american tragedy

Chapter 159 (2)
Chapter 333 (2)
"Oh, Clyde, the mercy of God forgives every sin. I know that. He sent His Son to die for the sins of the world. It must be so, if only you could repent. Such a thought! Such an act! You should pray well, ah, indeed, because, it seems to God, I am afraid, yes, but I must pray, for revelation. It is a strange and terrible story. The involved There are so many places. Maybe it's... just pray. Pray with me now, so that you and I can see the light." He lowered his head and sat there in disbelief, but his heart was full of distressing questions.After a while he said:

"O Lord, do not reprove me in your fierce anger; neither punish me in your fierce anger. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. In my shame and sorrow, heal me, because you Pity my wounded heart, which is still dark in your light. Oh, forgive the evil in my heart, and remember no more."

Clyde sat still with his head bowed, not moving.He himself was finally shaken and sad.There is no doubt that his sin was heavy, very, very terrible.Macmillan finished his prayer and stood up, and he followed suit.McMillan said: "But I have to go. I have to think and pray. It's bothering me and it's stirring me up. Oh, so emotional. Lord, and you, my lord. You should go back and pray, too, boy. Pray alone. Repent. Get on your knees and ask God for forgiveness, and he will hear you, yes, he will. Tomorrow, or whenever I do come back, I will Come. But don't despair. Keep praying, because only in prayer, in prayer and remorse, is salvation. Trust in his strength, the world is in the palm of his hand. Peace is found in his boundless mercy And forgiveness, it is true.”

He sent Clyde back to his cell, saw him locked in a cage isolated from the outside world, and left, and what he had just heard became a heavy and sad burden for him.Clyde was left alone to think in silence about all that had just been said, and how it affected Macmillan and himself.His new friend was in such a sad state of mind.Was he really guilty of the obvious anguish and astonishment he displayed at all this? Did he really deserve death for this? Would the Reverend Macmillan have judged so? Will you judge like this?

A week passed in this way, during which time Clyde seemed to be remorseful, and what he said was honest and honest weighing every aspect of the matter from a moral point of view.And so the Reverend Macmillan came again to the door of his cell.But he had only come to tell him that the facts which Clyde had confessed honestly last time were not salvageable even in a very large, very merciful sense.He wanted her dead and didn't feel bad afterward.There was also an element of anger in the blow that capsized the ship.There was also some anger in his mood when he was forced to hit her.As for the influence of Miss -----'s beauty and position in planning it all; her insistence that he must marry her after his wicked relationship with Roberta; How great is the iniquity and sin now.So, before the Lord, he committed sin in many ways.How unfortunate, Mr. Macmillan thought, in those dark days, that he was only a mixture of selfish and blasphemous lust and lust, the very evil which Paul abhorred.And, this evil, remained unchanged until he was punished by the law.He has never regretted it.Even when he got to Bear Lake, he had had time to think and hadn't regretted it yet.Moreover, he has used all kinds of hypocrisy, evil and dodging as a cover from beginning to end, isn't he? Really.

On the other hand, just after he had expressed his repentance so clearly for the first time, just now that he was beginning to understand the gravity of his crime for the first time, at this moment, if he were to be sent to the electric chair, There is no doubt that it is just paying a crime for a crime.In this case, the country was the first to make a mistake.

For this man, Macmillan, like the warden and many others, was against the death penalty and thought it might as well compel the wrongdoer to serve the state in some way.No, even though he thought he had to admit that Clyde was far from innocent.Although he really wanted to absolve him of his sin, even though he wanted to do so mentally, but in fact he was not guilty?

Macmillan pointed out to Clyde at this time that he had now awakened moral and spiritual understanding, but his words had no effect. Clyde was alone, and there was not even a single person who believed in him. .Not a man who could see, in the course of his agonizing and torturous actions preceding that crime, not only the most apparent crime, but something else.But... but... (And, on this matter, whether it's Sandra, or Macmillan, or anyone in the world, or Mason, or the Bridgeburg jury, Al Barney's Court of Appeals, if they had to uphold its Bridgeburg verdict) he still had a feeling that although everyone seemed to think he was guilty, his own crime was not that serious.After all, Roberta had ruined his life by forcing him to marry her so firmly that he had suffered for it, after all, they had never suffered.

He had an inextinguishable flame for the Sandra of his dreams, and they weren't like him.In his early life and education there was that unfortunate fate which pressed upon him, tormented him, taunted him, and compelled him to pray unseemly along the streets, while his whole soul was uttered with great emotion. Cry for a better life.These, they have not experienced.How could any one of these people, even his own mother, know his own spiritual, spiritual, and physical sufferings, judge him? He thought it all through. .I still feel that ten thousand arrows pierced my heart back then, although there are already those facts, and although everyone thinks he is guilty, deep down in his heart, there is still something that is making a cry of resistance, even himself sometimes Also was taken aback.But there was the Reverend Macmillan, who was very fair, just and kind.He must see all this from a higher and more correct point of view than his own.

