bad again, and displayed the worst depravity. I could no longer live
with her, and we finally mutually agreed upon a life- long
separation-- she insisting upon keeping the children, and going to
Rochester where she subsequently developed the full extent of her
character.

This, as nearly as I remember, was in the year 1838, and with this
came a new trouble upon me. Just before the separation, I received
from my brother's wife a note for one hundred dollars, and sold it.
It proved to be a forgery. I was temporarily in Troy, N. Y., when
the discovery was made, and as I made no secret of my whereabouts at
any time, I was followed to Troy, was there arrested, and after
lying in jail at Albany one night, was taken next morning to
Coxsackie, Greene County, and front thence to Catskill. After one
day in jail there, I was brought before a justice and examined on
the charge of uttering a forged note. There was a most exciting
trial of four days duration. I had two good lawyers who did their
best to show that I did not know the note to be forged when I sold
it, but the justice seemed determined to bind me over for trial, and
he did so, putting me under five hundred dollars' bonds. My
half-sister at Sidney was sent for, came to Catskill, and became
bail for me. I was released, and my lawyers advised me to leave,
which I did at once, and went to Pittsfield, and from there to
Worthington, Mass., where I had another half-sister, who was married
to Mr. Josiah Bartlett, and was well off.

Here I settled down, for all that I knew to the contrary, for life.
For some years past, I had devoted my leisure hours from the forge
to the honest endeavor to make up for the deficiencies in my
youthful education, and had acquired, among other things, a good