Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-03-18
From the Albany Argus.
THE PRISON CONVICT.

BY ALFRED TRACY.
A rhyme to weave. rhyme. for one
By the world forgotten long,
A noble rhyme for the son of Crime,
And hi prison keep strong
And weave it well, that all may list,
And troll it lound and wide.
With manacle link and eyve TO clink
In glorious symphony!
The convict wight. with his crown all cropt,
e And his garb so quaint to see,
} y A merry life in his iastiness.
With his doughty freres has he:
Burglar and thief, and he whose hand
Hath a fadeless stain OF blood,
Oh, these they so fam to be
OF chosen brotherhood.
From dawn I'LL dusk. the velong day,
= How CHEEKY up doth come
The busy MOL of the trade he plies
So speeches. all and dumb.
Ga bench, or loom or the sounding forge,
He NAV choose whichever he degn;
Nor lack of time, practice good,
And a skill in craft to gain,
A skill aye. the keepers do but heed,
And yon gaudy sentinel
Lest siezed of a wood, or sledge. or blade,
He handled for too we'll
Day in, day out-and he strives but more,
With hum:of the crowd,
The roll of wheels, and the laugh that come
IN his toll so clear and loud
Or say If he chance faint sometimes,
Or to his task seem 10TH
The lash, the lash, tits a wondrous thing,
And quickeneth wei! his soth;
And blood though il stream. and his lip shed foam
His masters still are kind,
So soothing it's, the bullet they give,
81 In his rage to champ and grind
Who telleth of night and his silent cell.
And the shapes that haunt him there!
lie NAV howl may he not, AMI fright them fortn'
Nor yet need the keeper care;
Nor himself nor the guard need fear for him.
IT'S time they well should know,
Those links less strong, those CRATES less hrm,
d He had rent them long ago
Week after week-but merrest yet,
A; Silly Sabbath tall,
Are the tales to list, from the Capel Priest
OF mercy and love for ALL
He heareth them as he needs must choose,
But he warns with inward giee--
Whoever heard of mercy yet,
Or love for such as hei
Ths squalid child. wi tn hunger wild,
Who e'er for him haih heed
: lie got his MI as ne BEST his at Do,
Or lied, stole at need.
The LADY, perchance, that gave him PENCE
BE honest now" quoth she;
How he ieered in his haunts, at that stranger word.
(, And marvelled what IL might be,
Fit school for him to learn of love,
The goal OF his after day;
When vet he wrough with a will like that
He bore from ITS walls away
To rob- or stab or the fame TO light
No thousand men to quel-
He did but look get hither at last,
But he earned his guerdon WELL
And the iron gate, and the wall of stone,
=, And the scourge piled well and OFT,
With the bands that callOus his limos OF none,
Shall they render.hIs heart more son!
They are merry thep-aye, blilhes; OF all.
The tales % that baden sage;
And he oa,ps not his cell, but he spite, good lack
For airth, on his Bible page.
VIXEN avarice ceaseh to rob the first,
- When Virtue of Scorn is less,
When any but come in his earle, time,
With half such santliness-
Then less shall they need of pris IN or priest,
Or the Judge to read his ban
And the wight shall tame, that knew nor hope
Nor faith in his fellow man.
Year after year, from the world away.
r he toll, and the wnlPman's thong;
OH merry time for the son OF Crime,
In his prison keep strong
Troll high the burther bid dungeon deep
And cell 9Th forth reply,
While manace link and gyve sh II clink
hn glorious symphony