Part 21 (1/2)
When Mr. Wharton called, he was admitted to the Governor; and the two former friends, after a cordial greeting, were closeted together for a long time. He confirmed all that Agnes said of her brother, and a.s.sured the Governor that it was the opinion of physicians that he could not recover, and might not last a month. He spoke long and feelingly of the devotion of Agnes to her brother, in attendance upon whom, in his loneliness and imprisonment, she had worn out health and strength.
The eyes of the Governor now glistened with emotion as he said, ”Well, well, I hope I shall not be doing wrong. At what time do you leave in the morning, Mr. Wharton?”
”In the very first train. Agnes cannot be longer from her brother's bedside.”
”Can you bring her here for one moment before you leave?”
”Certainly.”
”Well, then, tell her to lie down to-night, and sleep in peace; and may Heaven bless a sister so devoted, and a friend so true.”
The Governor was not so well when Mr. Wharton and Agnes called the next morning; but Ruth. appeared, her face radiant with joy, and, throwing her arms around Agnes' neck, she put into her hand a _sealed paper_.
XX.
Twice Free.
”Oh liberty!
Thou choicest gift of Heaven, and wanting which Life is as nothing.”--KNOWLES.
Oh! the suns.h.i.+ne, and the glad earth, and the singing of the birds of early spring, to the prisoner, sick, and worn, and weary! How the feeble pulse already begins to throb with pleasure, and life which had seemed so valueless before, looks lovely and much to be desired now.
The official announcement of the pardon reached Hillsdale almost as soon as Agnes herself, and the friends of the young prisoner lost no time in removing him as gently and as comfortably as possible, to his uncle's kind home at Brook Farm. Here nothing was left undone by his devoted friends to soothe his declining days; and with a heart overflowing with grat.i.tude and love, Lewie sank quietly towards the grave.
He was very gentle now, and the change in him was so great, that his sister doubted not that repentance and faith had done their work. His own doubts and fears were many, though sometimes a glimmering of hope would beam through the clouds which seemed to have gathered about him.
One day, after a long conversation with Agnes upon the love and mercy of G.o.d, he said:
”Well Agnes, it may be, there is hope for me too; I know He is all-powerful and all-merciful; why, as you say, should not his mercy extend even to me?”
”He is _able_ and _willing_ to save unto the uttermost,” said Agnes.
”Unto--the--uttermost! Unto--the--uttermost!” repeated the sick youth slowly; then looking up with his beautiful eye beaming with expression;--
”Yes, Agnes,” said he, ”I will trust him!”
Day by day he grew weaker, and at times his sufferings were intense; but such a wonderful patience and calmness possessed him, and he seemed so to forget self in his thought for others, that Mrs. Wharton said, in speaking of him:
”I never so fully realized the import of the words '_a new creature_.'
Who would think that this could be our impetuous, thoughtless Lewie, of former times.”
”You must make some allowance for the languor of sickness, my dear,”
said Mr. Wharton, who of course did not see so much of the invalid as those who had the immediate charge of him.
”Weakness, I grant, would make him less impetuous and violent,” answered his wife, ”but would it make him patient, and docile, and considerate, if there were not some radical change in his feelings and temper?”