Ah, these elusive, intricate, tormenting thoughts, could he never—impossible—get the whole thing straight in his own mind?

Therefore, whether it is the gentleness and faith of a kind and pure man like Pastor Macmillan, no matter whether it is boundless kindness and magic power, or using Pastor Macmillan as an envoy, Clyde really cannot get help from them.What was he really to do? How was he to pray humbly, unreservedly, and faithfully? Reverend Duncan, on account of Clyde's confession, was convinced that Clyde must have been filled with the Holy Spirit, and repeatedly advised him to do so.With such a mood, Clyde once again flipped through the chapters pointed out to him by Pastor Duncan, and repeatedly read the "Psalms" he was most familiar with, hoping to get inspiration from it and grasp the necessary regret.If only it could be grasped, the peace and strength so longed for in the dreary days would be attained.But I still can't catch it.

In this way, another four months passed.At the end of this period, in April 28, the Court of Appeals (reviewed by Fulme Jr. of the evidence presented by Belknap and Jefferson) was in Kinkett, Hilligs, Truman, and Dobb Minter agreed to find Clyde guilty, consistent with the verdict of the Kadaki jury, and sentenced Clyde to execute within a week from February [-], that is, six weeks later, and finally said:

"We noticed that the evidence in this case is circumstantial evidence, and the only eyewitness denied that the tragic death was caused by a crime, but the People's Prosecutor, in accordance with the extremely strict requirements required by the evidence, investigated And put forward a large amount of evidence about the circumstances in order to thoroughly resolve the question of whether the accused is guilty or not.

"It may be thought that the evidence of some of these facts may, in its content, be called into question by reason of inadequacy or inconsistency, or that there may be other circumstances which illustrate or explain the conclusion of innocence. Counsel for the defendant attempted to emphasize that This point of view is very powerful.

"...but taken together and taken as a whole, these constitute extremely convincing evidence, and no reasonable course of reasoning can blind us to the force of this evidence. And we are compelled to think that the verdict not only does not Contradicts the weight of the evidence, does not contradict the proper inferences drawn therefrom, and draws sufficient justification from it. This court unanimously decides to uphold the original judgment of the lower court."

When Macmillan, who was in Syracuse at the time, heard the news, he immediately rushed to find Clyde, hoping to come before he was officially notified, and give him some spiritual encouragement.For, it seemed to him, only with the help of others--the eternal and real help to human misery--Clyde could have withstood such a terrible blow.In the end, he was very glad indeed, to find that Clyde knew nothing of the matter, for no information was ever given to any prisoner until the order to be executed was given.

Thus ensues a peaceful and religious conversation in which he quotes Matthew, Paul, and John about the insignificance of this world, and about the reality and joy of the other world, and so on.In this way, Clyde had no choice but to know the result of the appeal court from Macmillan.He was also told that unless the governor came to his rescue, he would be dead within six weeks, although Macmillan talked of appealing to the governor.The event finally assailed him with his kindness and wisdom.While Macmillan was speaking the law, Clyde stood before him, with a resolute courage and character in his face and eyes, such as he had never known in his short and eager life.

"So the verdict has been passed against me. In any case, I must approach the door now, like everyone else. Go first to the room over there, and then go along this corridor. , saying goodbye to everyone, like those other people, I will not stay here." He seemed to be walking step by step in his heart, which he was already familiar with.However, this was the first time he felt that he was doing things in a calm manner, which also surprised him.Because, regarding this matter, he originally had all kinds of fearful thoughts.

Did he have to recite those prayers that Reverend Macmillan read to him here? Of course he did.Perhaps, he is still happy to recite it.But, for a moment of insanity, he did not hear Reverend Duncan whispering:

"But, you know, it's not the end of the road. A new governor is coming in. I've heard he's a reasonable, kind-hearted man, and in fact I know a few people who knew him well, and I I am going to see him myself, and I am going to ask a few people I know to give him the letter I want to tell them."

However, from Clyde's expression and words at this time, Pastor McMillan knew that he did not listen to him.

"My mother, I think she will be very upset if a telegram is needed." Then he added: "I think they don't believe these letters presented in their original form? I thought they might I will." And then he thought of Nicholson.

"Don't worry, Clyde," Macmillan replied sadly, fed up with the torture.At this time, he really wanted to hug him and comfort him instead of talking to him. "I have telegraphed your mother. As for the judgment, I will go to your lawyer at once. And, as I said, I intend to go to the governor myself. He is a new man."

He repeated what Clyde had not heard.

(End of this chapter)