When he
had heard all he said:
"You ought not to be here another day; you ought to go out."
The good chaplain also interested himself in my case, and after
hearing the story, he and the Warden took a lawyer named Bemis, into
their counsel, laid the whole matter before him and asked his
opinion. Mr. Bemis, after hearing all the circumstances, expressed
the belief that I might get a pardon. He entered into the matter
with his whole heart. He sent for my son Henry and my first wife,
and they came and corroborated my statement about the mutual
agreement for separation, and told how long we had been parted. Mr.
Bemis and they then went to Governor Briggs, and told him the story,
and that I had served out half of my severe sentence, and pressed
for a pardon. The Governor after due deliberation consented to their
request. They came back to Charlestown with the joyful intelligence.
Warden Robinson advised my son, that considering my present mental
and physical condition, he had better break the intelligence
gradually to me, and so Henry came to me and said, simply, that he
thought he would soon have "good news" for me. The next day I was
told that my pardon was certain. The day following, at 12 o'clock, I
walked out, after eighteen months' imprisonment, a free man. I was
in the streets of Charlestown with my own clothes on and five
dollars, given to me by the Warden, in my pocket, I was poor, truly,
but I was at liberty, and that for the day was enough.
CHAPTER III.
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