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761
‘
But
the
spirit
of
resignation
and
endurance
that
had
so
long
upheld
her
,
was
unable
to
contend
against
bodily
weakness
and
infirmity
.
She
fell
sick
.
She
dragged
her
tottering
limbs
from
the
bed
to
visit
her
son
once
more
,
but
her
strength
failed
her
,
and
she
sank
powerless
on
the
ground
.
762
‘
And
now
the
boasted
coldness
and
indifference
of
the
young
man
were
tested
indeed
;
and
the
retribution
that
fell
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
;
a
third
evening
arrived
,
and
yet
he
had
not
seen
her
—
and
in
four
-
and
-
twenty
hours
he
was
to
be
separated
from
her
,
perhaps
for
ever
.
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
bitterly
a
sense
of
his
helplessness
and
desolation
rushed
upon
him
,
when
he
heard
the
truth
!
His
mother
,
the
only
parent
he
had
ever
known
,
lay
ill
—
it
might
be
,
dying
—
within
one
mile
of
the
ground
he
stood
on
;
were
he
free
and
unfettered
,
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
feeble
efforts
,
and
he
beat
his
hands
together
and
wept
like
a
child
.
763
‘
I
bore
the
mother
’
s
forgiveness
and
blessing
to
her
son
in
prison
;
and
I
carried
the
solemn
assurance
of
repentance
,
and
his
fervent
supplication
for
pardon
,
to
her
sick
-
bed
.
Отключить рекламу
764
I
heard
,
with
pity
and
compassion
,
the
repentant
man
devise
a
thousand
little
plans
for
her
comfort
and
support
when
he
returned
;
but
I
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
afterwards
the
poor
woman
’
s
soul
took
its
flight
,
I
confidently
hope
,
and
solemnly
believe
,
to
a
place
of
eternal
happiness
and
rest
.
I
performed
the
burial
service
over
her
remains
.
She
lies
in
our
little
churchyard
.
There
is
no
stone
at
her
grave
’
s
head
.
Her
sorrows
were
known
to
man
;
her
virtues
to
God
.
‘
it
had
been
arranged
previously
to
the
convict
’
s
departure
,
that
he
should
write
to
his
mother
as
soon
as
he
could
obtain
permission
,
and
that
the
letter
should
be
addressed
to
me
.
The
father
had
positively
refused
to
see
his
son
from
the
moment
of
his
apprehension
;
and
it
was
a
matter
of
indifference
to
him
whether
he
lived
or
died
.
Many
years
passed
over
without
any
intelligence
of
him
;
and
when
more
than
half
his
term
of
transportation
had
expired
,
and
I
had
received
no
letter
,
I
concluded
him
to
be
dead
,
as
,
indeed
,
I
almost
hoped
he
might
be
.
765
‘
Edmunds
,
however
,
had
been
sent
a
considerable
distance
up
the
country
on
his
arrival
at
the
settlement
;
and
to
this
circumstance
,
perhaps
,
may
be
attributed
the
fact
,
that
though
several
letters
were
despatched
,
none
of
them
ever
reached
my
hands
.
He
remained
in
the
same
place
during
the
whole
fourteen
years
.
766
At
the
expiration
of
the
term
,
steadily
adhering
to
his
old
resolution
and
the
pledge
he
gave
his
mother
,
he
made
his
way
back
to
England
amidst
innumerable
difficulties
,
and
returned
,
on
foot
,
to
his
native
place
.
767
‘
On
a
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
man
’
s
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
part
,
awakened
the
associations
of
his
earliest
days
.
He
pictured
himself
as
he
was
then
,
clinging
to
his
mother
’
s
hand
,
and
walking
peacefully
to
church
.
He
remembered
how
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
stooped
to
kiss
him
,
and
made
him
weep
too
,
although
he
little
knew
then
what
bitter
tears
hers
were
.
He
thought
how
often
he
had
run
merrily
down
that
path
with
some
childish
playfellow
,
looking
back
,
ever
and
again
,
to
catch
his
mother
’
s
smile
,
or
hear
her
gentle
voice
;
and
then
a
veil
seemed
lifted
from
his
memory
,
and
words
of
kindness
unrequited
,
and
warnings
despised
,
and
promises
broken
,
thronged
upon
his
recollection
till
his
heart
failed
him
,
and
he
could
bear
it
no
longer
.
‘
He
entered
the
church
.
The
evening
service
was
concluded
and
the
congregation
had
dispersed
,
but
it
was
not
yet
closed
.
Отключить рекламу
768
His
steps
echoed
through
the
low
building
with
a
hollow
sound
,
and
he
almost
feared
to
be
alone
,
it
was
so
still
and
quiet
.
He
looked
round
him
.
Nothing
was
changed
.
The
place
seemed
smaller
than
it
used
to
be
;
but
there
were
the
old
monuments
on
which
he
had
gazed
with
childish
awe
a
thousand
times
;
the
little
pulpit
with
its
faded
cushion
;
the
Communion
table
before
which
he
had
so
often
repeated
the
Commandments
he
had
reverenced
as
a
child
,
and
forgotten
as
a
man
.
He
approached
the
old
seat
;
it
looked
cold
and
desolate
.
The
cushion
had
been
removed
,
and
the
Bible
was
not
there
.
Perhaps
his
mother
now
occupied
a
poorer
seat
,
or
possibly
she
had
grown
infirm
and
could
not
reach
the
church
alone
.
He
dared
not
think
of
what
he
feared
.
A
cold
feeling
crept
over
him
,
and
he
trembled
violently
as
he
turned
away
.
‘
An
old
man
entered
the
porch
just
as
he
reached
it
.
Edmunds
started
back
,
for
he
knew
him
well
;
many
a
time
he
had
watched
him
digging
graves
in
the
churchyard
.
What
would
he
say
to
the
returned
convict
?
769
‘
The
old
man
raised
his
eyes
to
the
stranger
’
s
face
,
bade
him
"
good
-
evening
,
"
and
walked
slowly
on
.
He
had
forgotten
him
.
770
‘
He
walked
down
the
hill
,
and
through
the
village
.
The
weather
was
warm
,
and
the
people
were
sitting
at
their
doors
,
or
strolling
in
their
little
gardens
as
he
passed
,
enjoying
the
serenity
of
the
evening
,
and
their
rest
from
labour
.
Many
a
look
was
turned
towards
him
,
and
many
a
doubtful
glance
he
cast
on
either
side
to
see
whether
any
knew
and
shunned
him
.