ten
I could rise anti stand steady to meet that 1 stood motionless, feeliug as if I
whatever shape of hard fortune was be- could have given up life and all its blo..-
fore me. ipgs without • pang, to be ile to face
The governor, like most men of non- those men with • clear conscience, and
intrusive but iron will, who have both say, "It is all is lie. I am innonent"
temper and feelings perfectly under con- Then. for my salvation, came the
trol, has a very strong influence where- thought -it seemed spoken into my ear;
ever he goes. It was he who opened the voice half like Dallas's, half like
and carried on with me what he politely yours -"If God hath fugetten nu►, why
termed a "little conversation" be afraid of 'tient" And I raid, humbly
"These difficulties," continued he, enough- yet, I trust, without any cring-
after referring to the dismissed coin- ing or abjectness of fear -that I.wished,
plaint of my strainiug the rules of the before taking any farther step, to hear
jail to their utmost limit, from my the whole of the statements current
"sympathy with criminals," "these un- against myself, and how far they were
pleasautnesees, Dr. Urquhart, will, I credited by the gentlemen before me.
fear, be always occurring. Have you The accusati ,n, I was informed, stood
reconsidered the hint I gave to you some thus; flouting rumors having accumnulat-
little time ago'" ed into a substantive fonu--terribly
I answered that it was rarely my habit near the truth ' that I had, in my youth,
to take hints; I preferred having all either here or abroad, cumulated some
crime which rendered ate amenable to
things spoken right out.
"Such candor is creditable, though the laws of my county; and though, by
not always possible or advisable. I some trick of law, I had escaped justice,
should have been exceedingly glad if the tan upon me was such, that only by
the wandering life which I myself had
you had saved me from what I feel to
be my duty, however painful --namely, owned to having led, could 1 escape the
to repeat my private suggestion public- fury of public opinion. The impression
ly,'• against me was now so strong,, in the
"You mean that I should tender my jail and out of it, that the governor
resignation?" would not engage oven by his own au -
"Excuse my saying -and the board thonty to preserve mine unless I fur -
agrees with me- that such a step seems niched him with an immediate, explicit
desirable, for many reasons." denial to this charge. Which, he was
I waited, and then asked for those pleased to say, if it had not been so
reasons. widely spread, so mysterious in its orig-
"Dr. Urquhart must surely be aware and so oddly corroborated by soci-
of them." dental admissions on my part, he should
A nun is not bound to rush madly have treated as simply ridiculous.
into his ruin. I determined to die fight- "And now," he added, apparently re-
ing, at any rate. I said addressing the assured by the composure with which 1
board: . had listened, "I have only to ask you to
"Gentlemen, I stn not aware of 11av- deny it, point-blank. before the board `
ing conducted myself in any mann€r that . and myself."
unfits ins for being.urgeon to this jail. 1 asked, what must I deny ?
Any slight differences between the gore- "Why, if the accusations were not too
nor and myself are mere matters of opin- ludicrous to express, just state that you
ion, which signify little w lung as nei- are neither forger,' burglar, nor bud)
ther trenches on the other's . authority, snatcher; that you never either killed a
and both are amenable to the regulations man (unprofessionally, of course, if we
of the establishment. If you have any may be excused the joke) for profession -
cause of complaint against me, state it. al purposes, or shot him irregularly in a
reprove or dismiss me -but no one has a duel, or waylaid him with pistols behind
right, without just grounds, to request a hedge."
me to resign." "Am I supposed to have committed
The governor, even through that all these crimes 1" '
handsome, impassive, masked a'unten- "Such is the gullibility of the public;
once of his, looked annoyed. For an in- you really are," said the governor,
stant his hard manner dropped into the .ailing.
old friendliness, evenaswhen,in the first , On the indignant impulse of the mom -
few weeks after his wife's death, he and ent, I denied them each and all, upon
I used to sit playing chess together of my honor as a gentleman; until, feeling
evenings, with little Lucy between the old chaplain cordially grip my hand,
me"? It is fur your own sake that 1 either by word or implication, I had
wish, before the matter is opened up I been asserting._
farther, you should resign your post." Somebody said, "Give him air; no
After a moment's consideration 1 re- wonder he feels it, poor fellow !" And
quested him to explain himself more s,,, after a little. I gathered up my facul-
clearly. ties, and saw the board sitting waiting;
One of the magistrates here cried out and the governor with pen and ink be -
with a laugh, "Come, come, ,doctor; no fore hint.
