"JOE THE WRECK."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1734, 7 January 1888, Page 3

"JOE THE WRECK."

" Guilty, or not guilty 1"

" Guiby, your honor. It's the old 'ple», Jadge — tho plea 'Joe^.the Wreck 1 tiaß been making for yearsr' It baa bear entered against me m all the courts below, and I'm afraid I'll fiud it Bgaiosi me In the coorta above. Will they br hard on me up thorp, Judge 1 Will thej call me 'Joe, the Wreck,' and because I havy to put In the old plea, will they drag me around like a beartleßß thing] You know I can't alter the plea, Judge. Will there be any mercy when I answer 'guilty' m tite court above V

*' Yes, up thete mercy will be »howD even to * Joe, the Wreck ;' but they will punish the guilty Dp there Y>u are n h»rd case, Joe. Always on a druuk — — "

*' Always ? (h, no. Judge, not ulwayß Once I was an innocent babe on m-i mother's breast Once I wan a happy boy, playing about her knee. There wasn't a bad thought m ray heart, Judge, not a blotch nor a soar on the face that ahr kissed. Once I w*b loved. Ah, Judge, 1 Joe, the Wreck ' wbb once giod enough for a pure woman to l"ye, Bessie lovea me — oh — the past——"

"Joe, the court pities you, bat *■—" " Don't, Judge, d( n't send me « ff yet. I want to let it out of my withered heart Once I had a home, Judge — 'J c, the Wreck' had a horne — mine and Bessie's i>id you know her, Judge — her they call 1 Bessie, the parson's lass ' 1 "

" Are you the Joe that married Besule— — "

" Ah, yoa don't know he", then 1 The first evening 1 went home snd found our cottage bright and warm, Bessie smiling and blushing by the li> tie table where waited the toa her willing hands h?d prepared, X was the proudest man la the world, Jadge, Something burned m my heart and swelled m my throat, and I couldn't speak, — a feeling more like heaven than I'll ever know again j a feeling that died loog ago -died even out of my dreams — cicd when she died of a broken heart "

"Joe, the conrt-— »" " Walt, Jadge, wait for her uake. Yon

told them 'Joe, the Wreck 1 won Bessie. Let me tell them he wasn't a wreck then. Ho won lief because ho pledged her and God that ha would love and cherifih her. He kept the vow till drink made him forgot — forget God, love, homo, wife, and babe on her bosom. Ob, if 1 ooold only torget now — forget all tha daya that are dead — the hopeo I wrecked — the graved where I've burled— everything——" 11 This is a strange scene m court, Joe. Will you try to break off?"

"Never, Jadge; I can't. The past pushes me on atd down. 1 fear the dead Back there more thtm the death before. The ghostaall rice up when I turn. They follow me In the bright light of day, and come to haunt mo Id tbe remorseful house of night. I see the old house where I played ; the mother who taught me a prayer at her knee ; the father who doted on his only boy ; and I see — Bessie — oh, God I— her radiant face under the bridal veil — her face fall of the heaven of motherhood as Bhe laid our first-born od my breast— her face white and tear-wet as she pleaded with me—holy with wifely love as she prayed for me ;— the babe — I feel its soft hand on my cheek. Oh, Jadge »

•* Joe, I forget (hat I am a Judge, and tA'v yon with the heart of an erring man Bat yon "

" W nit, »Tu/ge, only a word mor^, and " Jo-, tho Wreck," will go. Ah, if the world only knew. If it coujd sen hs poor soul hiding from th.c past, and the devils th-it pursue him. r l hey point ttheir work and mine with shidowy fing ts, and 'auph at the ruin we have wrought. Yes, I'm guilty, \our honor. I have branded my soul witfi the cureo of drink Ay, men will look on Bi-e&ia a grave, and B<y I'm a murderer. Oh, the day— he yours that are gore — tbe graves I hay* filled wi<h the r dead " "Joo " ," r "» °>; d wit h this talk. Ha ha, ha ! why should I think of the good ? lam gone to tbe b -d . Not Bessie and Joe, but rum and Joe are wed See the boy», how they stare at the wreck 1 Ah, 'tis Bessie stalking to-day— let me put on the old wreck again. Now your eentenc*. Judne, send me away."—" Toronto Truth "