{"product_id":"2940013760301","title":"The Hermit Convict","description":"\"NOT GUILTY! My lord, not guilty, I assure you!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe speaker was a young man, respectably dressed, with a countenance\u003cbr\u003esomewhat pale, but giving evidence of a determined will, and a general\u003cbr\u003edemeanor which indicated intelligence and good breeding. Standing in the\u003cbr\u003edock, arraigned before the judge of assize at Winchester, in a crowded\u003cbr\u003ecourt, with the serious charge of forgery against him, James Stewart in\u003cbr\u003ea firm tone of voice pleaded thus, and, the plea being recorded, the\u003cbr\u003etrial commenced. The Crown Court in that ancient assize hall is very\u003cbr\u003ecommodious, and the galleries are sufficiently capacious to hold several\u003cbr\u003ehundred spectators, but upon this occasion every nook and corner was\u003cbr\u003eoccupied.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe circumstances of the case were very peculiar. The young man was well\u003cbr\u003eknown; his employer was a citizen in the town of Southampton, and it was\u003cbr\u003erumored that the prosecution was without his sanction, and in opposition\u003cbr\u003eto his judgment. The prisoner had been apprenticed to this gentleman,\u003cbr\u003ewhose name was Hartlop, and had served his time with honor and credit to\u003cbr\u003ethe complete satisfaction of his employer, who made him an advantageous\u003cbr\u003eoffer of continued employment which Stewart accepted, and death having\u003cbr\u003esoon after removed the managing clerk, the prisoner was promoted to the\u003cbr\u003evacant post. To the young man it was no small gratification to be, at so\u003cbr\u003eearly a period of his history, thus taken into the confidence of one who\u003cbr\u003ewas well able to administer to the success of his future life. His\u003cbr\u003efather had been a shipping agent in Southampton, at that time noted as\u003cbr\u003eone of the prettiest places of seaside resort in all the South of\u003cbr\u003eEngland. Its quaint and interesting Bargate, the old walls and towers\u003cbr\u003ewith several other gates, and many remnants of ancient fortification;\u003cbr\u003ethe broad and beautiful High-street, terminating at one end in very\u003cbr\u003espacious quays, and at the other with an avenue of lofty elms, forming\u003cbr\u003eas beautiful an entrance to the town as it is possible to conceive; its\u003cbr\u003emany walks of surpassing excellence and romantic interest; the near\u003cbr\u003evicinity of the New Forest, with its pretty villages; all these, and\u003cbr\u003emany other attractions, made the ancient sea-port of Southampton a very\u003cbr\u003edesirable place of residence. Then the Isle of Wight, that beautiful\u003cbr\u003egarden of England, and the splendid ruin of Netley Abbey, proved\u003cbr\u003esufficiently attractive to induce many to visit the place, as indeed is\u003cbr\u003ethe case to this day. Southampton has now lost, only by report, all, or\u003cbr\u003enearly all, of this old-fashioned excellence, but it has gained\u003cbr\u003esomething instead of it, which has made the name a world-renowned word\u003cbr\u003ein postal and commercial phraseology. Well, they who traded in the place\u003cbr\u003ein the childhood of our good Queen, have for the most part passed away.\u003cbr\u003ePeace be to their memory! One of these was the very respectable citizen\u003cbr\u003ewith whom James Stewart claimed a sort of relationship, which one of\u003cbr\u003ethose old laws, given some three thousand years ago, most impressively\u003cbr\u003ecommands us all to honor, but which in these very matter of fact days is\u003cbr\u003efrequently debased from the high and mighty excellence of 'father' to\u003cbr\u003ethe very foreign and repelling epithet of 'governor.' Stewart, however,\u003cbr\u003ewas not the son to conceive such a thought of him whom he ever regarded\u003cbr\u003eas a dear good father. In a playful mood, he would sometimes ring out\u003cbr\u003emerrily the familiar 'dad,' but the word meant volumes of affection, and\u003cbr\u003ethe fond father knew it. Mr. Stewart had for many years carried on a\u003cbr\u003every lucrative business; he had been, in a word, a successful speculator\u003cbr\u003ein shipping ventures. It was a common household word in the family, that\u003cbr\u003ethe period was fast approaching when the son, released from his\u003cbr\u003eapprenticeship, was to become the acting-partner in the business of\u003cbr\u003eJames Stewart and Co., and the father and mother had mentally arranged\u003cbr\u003emost of the preliminaries which were to be associated with the\u003cbr\u003eretirement of the former from active business. But man proposes, and\u003cbr\u003ethere is One who frequently, for the wisest purposes, turns the nest\u003cbr\u003eupside down. 'This is my rest,' many a good man says, and he nestles\u003cbr\u003edown in it, and finds such an elysium of happiness, that, looking around\u003cbr\u003ewith the complacency of satisfaction, he breathes out the words, 'I\u003cbr\u003eshall die here.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'No,' says the unerring voice of wisdom, and forthwith the storm begins\u003cbr\u003eto beat, the rain of sorrow descends, the winds of life's bitter\u003cbr\u003eblasting influence howl around the traveller. He may have the Rock of\u003cbr\u003eAges to shelter him, a good substantial hiding-place in all seasons, but\u003cbr\u003eunder this secure dwelling-place he sees all his earthly treasures swept\u003cbr\u003eaway, the tempter whispering all the while, 'curse God, and die.' Such\u003cbr\u003ewas the experience of the prisoner's father. The son had only","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069022716144,"sku":"2940013760301","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013760301","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}