"Thu painful business will soon be
settled, Doctor,' said he, cheerfully.
"Just answer a question or two, which,
as .e matter of forum, I will put in writ-
ing, and then, if you will do me the4'
the scurrilons allegations against me honor to dine with me to -day, we can
which had appeared in print, that they consult how beat to make the statement
might speak without fear; I had no in- public; without of course compromising
tention of prosecuting for libel. This your dignity. To begin. You hereby
silenced them a moment, and then the made declaration that you were neter in
first magistrate said: 1 jail l never tried at any assizes 1 have
"Give a dog a bad name and hang him, never committed any act which rendered
but surely, doctor, you can't be aware
you liable to prosecution under our
what a very bad name you have some- criminal law f"
was sufficient indication of what was im- how got in these parts, or you would i He ran the words off carelessly, and
pending. have been more eager to draw your paused for my answer. When none
I found present, besides the governor neck out of the halter in time. Why, came, he looked up, his own penetrating,
and chaplain, an unusual number of bless my soul, man alive, do you know suspicious look.
magistrates. These, who are not al- i what folk make you out to bel^ "perhaps I did not eftproess mysel
clearly 1 And he slightly changed the
form of the sentence.
"Now, what shall 1 write, Dr. T•nlu-
hart i"
If I could then and there have made
full confession, and gone out of that
room an prisoner it would have been,
so far as regarded myself, a relief unut-
terable, a mercy beyond all mercies.
But I had to remember your father.
The governor laid down his pen.
"Thu Looks, to say the least, rather
strange."
"Doctor," cried one of the board,
"y'u must he mad to bold your tongue
and let your character go to Hs dogs in
this way. "
[m 55 o•nwvnrria.]
ways or necessarily gentlemen, stared at
me as if I had been some strange beast, to the matter in hand, interrupted the
all the time I was giving my brief evi-
governor, who, I felt, had never taken
dente about the breach of regulations' his sharp eyes off me. "The question is
dente bo of. It was won settled, for merely this: that any officer inauthority
complI had been careful to, keep within the among criminals must of necessity bear
letter of the law, and I made a motion an unblemished character. Neither in
to take leave, when one of the justices the establishment nor out of it ought
requested me to "wait a bit -they hadn't people to be able to say of him that -
done with me yet." that
'Say it out, sir.
These sort of men,low-born-not that 'That there were circumstances in his
that is any disgrace, but a glory, unless former life which would not bear in -
accompanied with a low nature -and sprctton, and that merely accident drew
"dressed in • low brief suthorty, 'cine the line between himself and the enn-
often meets with here; I was well used vias he was tient on reforming."
"Hear, hear'" said a justice, who had
long thwarted me in my schemes, hav-
(Sure that thigh ! too can do ttspeed-
' •Nsv," said the governor. "1 did ily, r►fe*y teal tardy toll► Mapard s
n• • . ,..- this as a fact - only a report. I Pectora) balsas Nmr ran f1s align to
Th. -se reports have come tc, such a i 0, 11 me ssig it
heu:ht, that they must either he proved i trifling wtA s Psdersi
..r 'aerated. An therefore 1 wished, be- Hakim
(circ any public inquiry became neoiwi•r). Crou , :asthma Whooping
enm*j awl all li y VS" I i OP,
-unless, indeed. Dr. Urquhart will con. (Nein it of c"ur•lra�sG
sant t.. the explanatory .elf -defence
Which he definitely rerueed Mr. Thor- Yellow 011 fix for the cur.
ley-- f bras, Wounds.
And they both looked angio itsly at me Fr•id Iwo tttt>a No other
medicitw in the
hnnsonhoild. 11
-these two whom I have always found ' is ing intim] as wen •. „sternal ems. honest, honorable men. and who were Every bolds is guaranteed to give satin
once my friends, or at least friendly as. feeties. An amdieine dealsre .dl it
sociatee--the chaplain and the rover — - _
nor
'ratan ALL an rt --TA beautify the
teeth and give frown/ice to Hs breath
Theodor►, ne one need ever dread lest i use •'Iv y' the new toilet gain. Get
the doctrine of total forgvr.in.se. should 5 emit sample
170